Your solar system is generating data every second of the day. The question is whether you’re doing anything useful with it. Here are the five monitoring apps I’d recommend for Australian solar owners, from the simple to the serious.

1. Fronius Solar.web (Best for Fronius inverter owners)

If you’ve got a Fronius inverter (and about 30% of Australian residential systems do), Solar.web is excellent. The web portal and mobile app show real-time production, historical data, consumption (if you’ve got a Fronius Smart Meter installed), and detailed system diagnostics.

What I like: The interface is clean and fast. Historical data goes back years. You can compare production across weeks, months, and years. The error log is genuinely useful for troubleshooting.

What I don’t: The consumption monitoring requires an additional smart meter (about $300 installed). Without it, you only see production. The app could also do a better job of presenting financial data — it shows kWh but doesn’t calculate dollar savings.

Cost: Free. The premium tier adds some features but isn’t necessary for most homeowners.

2. Enphase Enlighten (Best for microinverter systems)

Enphase’s monitoring platform is one of the main selling points of their microinverter systems. Because each panel has its own micro, you get panel-level production data — you can see exactly which panel is producing what.

What I like: Panel-level granularity is unmatched. If a panel underperforms, you see it immediately. The layout view shows your actual roof with colour-coded panels. The consumption monitoring (with Enphase IQ Gateway) is well-integrated.

What I don’t: The app has gotten bloated with features over the past year and isn’t as snappy as it used to be. Also, Enphase has started pushing subscription features that used to be free. Panel-level data should be included, not paywalled.

Cost: Free for basic monitoring. Some premium features require a subscription.

3. Tesla app (Best for Powerwall owners)

Tesla’s app is the best overall energy management interface I’ve used. It combines solar production, battery charge state, home consumption, and grid import/export in a single animated view. The energy flow visualisation is genuinely beautiful and immediately understandable.

What I like: The real-time energy flow animation. Storm Watch integration. Time-Based Control mode that optimises battery use against your tariff structure. Historical data presentation. It’s the gold standard for residential energy apps.

What I don’t: It only works if you’ve got a Tesla Powerwall and Tesla Gateway. You can’t use it as a standalone solar monitor. Also, Tesla occasionally pushes software updates that change behaviour without warning.

Cost: Free with Powerwall purchase.

4. Solar Analytics (Best independent monitoring platform)

Solar Analytics is an Australian company that sells an independent monitoring device that works with any inverter. It clips onto your switchboard and monitors production, consumption, and individual circuits. It’s the best option if you want detailed monitoring without being locked into your inverter manufacturer’s ecosystem.

What I like: The performance alerts are excellent — it compares your system’s output against expected performance based on weather data and alerts you if there’s a significant deviation. The consumption breakdown by circuit helps identify energy-hungry appliances. It’s inverter-agnostic.

What I don’t: It requires a separate hardware device ($350 + installation). The app isn’t as polished as Tesla or Enphase. Monthly subscription for some features adds ongoing cost.

Cost: Hardware around $350, plus optional subscription for premium features.

5. PVOutput.org (Best free community platform)

PVOutput isn’t a monitoring app per se — it’s a community platform where solar owners upload their production data and compare with other systems. It’s free, works with any inverter that can upload data, and the community is knowledgeable.

What I like: Comparing your system against nearby systems of similar size is the best way to spot underperformance. The leaderboards and statistics are addictive. Completely free. The community forums are a great resource for troubleshooting.

What I don’t: The interface is dated. Setting up automatic data upload requires some technical ability. It’s more of a power-user tool than a consumer app.

Cost: Free.

Honourable mentions

Huawei FusionSolar: Getting better but still feels like it was designed by engineers for engineers. SolarEdge mySolarEdge: Good if you’ve got SolarEdge equipment, mediocre otherwise. Amber Electric app: Great for monitoring costs rather than production — shows you real-time wholesale prices and your spending.

My recommendation

If you’ve got Fronius or Enphase equipment, use their native apps — they’re good and free. If you’ve got a Powerwall, the Tesla app is genuinely excellent.

If you want comprehensive, inverter-agnostic monitoring with smart alerts, Solar Analytics is worth the investment.

And regardless of what else you use, create a PVOutput profile and upload your data. It’s the best way to benchmark your system and contribute to the broader community knowledge base.

The bottom line: monitoring matters. A system you’re watching is a system you’re optimising. And a system you’re optimising is one that’s saving you maximum money.