08/27/2026
There’s a technical decision, and then there’s the liability decision.
We recently inspected a commercial rooftop solar system after roof work had been performed by others.
During that roof work, portions of the PV system were dismantled. When the system was put back together, two SolarEdge optimizer connectors were left disconnected and exposed to the weather for an extended period.
By the time we got there, the connectors had visible corrosion and contamination inside them.
The optimizers themselves were still producing.
So now the question becomes:
What do you do as the technician who finds it?
Option 1: Clean the connectors, reconnect them, test the system, and put it back into service.
That may work electrically today.
But if that connector later develops resistance, heat, arcing, or fails, you were the last technician who knowingly reconnected a compromised connector.
Option 2: Cut off the damaged connector and install a new field connector.
You may end up with a solid electrical connection, but now you’ve modified the factory termination and potentially affected the optimizer warranty. You also become responsible for the quality of that field termination.
Option 3: Document the condition, isolate the affected circuit if necessary, notify the customer, and recommend replacement of the affected optimizer.
The optimizer may not technically be “bad,” but the factory connection has been compromised.
This is where field work becomes more than troubleshooting.
It becomes risk management.
Getting a system producing again is not always the same thing as returning it to a condition you are willing to stand behind.
As technicians, we have to think beyond:
“Can I make this work?”
and ask:
“If this fails later, am I comfortable signing my name to the repair I made today?”
For the solar techs, electricians, O&M managers, and installers here:
What would you do?
Clean and reconnect?
Field-terminate new connectors?
Replace the optimizer?
Or handle it another way?
Interested in hearing how others balance repairability, warranty, cost, and liability in situations like this.
