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GoodWe Ground Failure

Updated June 2026 · Reviewed for technical accuracy · ~3 min read
This is a safety trip, not a nuisance code. Ground Failure means current is leaking to earth above the safe limit. Do not keep clearing it without finding why, because the cause can be damaged insulation in live DC wiring.

Ground Failure (error 22) means your GoodWe detected too much leakage current flowing to earth and shut down to protect you. The most common trigger is moisture in the solar array, which often clears as the panels dry, but it can also signal damaged cable insulation that needs a proper look.

What causes a ground failure

  • Moisture or water ingress in a DC connector, junction box or panel, very common after rain or heavy dew.
  • Damaged or aged DC cable insulation letting current leak to the frame or earth.
  • A degraded panel with internal moisture or a failing backsheet.
  • A wiring or earthing fault introduced during install or later work.

What to do, safely

The DC side stays live in daylight Inspecting or opening solar wiring is an installer job. The steps below are about doing the safe thing, not about you opening connections.
  1. Note the timing. If it shows at dawn or after rain and clears once the array dries, that points strongly at moisture.
  2. Do not keep resetting it. Clearing a ground-fault trip without finding the cause re-energises a possible hazard.
  3. Shut down per your procedure if you see scorch marks, a burning smell or water pooling near equipment, and treat it as urgent.
  4. Call your installer. They measure the array's insulation resistance, find the wet or damaged section, and fix the connector, cable or panel before clearing the fault.

Quick decision flowchart

Ground Failure appears
↓ note when it happens
🌦️ At dawn or after rain, clears when dry → moisture. Still have connectors checked.
⚠️ Stays on, or returns in dry weather → likely damaged insulation. Stop resetting.
↓
Have an installer measure insulation resistance and inspect the DC wiring.

Related GoodWe codes

Isolation Failure Arc Fault PV Over Voltage

FAQ

Ground Failure clears once the sun is well up.

That is the classic sign of moisture. Overnight damp or rain lowers the insulation of the array, and as the sun dries it out the leakage drops back below the trip point. It is still worth having the connectors and junction boxes checked, because the moisture is getting in somewhere.

Is Ground Failure dangerous?

It is a protective trip, so the inverter is keeping you safe. But the underlying leakage to earth can mean damaged insulation, so do not just keep clearing it. Have the DC side inspected if it returns.

Helpful guides

Error codes explained How to safely restart your inverter What is an arc fault

Sources

  • GoodWe inverter user manual and error-message list (Ground Failure / error 22 = ground leakage current over the limit; check array insulation, often moisture-related).
  • General PV ground-fault and insulation-resistance guidance for DC string systems.
⚠️ Safety disclaimer. A ground fault involves leakage in live DC wiring that cannot be switched off at the panels in daylight. This guide is educational only and does not instruct you to open or repair DC connections. Have a licensed solar installer or electrician inspect and fix it.