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What does a red light or a fault on my solar inverter mean?

Short answer. Red or orange on a Sigenergy, or red flashing on a GoodWe, means the manufacturer lists a fault or alarm. We cannot tell which from a web page. Take a photo, take a screenshot of the app alarm, do not restart anything, and call us.

A fault is not always an emergency, but it is not something to leave for weeks. Equally, switching the unit off and on repeatedly can hide the clue we need.

Safety first. If you see smoke, smell burning, hear buzzing or arcing, or see water or heat, keep away from the unit. Never open a switchboard, remove a cover from your battery or inverter, or touch any wiring. Anything beyond the app, a light you can read from a safe distance, or your own router is a job for a licensed electrician. If you see smoke, smell burning, hear arcing or see water on or near the unit: keep everyone away, switch off at your main switch only if it is safe to do so, and call 000 if there is any fire or smoke.

What the lights say

  • Sigenergy: on the DC or AC symbol, red steady means inverter failure and orange flashing means a fault on that side. On the battery symbol, red flashing means some batteries are faulty and red steady means all are. See our Sigenergy lights guide.
  • GoodWe: a flashing red inverter breathing light is a system fault. A red button light on the battery means an alarm or fault. See our GoodWe lights guide.

What to do

  1. Stay where you can see the unit and do not touch it or open covers.
  2. Take a photo of the lights from where you are.
  3. Open the app. mySigen: Home, then Notice, or Service. SEMS+: tap Alarm on the home page. Take a screenshot.
  4. Do not try to decode the fault code or switch the unit off and on.
  5. Call us with the photo, the screenshot, the date and time, and what the house was doing.

If the whole house has lost power, check whether the street has too: Essential Energy’s power outage line is 13 20 80.

Read more: Sigenergy batteries and GoodWe batteries from Sun Connect Solar

When to call us

If we installed your system, call us on 0483 903 020. Our service help for existing customers is free: we start by working through it with you by phone. If you are not yet a customer, a service call is $250 + GST, which covers one hour on site within 20 km of Mullumbimby; travel further out is quoted separately. Contact us or call 0483 903 020 (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 7am-4pm).

Quick questions

Is a red light an emergency?

Not necessarily, but it needs attention. If there is smoke, a burning smell, heat or water, keep away and call 000.

Can I clear a fault by restarting?

Not by using the unit’s switches. A restart will not fix a real fault and may hide it. Call us.

The light is red but the app shows no alarm.

GoodWe says to contact after-sales if something seems wrong but there is no alarm in SEMS+. For our customers that means us.

Will I be charged for the call?

If we installed your system, our service help is free.

Sources

Last checked 6 October 2026. Only the manufacturer’s, the network’s or the government’s own documents are used; app menus change between versions, so if your screen looks different, call us rather than guess.

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