GivEnergy CAN Communication Fault — Diagnostic Guide
STORAGE_WARN_BMS_COM_FAIL or STORAGE_ERROR_BMS_COM_FAIL — or simply show the battery as disconnected. This guide covers every cause in order of likelihood.- Covers all GivEnergy hybrid models
- Remote and on-site causes both covered
- Many CAN faults recoverable remotely
The exact sequence of events in your inverter's log — what codes appeared, in what order, and when — tells us whether this is a cable fault, firmware issue, or BMS protection event. We can review this remotely.
Book your free remote diagnosticGivEnergy hubNot affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd. Independent diagnosis and repair.
I have a GivEnergy system consisting of two batteries, two inverters and a controlling EMS (Energy Management System) which has not worked since Nov 2025. After six months I discovered Solar Tech Support, reached out to them and Ron phoned me back – how often do you get that service? Could not be more helpful – worked directly with me over the phone, outside what I would call normal working hours. Lucid explanations and we were able to discuss the issues and history using camera and email history. As this was a very rare setup, Ron was able to access an EMS expert in the field to confirm the solution. One sunny day in, I am now only paying for standing charge and a few pence for spikes in grid consumption while battery catches up with house demand.
When my GivEnergy system had an issue, I was completely left without support and had honestly lost all hope. Thankfully, I searched online and found Ron, which completely turned things around. After sending him a message, he responded incredibly fast and called me to assure me that he would get the problem fixed. I really admire his dedicated, supportive nature and his determination to find a solution. With this kind of outstanding attitude and customer service, he has absolutely secured a future customer in me.
Ron want out of is way to help, nothing was to much. He was very thorough in what he did Very knowledgeable I would highly recommend Ron and his company He did a fantastic job for me. if you have any problems, he'll do his best to help you out and resolve your problem. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them
Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)
Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone
I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues
Contacted Solar Tech Support in desperation. After explaining the issues I had with my system a diagnosis was made and a solution proposed. Fantastic service, even contacted a manufacturer to arrange replacement parts for me. Great communications, explained all they were doing and what I had to do, clearly and precisly. Followed up to confirm all was ok. Excellent service.
After GivEnergy went into liquidation, just my luck, my battery started playing up (internal board crashed). Contacted my installer - not interested! Found Solar tech support on a Google search. Sooo glad I found this company! Ron is extremely helpful and has plenty of experience. He soon confirmed what the fault was, and helped me to get my system up and running again. Now moved my GivEnergy account to Solar tech support, and will definitely use again if I have more issues. Unusual to find such a helpful company in these times, no morons reading scripts, just direct contact with the engineer.
Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.
Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.
I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration (their Trustpilot reviews don't lie!). So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.
This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing . If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.
I sent a message on their website regarding a problem I have on my Givenergy system. Although not supplied by Ronald, I thought it was worth an email. Within the hour on a Saturday, he phoned and we discussed the problem. He logged in remotely and gave excellent advice. I'm too far away for his on-site help but he did diagnose the problem and was happy also to chat through my thoughts about an upcoming solar/battery install I'm planning. Great bloke.... if only he was nearer!
I have a GivEnergy system consisting of two batteries, two inverters and a controlling EMS (Energy Management System) which has not worked since Nov 2025. After six months I discovered Solar Tech Support, reached out to them and Ron phoned me back – how often do you get that service? Could not be more helpful – worked directly with me over the phone, outside what I would call normal working hours. Lucid explanations and we were able to discuss the issues and history using camera and email history. As this was a very rare setup, Ron was able to access an EMS expert in the field to confirm the solution. One sunny day in, I am now only paying for standing charge and a few pence for spikes in grid consumption while battery catches up with house demand.
When my GivEnergy system had an issue, I was completely left without support and had honestly lost all hope. Thankfully, I searched online and found Ron, which completely turned things around. After sending him a message, he responded incredibly fast and called me to assure me that he would get the problem fixed. I really admire his dedicated, supportive nature and his determination to find a solution. With this kind of outstanding attitude and customer service, he has absolutely secured a future customer in me.
Ron want out of is way to help, nothing was to much. He was very thorough in what he did Very knowledgeable I would highly recommend Ron and his company He did a fantastic job for me. if you have any problems, he'll do his best to help you out and resolve your problem. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them
Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)
Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone
I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues
Contacted Solar Tech Support in desperation. After explaining the issues I had with my system a diagnosis was made and a solution proposed. Fantastic service, even contacted a manufacturer to arrange replacement parts for me. Great communications, explained all they were doing and what I had to do, clearly and precisly. Followed up to confirm all was ok. Excellent service.
After GivEnergy went into liquidation, just my luck, my battery started playing up (internal board crashed). Contacted my installer - not interested! Found Solar tech support on a Google search. Sooo glad I found this company! Ron is extremely helpful and has plenty of experience. He soon confirmed what the fault was, and helped me to get my system up and running again. Now moved my GivEnergy account to Solar tech support, and will definitely use again if I have more issues. Unusual to find such a helpful company in these times, no morons reading scripts, just direct contact with the engineer.
Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.
Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.
I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration (their Trustpilot reviews don't lie!). So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.
This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing . If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.
I sent a message on their website regarding a problem I have on my Givenergy system. Although not supplied by Ronald, I thought it was worth an email. Within the hour on a Saturday, he phoned and we discussed the problem. He logged in remotely and gave excellent advice. I'm too far away for his on-site help but he did diagnose the problem and was happy also to chat through my thoughts about an upcoming solar/battery install I'm planning. Great bloke.... if only he was nearer!
Controller Area Network
CAN bus is the communication protocol GivEnergy uses between the inverter and battery. It carries state of charge data, charge/discharge commands, temperature readings, and protection signals. Without it, the inverter cannot safely operate the battery.
The data link, not the battery
A CAN fault doesn't necessarily mean the battery is damaged. It means the communication channel has been interrupted. The battery cells themselves are usually fine — the system just can't talk to them. This distinction matters for whether the fix is remote or on-site.
Fault codes in the portal
The portal event log will show STORAGE_WARN_BMS_COM_FAIL (warning level) or STORAGE_ERROR_BMS_COM_FAIL (error level). The battery may show as disconnected in the portal dashboard, with SoC reading zero or N/A.
Before anything else — check these
Two checks that take under a minute and eliminate the most common causes immediately.
The GivEnergy battery has a power button on the side panel. If this has been accidentally turned off — after a power cut, during a house move, or by a household member — the battery will appear as disconnected and trigger a CAN fault. Press and hold the button until you hear a beep and the LED indicators illuminate.
The CAN communication cable runs between a socket on the inverter (underside) and a socket on the battery (typically labelled BMS or CAN). Check that the connector is fully seated at both ends — it should click firmly into place. A partially connected cable is a common cause of intermittent CAN faults, particularly on newer installations where cables may not have been fully seated at commissioning.
Restart the inverter and battery
Many CAN faults — particularly those triggered by power interruptions, brief grid outages, or software glitches — clear themselves after a controlled restart of both the inverter and battery. This should always be the first active step after the quick checks above.
Find the green or red handled MCB switch between the inverter and battery. Move it to the DOWN / OFF position. This isolates DC power between the two units before shutdown.
Press and hold the button on the side of the battery until the LEDs go out. The battery is now off. Leave it off for at least 60 seconds — this allows the BMS capacitors to discharge and clears any latched fault states.
The AC isolator is the switch below the inverter on the wall. Turn this off. Wait 60 seconds. Both the inverter and battery are now fully powered down.
Turn the AC isolator back on first. The inverter will begin its startup sequence. Then turn the battery on using the side button — wait for the LED indicators to stabilise (typically green). Then move the DC MCB back to the UP / ON position.
BMS_COM_FAIL code has cleared. If the fault reappears within minutes of restarting, there is a persistent underlying cause — continue through this guide.
CAN cable fault — loose, damaged, or wrong polarity
If the power cycle doesn't resolve the fault, the CAN cable between the inverter and battery is the next suspect. This is a physical cable and physical faults require a site visit to rectify — but a remote diagnostic can confirm the cable is the likely cause first.
Common cable fault types
Signs pointing to a cable fault
Firmware mismatch between inverter and battery
The GivEnergy inverter and battery run separate firmware versions that must be compatible with each other. If the inverter firmware is updated but the battery firmware isn't — or vice versa — the CAN protocol version can become incompatible and communication breaks.
How to check firmware versions
Go to givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → Software. The current firmware version is shown here. GivEnergy will also show whether an update is available for the inverter.
Battery firmware version is visible in the portal under My Inverter → Battery details. If the battery firmware shows as outdated or mismatched, it needs updating. Check the GivEnergy knowledge base for the firmware compatibility matrix for your models.
Remote firmware update (inverter)
If the inverter firmware needs updating, this can be done remotely via the portal. Go to My Inverter → Software and click Update if an update is available. The update takes 5–30 minutes — do not turn the system off during this process. If the update appears stuck after an hour, restart the inverter.
Battery firmware update (requires USB — installer task)
Battery firmware updates are done locally via a USB stick inserted into the battery's internal USB port. This requires opening the front cover of the battery, which is an installer task — do not attempt this yourself. Contact GivEnergy support to obtain the correct BMS_ARM.bin file and arrange for an engineer visit if a battery firmware update is required.
BMS protection event — battery locked itself out
The Battery Management System (BMS) can lock the battery into a protection state in response to events like over-voltage, under-voltage, over-temperature, or a short-circuit detection. When locked in a protection state, the BMS stops responding to the inverter's CAN requests — which is reported as a communication fault even though the cable is fine.
What triggers a BMS lockout
Identifying a BMS lockout vs a cable fault
Recovery from BMS lockout
Some BMS protection events clear themselves after a controlled power cycle (see the power cycle section above). Others — particularly over-discharge events — require the battery to be recovered with a slow charge before the BMS will accept normal operation. Contact GivEnergy support if a power cycle doesn't clear the fault and a BMS protection event is suspected.
See the red light / battery alarm guide →Hardware fault — inverter CAN port or battery BMS board
If all the above have been checked and ruled out, the fault may be a hardware failure — either the CAN interface on the inverter, or the BMS board inside the battery. These are warranty-eligible repairs on systems within the manufacturer warranty period.
Inverter CAN port failure
The CAN transceiver on the inverter PCB can fail — particularly after lightning-induced surges or sustained over-voltage events. Signs include persistent BMS_COM_FAIL with a known-good cable, and the fault appearing on a new battery if the battery is swapped as a test.
GivEnergy inverter warranty: typically 5–10 years depending on model. Contact GivEnergy with a written diagnostic report to support a warranty claim.
Battery BMS board failure
The BMS board inside the battery can fail independently of the battery cells. This is a hardware fault inside the enclosure and requires an engineer visit. Do not open the battery yourself. Battery warranty is typically 5–10 years and covers BMS hardware failures.
A remote diagnostic and written engineer report identifying the fault strengthens any GivEnergy warranty claim significantly.
A written engineer report identifying the fault type and cause significantly strengthens GivEnergy warranty submissions. We can provide this as part of a remote diagnostic session.
Battery alarm states and what each flash pattern means.
Firmware updates causing new faults or resetting settings.
Battery not charging overnight — system mode and CT clamp causes.
Full index of GivEnergy fault codes and their meanings.
This is a brand-specific version of our general battery communication fault guide, which covers all brands.
GivEnergy CAN fault questions
Still showing a CAN fault? We'll diagnose it.
Tell us what the portal shows, when the fault appeared, and what you've already tried. We'll review your event log and identify whether this is a cable, firmware, BMS, or hardware fault — before recommending any site visit.
- Not affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd
- Free remote diagnostic — pay only if we fix it
- Written report included — strengthens warranty claims
Got a solar fault or need a quick answer? Drop us a message — we usually reply within a few minutes. Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm.