What if the residual current device (RCD) or residual current circuit breaker with overcurrent protection (RCBO) of my pv-system has tripped?


Tripping of this device could have different causes. It could be a malfunctioning in the house or a malfunctioning of the inverter. It could also be caused by a deteriorated device.

After heavy rain or snow, it could also be that the device has tripped. Under high-moisture conditions, conductivity of surfaces increases, leading to a higher capacitance. This can cause small leakage currents. As a precaution, the device will switch off.

It is therefore important to always check whether everything is still in order after heavy rain or snow. If not, try to switch the device back on. If this works, leakage currents no longer occur and the pv-system will resume normal operation. If the device switches back off directly, we would advice you to contact us


For an extended technical explanation about capacitance and leakage currents under moist conditions, see:

https://files.sma.de/downloads/Ableitstrom-TI-en-26.pdf