Different Colour Solar Panels

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  • mojo34.5
    Junior Member
    • Jan 2014
    • 4

    Different Colour Solar Panels

    Please check photo under the rain and panels showed dark blues and the water were cumulated on surface. Someone explain ?

    adsız.JPG
  • Lorin
    Junior Member
    • May 2014
    • 7

    #2
    Originally posted by mojo34.5
    Please check photo under the rain and panels showed dark blues and the water were cumulated on surface. Someone explain ?

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]3933[/ATTACH]
    I don't think is anything to worry about...

    Comment

    • russ
      Solar Fanatic
      • Jul 2009
      • 10360

      #3
      Originally posted by Lorin
      I don't think is anything to worry about...
      Based on what?
      [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

      Comment

      • Mike90250
        Moderator
        • May 2009
        • 16020

        #4
        Looks like some panels have a coating and some don't......
        Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
        || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
        || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

        solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
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        Comment

        • J.P.M.
          Solar Fanatic
          • Aug 2013
          • 14920

          #5
          Originally posted by mojo34.5
          Please check photo under the rain and panels showed dark blues and the water were cumulated on surface. Someone explain ?

          [ATTACH=CONFIG]3933[/ATTACH]
          That whole array looks a little funky to me. What's happening on the upper right side ? Looks a bit undulating. Also, What's w/ the shadow pattern under the array. Looks more checkerboard than a solid pattern of closely spaced panels would produce.

          Comment

          • Lorin
            Junior Member
            • May 2014
            • 7

            #6
            Originally posted by russ
            Based on what?
            Because I have a seen some panels like this in my city. Also my friend's house has this view.... and he doesn't have any problem at all.

            Comment

            • SunEagle
              Super Moderator
              • Oct 2012
              • 15123

              #7
              Originally posted by J.P.M.
              That whole array looks a little funky to me. What's happening on the upper right side ? Looks a bit undulating. Also, What's w/ the shadow pattern under the array. Looks more checkerboard than a solid pattern of closely spaced panels would produce.
              I have seen other installations that do not keep all the panels level but follow the geography of the land. I guess it depends on what the cost would be to have all the panels level or have some not face exactly the same direction.

              As for the spaces. To me the panels look like there are 3 rows with spaces in between therefor no shadow on the ground. From the angle of the picture you can't see these spaces but if you look at the panels in the back they seem much smaller than the ones in front if they were all butted front to back.

              Since it is not a roof installation and is very big in size, having a way to maintain the land between the large rows is usually the way these systems are installed.

              As for the color? Could be a lot of reasons, from panel degradation on a few to light reflection.

              Comment

              • steevieboy4u
                Junior Member
                • Nov 2015
                • 18

                #8
                Panel Colour

                I've also got the same issue and my panels were only fitted 3 months ago, there is one that is a total different colour and I reckon its defective!

                Panel Failure.JPG

                What was the outcome of this as I know this thread is quite old now?
                Last edited by steevieboy4u; 11-05-2015, 10:55 AM. Reason: add image

                Comment

                • steevieboy4u
                  Junior Member
                  • Nov 2015
                  • 18

                  #9
                  Panel Colour

                  Stumbled across this thread and wondered if you found out why some of the panels were different colours and had water on them as I've got the exact same problem with just one of the 16 panels I've got fitted. They were only fitted 3 months ago and I'm concerned that the one that is a different colour is faulty

                  See photo above

                  Thanks

                  Comment

                  • SunEagle
                    Super Moderator
                    • Oct 2012
                    • 15123

                    #10
                    Originally posted by steevieboy4u
                    Stumbled across this thread and wondered if you found out why some of the panels were different colours and had water on them as I've got the exact same problem with just one of the 16 panels I've got fitted. They were only fitted 3 months ago and I'm concerned that the one that is a different colour is faulty

                    See photo above

                    Thanks
                    There could be a few reasons for the different color. Depending on how they are wired to your inverter you might be able to determine if one is not producing or is faulty.

                    How is your system wired and do you have any electronic monitoring?

                    Comment

                    • steevieboy4u
                      Junior Member
                      • Nov 2015
                      • 18

                      #11
                      Originally posted by SunEagle
                      There could be a few reasons for the different color. Depending on how they are wired to your inverter you might be able to determine if one is not producing or is faulty.

                      How is your system wired and do you have any electronic monitoring?
                      Hi, it's wired 2 strings of 8 panels. The inverter is a SOFSR 3680TLM Wi-Fi version. This doesn't show any faults and has the normal green LED when it on. The voltages in each string can vary up to and over 30v but I'm not sure how accurate these are and how fast it updates as sometimes it's string one that's low other times it's string 2 and I would have thought if the one panel was faulty it would always be the same string that was low?

                      Cheers for the reply

                      Comment

                      • SunEagle
                        Super Moderator
                        • Oct 2012
                        • 15123

                        #12
                        Originally posted by steevieboy4u
                        Hi, it's wired 2 strings of 8 panels. The inverter is a SOFSR 3680TLM Wi-Fi version. This doesn't show any faults and has the normal green LED when it on. The voltages in each string can vary up to and over 30v but I'm not sure how accurate these are and how fast it updates as sometimes it's string one that's low other times it's string 2 and I would have thought if the one panel was faulty it would always be the same string that was low?

                        Cheers for the reply
                        I agree that if there was a single faulty panel in one string that one would always be lower unless there was shading or cloud cover.

                        Maybe you can contact the installer to troubleshoot and determine if that off colored panel is faulty or maybe you can shut off one string of 8 at a time and see if the output is lower on the suspected string.

                        Comment

                        • steevieboy4u
                          Junior Member
                          • Nov 2015
                          • 18

                          #13
                          Originally posted by SunEagle
                          I agree that if there was a single faulty panel in one string that one would always be lower unless there was shading or cloud cover.

                          Maybe you can contact the installer to troubleshoot and determine if that off colored panel is faulty or maybe you can shut off one string of 8 at a time and see if the output is lower on the suspected string.
                          The installers Gr33n Group in Doncaster (UK) are just constantly fobbing me off I've contacted them 11 times now and they just keep giving me false promises saying they are looking into it, this has been going on for over a month now, the last telephone call I had with the director of Gr33n he said the company had gone bust and the receivers were in (again I reckon that's another lie!)
                          This is why I'm trying to do some research. There are isolators on each string so what you suggested is a good idea, isolating each string individually, trouble is the weather is grim here so they are hardly producing anything anyway

                          Comment

                          • SunEagle
                            Super Moderator
                            • Oct 2012
                            • 15123

                            #14
                            Originally posted by steevieboy4u
                            The installers Gr33n Group in Doncaster (UK) are just constantly fobbing me off I've contacted them 11 times now and they just keep giving me false promises saying they are looking into it, this has been going on for over a month now, the last telephone call I had with the director of Gr33n he said the company had gone bust and the receivers were in (again I reckon that's another lie!)
                            This is why I'm trying to do some research. There are isolators on each string so what you suggested is a good idea, isolating each string individually, trouble is the weather is grim here so they are hardly producing anything anyway
                            It will be hard to test if you have poor sun light.

                            To be safe do not disconnect any wires during the daytime or you could get shocked. Use a meter to measure for voltage on the wires before you touch them. Also wearing protective electrical insulated gloves would be my suggested practice.

                            Any voltage above 50v can hurt you.

                            Comment

                            • steevieboy4u
                              Junior Member
                              • Nov 2015
                              • 18

                              #15
                              Originally posted by SunEagle
                              It will be hard to test if you have poor sun light.

                              To be safe do not disconnect any wires during the daytime or you could get shocked. Use a meter to measure for voltage on the wires before you touch them. Also wearing protective electrical insulated gloves would be my suggested practice.

                              Any voltage above 50v can hurt you.
                              The first opportunity the weather isnt too bad I'll use the individual isolators and just get the voltage reading from the inverter, don't want to start playing with the wiring as it'll give the installers an excuse not to fix it, if they ever do! The conmen!
                              Did the OP ever come back and state if he had or found a fault with his panels as from what he said and what they look like I've got the exact same issue? I'm really hoping it's just some kind of coating on the panel that's different but I really don't think that's the reason :-/

                              Comment

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