The most common causes are: system mode is Eco Mode instead of Timed Charge; the charge window times are wrong or out of phase with your tariff; a firmware update reset the settings; the CT clamp is reversed; or the battery's SoC limit has been reached. Check in this order.
Battery fault · All brands
Solar battery not charging
Battery sitting at the same state of charge. Not charging overnight on cheap rate. Not filling up from solar. This is one of the most common faults we diagnose — and in the majority of cases it is a settings or CT clamp issue, not a battery hardware failure.
- Most cases are settings or CT clamp
- All brands affected
- Hardware failure is less common
Battery still not charging after the checks?
A remote diagnostic session reviews your portal data live, confirms the cause, and tells you exactly what needs changing — or whether hardware intervention is needed.
Book your free remote diagnosticWhat's included Trustpilot Google
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.
Ian · May 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Sree · May 2026 Trustpilot
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
Dennis Brown · May 2026 Trustpilot
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)
Tony Deacon · May 2026 Trustpilot
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
Phill · May 2026 Trustpilot
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
michael fairhurst · May 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Mr Machin · May 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Keith Ballard · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Christopher · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Andy Thomas · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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!
Philip · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Ian · May 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Sree · May 2026 Trustpilot
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
Dennis Brown · May 2026 Trustpilot
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)
Tony Deacon · May 2026 Trustpilot
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
Phill · May 2026 Trustpilot
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
michael fairhurst · May 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Mr Machin · May 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Keith Ballard · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Christopher · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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.
Andy Thomas · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
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!
Philip · Apr 2026 Trustpilot
What actually stops a battery charging
In order of how commonly we see each cause.
Wrong system mode (Eco instead of Timed)
By far the most common cause. Firmware updates frequently reset Timed Charge back to Eco Mode without warning. In Eco Mode the battery will not draw from the grid on a schedule.
CT clamp installed backwards
A reversed CT clamp makes the inverter see import as export — so it suppresses charging because it thinks the house is already exporting. See CT clamp installed wrong.
Charge window wrong or out of phase
The charge window times are incorrectly set, or the inverter clock/timezone is wrong — causing the window to run outside your cheap-rate period.
SoC limit reached
The battery's operating range maximum is set below 100% — often deliberately at 80% by the installer. The battery stops charging at that level even during Timed Charge.
Firmware reset all settings
A firmware update silently wiped system mode, charge windows, and operating range settings. You need to re-enter them all and verify they have saved.
BMS or hardware fault
Less common. Shows as a fault code in the event log or an alarm on the battery unit itself. Requires engineer involvement. Rule out settings causes first.
Step-by-step diagnostic
Work through these in order — most cases are resolved before step 5.
1
Check system mode
Open your portal or app and find the system mode setting. If it says Eco Mode, Self-Consumption, or similar, it will not grid-charge on a schedule. Change it to Timed Charge, Time of Use, or the equivalent for your brand. Save the setting and verify it has stuck by checking back in the app after a few minutes.
2
Check the charge window times
Confirm the charge start and end times match your cheap-rate electricity period exactly. Check the inverter clock — if it is showing the wrong time, or is set to UTC when BST is in effect, the window will be running one hour out of phase with your tariff.
Example: Octopus Go cheap rate is 00:30–04:30. If your inverter shows UTC and the UK is on BST (UTC+1), you need to set the window to 23:30–03:30 to match — or switch the inverter clock to local time.
3
Check the battery SoC limit
Find the operating range or SoC target setting. Check what the maximum is — if it is set to 80% and the battery is currently at 78–80%, it will not charge any further. The battery is working correctly; it is just following the configured limit. Raise the maximum if you want more charge capacity.
4
Run the CT clamp live load test
Turn on a kettle and watch the grid import reading in your portal. It should rise by about 2,000–3,000W. If the figure falls, stays flat, or moves in the wrong direction, the CT clamp is reversed — the inverter cannot correctly see grid import and is blocking the charge command. Use the CT clamp installed wrong page for the full fix guide.
5
Check the portal event log for fault codes
Open the event log in your portal and look for any battery-side errors — BMS fault, cell voltage alarm, communication fault, or similar. If you find fault codes, note them down. These usually indicate a hardware issue that requires an engineer rather than a settings fix. A remote diagnostic session can assess the fault codes and advise on next steps.
Battery not charging from solar specifically
If the battery charges from the grid but not from solar, the issue is more likely to be one of these:
▸
Export limiting set too aggressively. If your DNO export limit is set to 0W, the inverter may be curtailing solar before it reaches the battery. Check the export limit setting in your configuration.
▸
CT clamp on the solar circuit is reversed. On installations where the CT monitors the solar feed rather than the grid feed, a backwards clamp shows negative generation — the inverter doesn't see any solar to divert to the battery.
▸
Generation figures look correct but battery still doesn't charge. This can indicate a DC-side connection issue between the solar strings and the inverter's battery charge circuit. Requires on-site investigation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Eco Mode tells the battery to charge only from solar surplus and not to draw from the grid on a schedule. It is fine for self-consumption setups but does not support cheap-rate overnight charging. For that you need Timed Charge or Time of Use mode.
Multiple brands including GivEnergy, Growatt, and Sunsynk have firmware histories that include silent system mode resets. The update completes and reverts to Eco Mode, clearing charge schedules. Re-enter your system mode and charge window settings, save them, and verify they are still present the following morning.
Some installers deliberately cap the operating range at 80% to extend battery longevity. This is technically valid but should have been explained at installation. You can raise this limit yourself in the system mode settings — check the operating range slider and set the maximum to your preferred level.
BMS faults are less common than settings issues but do occur. They usually show as fault codes in the portal event log or as a warning light on the battery. Check the event log for battery-side errors. If you find fault codes, a remote diagnostic session can assess what they mean and whether you need an engineer.
If the battery is actively discharging overnight rather than just not charging, the most likely causes are: the system mode has the battery set to supply house loads from storage (which it should not do at cheap-rate times if Timed Charge is configured); or a reversed CT clamp is causing the system to think the house is exporting and triggering discharge in response. Check the CT clamp first.
Book
Still not charging after working through this?
A remote diagnostic includes a live review of your portal data — system mode, event log, charge history, and CT clamp verification. We confirm the exact cause and advise whether it's a settings fix or an engineer visit.
- Independent — not affiliated with any manufacturer
- Free remote diagnostic — pay only if we fix it
- Written report included
STS Solar Tech Support
Usually replies within minutes
Hi there! 👋
Got a solar fault or need a quick answer? Drop us a message — we usually reply within a few minutes. Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm.
Start WhatsApp Chat
Got a solar fault or need a quick answer? Drop us a message — we usually reply within a few minutes. Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm.
End-to-end encrypted