Generac PWRcell SnapRS Defect Lawsuit Investigation

Generac manufactures a power management system for solar panels called PWRcell that has been the target of numerous consumer and customer complaints.

Several recent lawsuits allege that Generac’s PWRcell system have defective voltage safety protectors that are supposed to shut off solar panels if there is an electrical surge. But instead, the protectors often malfunction and start rapidly cycling off and on, causing the components to “overheat, bubble, burn, separate, melt, char, combust, and/or explode,” according to one lawsuit.

“SnapRS” shutoff components manufactured before May 2022 have a shocking 50% failure rate, according to the lawsuit. A handful of customers that bought Generac’s PWRcell have reportedly experienced house fires. Many others have lost valuable energy generation opportunities when the SnapRS malfunctions, causing the PWRcell to display a “PVRSS Lockout” error code.

Following pressure from consumers and contractors, Generac came out with a new version of the PWRcell shutoff component in May 2022— the SnapRS 802 —that finally fixed the defect, according to the lawsuit. But many consumers still have the old components installed in their homes and are still at risk of decreased energy production and home fires.

Consumers have flocked to Reddit and other online forums complaining that the rapid on-and-off cycling and overheating issues have continued even after they replaced their faulty SnapRS components. In late 2022, one consumer on Reddit said they may have to replace the component for a third time after it still failed to function correctly.