Solar panels in bushfire and smoke season.
Heavy smoke and ash will drop your solar output for a while — that part is normal and temporary. What matters most in a real fire threat is your safety: follow emergency services, not roof DIY. Here's the honest, practical guide for an Australian summer.
Reviewed by Josh, Mission Green Energy Team · Updated July 2026
In a fire threat,
what comes first?
Your safety and the official advice from emergency services come before your solar system, every time. If there's a real fire threat near you, follow your state fire service and any evacuation instructions — the panels can wait.
Let's put the most important thing at the top, because it's the one that actually matters. In a genuine bushfire threat, nothing about your solar system is worth risking your safety for. Follow the warnings and advice from your state fire authority, act on any evacuation call early, and never let "should I switch off the solar?" slow down your decision to leave.
Here's the honest safety line, and it holds for everything on this page: only turn the system off if it is safe and simple to do so from the ground — for example switching off at the inverter and the solar-supply isolator, following the shutdown steps printed on the label near your inverter or in your manual. For anything beyond that basic shutdown, call your installer, a licensed electrician, or a CEC-accredited service. Never open the inverter or any enclosure, never touch DC wiring or rooftop isolators, and never climb onto the roof — in a fire situation least of all. Electrical work is for a licensed electrician, full stop.
With that anchored, the rest of this guide covers the calmer, more common situation: smoke and haze dropping your output, and cleaning up afterwards.
Does bushfire smoke
reduce my solar output?
Yes — and often dramatically on the worst days. Thick smoke scatters and blocks the sunlight reaching your panels, and settled ash on the glass blocks it further. It's a temporary drop, not a fault.
If your generation has fallen off a cliff during a smoky spell, your system is almost certainly fine. Two things are working against it at once. First, heavy smoke and haze cut the amount of direct sunlight getting through to the panels — the light becomes diffuse and weaker, so there's simply less energy to convert. Second, ash and soot settling on the glass physically shade the cells, the same way a layer of dust or bird mess would.
On a badly smoke-affected day it's normal to see output well below what you'd expect for the season — sometimes only a fraction of a clear day's generation. That can look alarming on your app, but it tracks the conditions outside, not a problem with the hardware. As the air clears and the glass is rinsed or cleaned, generation comes back.
The one thing worth flagging: if output stays low after the smoke has cleared and the panels look clean, that's no longer a smoke story and is worth investigating as a possible fault. Our solar generation guide and our inverter red-light & fault-code guide can help you tell a temporary dip from a real issue.
Will my output
recover after the smoke clears?
Usually, yes — and mostly on its own. Once the haze lifts and any ash is rinsed away, the light reaching your panels returns to normal and so does your generation.
The good news is that a smoke-driven dip is, in most cases, temporary and self-correcting. When the smoke and haze move on, the sunlight comes back and output climbs straight back with it. Any loss from ash or soot on the glass typically clears too — often with the next decent rain, or with a gentle clean if the rain doesn't shift it (more on that below).
Watch it on your monitoring over the following days. You should see generation trend back toward its usual pattern for the season and weather. If it does, there's nothing to fix — the system simply rode out a rough few days.
The honest exception, again, is a recovery that doesn't happen: clear air, clean panels, and output still noticeably low. That points to something other than smoke — a soiled or shaded string, an inverter fault, or a genuine equipment problem — and is worth having checked rather than waiting on. If you're seeing warning lights alongside the low output, start with our inverter fault-code guide, then call your installer.
Should I shut down my solar
in a bushfire threat?
Only if it's safe, simple and quick — and never if it delays you leaving. In a real fire threat, follow emergency services first; a solar shutdown must never come before your own safety.
This is where being clear-headed matters. If you're facing a genuine fire threat and you're evacuating, your priority is to get out safely on the timeline your fire service advises. A solar shutdown is a nice-to-have, not a must-do, and it should never cost you time or safety.
If — and only if — it's safe, simple and quick to do from the ground per your system manual, then switching the system off at the inverter and the AC/solar-supply isolator is reasonable before you leave. It can also help to let your installer or the attending emergency services know a solar system is present on the property, so crews are aware of it.
But the boundaries are firm: do not go onto the roof, do not touch DC wiring or rooftop isolators, and do not re-enter or linger in a dangerous area to switch anything off. If there's any doubt at all, leave the system exactly as it is and get yourself to safety. Solar panels stay live in daylight and can't be "made safe" by anyone but a licensed electrician — who can do exactly that once the danger has passed.
How do I safely
turn off my solar system?
Follow the shutdown sequence on the label near your inverter or in your manual — using only the switches it identifies for you, and only where you can reach them safely from the ground.
For a normal, non-emergency shutdown, your system has a documented sequence. It's usually printed on a label near the inverter or set out in your manual, and it typically runs in this order:
- The solar-supply main switch (AC isolator) — the switch that disconnects the inverter from your switchboard.
- The inverter — switched off per its own instructions.
- The DC isolator — where your manual directs, and only if it's safely reachable from the ground.
Always follow the exact order your own manual gives, because it can vary by system. A few non-negotiables: solar panels stay live in daylight, so treat the system as energised at all times. Only operate the switches your manual identifies for you to use. Never open the inverter or any enclosure, never touch DC wiring, and never climb onto the roof to reach an isolator.
If you're not sure which switch is which, or anything looks damaged, feels hot, smells burnt or is arcing, stop and call your installer or a licensed electrician — don't attempt any repair yourself. This is standard practice on any grid-tied system, not just in fire season; the same care applies if you ever need to reset the inverter after a fault.
How do I clean ash and soot
off my panels?
Gently, from the ground, and only once the fire threat has fully passed. Often the best move is simply to wait for rain — and for anything needing roof access, book a professional clean rather than climbing up.
First, timing: don't touch the panels until the fire threat has completely passed and conditions are safe. Then know that you often don't need to do anything — light ash and soot commonly wash off with the next decent rain, so waiting is frequently the right answer.
If a clean genuinely is needed and you can reach the panels safely from the ground, keep it gentle:
- Use plain water — a soft rinse, with a soft cloth, sponge or a soft brush on an extension pole if you can reach without leaving the ground.
- Avoid abrasives, harsh detergents, high-pressure washers and anything scratchy — they can damage the glass or its coating.
- Avoid cold water on hot glass; clean early or late in the day when the panels are cool, not in the middle of a hot afternoon.
For heavy, baked-on soot — or anything that would require getting onto the roof — do not climb up. Working at height is dangerous and is not a DIY job; the small output gain from a manual clean is never worth a fall. Book a professional panel clean instead. As a rule, panels are self-cleaning enough that most homes rarely need more than an occasional rinse; you can read more on our solar page.
Do I need my system checked
after a bushfire?
If it was exposed to direct fire, heat, embers or fire-fighting water, yes — have it inspected before you rely on it, even if it looks fine. Smoke and ash alone usually just need a clean and a look at your monitoring.
Draw a line between two situations. If your property took direct fire, extreme heat, falling embers or fire-fighting water anywhere near the solar system, have it inspected by a CEC-accredited installer or a licensed electrician before you use it again — even if it appears to be working normally. Heat and smoke can quietly degrade cabling, isolators, seals and connectors in ways you can't see from the ground, and a damaged system can be a shock or fire risk.
If, on the other hand, you only had smoke and ash with no direct fire or heat, a formal inspection usually isn't required. A gentle clean and a look at your generation data is generally enough — though it's sensible to keep an eye on output for a while to confirm it recovers.
Whenever you're in doubt, book the inspection: it's the honest, safe call. And the usual boundary holds — never open equipment, touch DC wiring, or go onto the roof to check it yourself. It's also worth reviewing your warranty and your home insurance for any fire-related damage, so you know what's covered before work begins.
What about my battery
in extreme heat?
Batteries have their own thermal limits, so extreme heat is worth a thought too. The honest answer is simple: follow the manufacturer's guidance for your specific unit rather than any generic rule.
Bushfire season usually means heatwaves as well as smoke, and home batteries are temperature-sensitive. Most are designed to manage themselves within a rated operating range — and some will automatically limit charging, discharging or output to protect themselves when it gets very hot — but the exact behaviour and limits depend entirely on the make and model.
Because those limits are unit-specific, we won't invent numbers here. Check your battery's manual or the manufacturer's support page for its rated temperature range and any hot-weather guidance, and if your unit flags a temperature warning, follow that guidance rather than guessing. As with everything else on this page, anything beyond reading the manual and a simple, safe reset is a job for your installer or a licensed electrician — never open the unit yourself.
If you're weighing up how a battery fits your home in the first place, our honest is solar worth it in 2026 guide is a good starting point.
The calm, honest summary.
Smoke and ash cost you output for a few days, then it comes back. A real fire threat is a safety situation, not a solar one — and that ordering never changes.
If it's just smoke and haze, expect a temporary drop and let it recover — a rinse or the next rain usually sorts the glass, and your monitoring will confirm output bouncing back. If there's an actual fire threat, put your safety and emergency-services advice first; shut down only if it's safe and simple from the ground, and leave the rest to a licensed electrician. And if your system saw direct fire or heat, get it inspected by a CEC-accredited installer before you rely on it again. That's the whole guide: be practical about the smoke, be safety-first about the fire, and never do electrical work or roof work yourself.
Solar in smoke season?
Your questions, answered.
Yes. Heavy bushfire smoke and haze noticeably reduce solar output because thick smoke scatters and blocks the sunlight reaching your panels, and settled ash or soot on the glass blocks it further. On a badly smoke-affected day your system can produce well below its normal generation, sometimes only a fraction of a clear-sky day. This is a temporary drop tied to the conditions, not a fault with your system — as the air clears and the glass is rinsed or cleaned, output generally returns to normal. If your generation stays low after the smoke has cleared and the panels look clean, that is worth investigating separately as a possible fault rather than a smoke effect.
Usually yes. Once the smoke and haze lift, the light reaching your panels returns to normal and output recovers on its own. Any performance loss from ash or soot settled on the glass usually clears too after decent rain, or after a proper clean if the rain does not shift it. So in most cases the dip is temporary and self-correcting. The honest exception is if output stays noticeably low after the air is clear and the panels are clean — that points to something other than smoke, such as a soiled or shaded string, an inverter issue or a genuine fault, and is worth having checked. You can watch the recovery on your monitoring, and our generation and inverter fault-code guides can help you tell a temporary dip from a real problem.
In a genuine fire threat, your safety and the official advice from emergency services come first — follow your state fire service and any evacuation instructions, and never let solar shutdown delay you leaving. If you are evacuating and it is safe, simple and quick to do from the ground per your system manual, shutting the system down at the inverter and the AC/solar-supply isolator is reasonable, and letting your installer or emergency services know a solar system is present can help. But do not go onto the roof, do not touch DC wiring or rooftop isolators, and do not re-enter or stay in a dangerous area to switch anything off. If in any doubt, leave the system as it is and get yourself to safety — a licensed electrician can make it safe afterwards.
For a normal, non-emergency shutdown, follow the shutdown sequence printed on the label near your inverter or in your system manual — typically switching off the solar-supply main switch (the AC isolator), then the inverter, then the DC isolator, in the order the manual specifies, only where these are accessible safely from the ground. Solar panels stay live in daylight, so treat the system as energised at all times. Only ever operate the switches your manual identifies for you to use; never open the inverter or any enclosure, never touch DC wiring, and never climb onto the roof to reach an isolator. If you are unsure which switch is which, or anything looks damaged, hot or is arcing, leave it alone and call your installer, a licensed electrician or a CEC-accredited service, and do not attempt any repair yourself.
Gently, from the ground, and only once the fire threat has completely passed and it is safe. Light ash and soot will often wash off with the next decent rain, so frequently the best action is to wait. If a clean is needed, a soft rinse with plain water — and a soft cloth, sponge or soft brush on an extension pole if you can reach safely from the ground — is enough. Avoid abrasives, harsh detergents, high-pressure washers and anything scratchy, all of which can damage the glass or coating, and avoid cold water on hot glass. For heavy, baked-on soot, or anything that would need roof access, do not climb up — book a professional panel clean. Working at height on a roof is dangerous and is not a DIY job; the small output gain is never worth the fall risk.
If your system was exposed to direct fire, extreme heat, falling embers or fire-fighting water, yes — have it inspected by a CEC-accredited installer or a licensed electrician before you rely on it again, even if it appears to be working. Heat and smoke can degrade cabling, isolators, seals and connectors in ways that are not visible from the ground, and a damaged system can be a shock or fire risk. If your property only had smoke and ash with no direct fire or heat, a check is usually not required — a clean and a look at your monitoring is generally enough, though it is sensible to keep an eye on output for a while. When in doubt, book an inspection: never open equipment, touch DC wiring or go onto the roof to check it yourself. It is also worth reviewing your warranty and insurance cover for any fire-related damage.