August 24, 2026 · Local Monitoring
You bought the panels. Why are you renting the data?
You don't need a cloud account or a monthly fee to monitor your solar panels. How local monitoring works, what it requires, and where its limits are.
SolarMark Blog
Notes on local solar monitoring
Occasional write-ups on getting the most out of your system: Modbus and inverter setup, monitoring tips, and what is new in the app.
August 24, 2026 · Local Monitoring
When the cloud goes dark, is your solar still working?
Cloud solar apps go blind the moment your internet or their servers hiccup. What actually stays up in each kind of outage, including the honest answer about blackouts.
August 24, 2026 · Sungrow
Two doors into your Sungrow. One of them is better.
Sungrow inverters have two paths to local monitoring, and they are not equal. Why the built-in LAN port beats the WiNet dongle, and how to set each up.
August 24, 2026 · Troubleshooting
My inverter won't connect. Now what?
A troubleshooting checklist for local Modbus TCP monitoring: Modbus not enabled, changed IP addresses, network isolation, port conflicts, and the other usual suspects, sorted by how often each one turns out to be the culprit.
More posts are in the works. In the meantime, the setup guide and FAQ on the homepage cover the most common questions about getting connected. There are also dedicated local monitoring guides for SolarEdge, SMA, Fronius, and Sungrow systems, plus a guide for owners whose installer went out of business. Or email support@solarmark.us.