Hi all I've been on the roof of my motorhome today and found the panel looking like the photo, I am guessing the panel is knackered am I right?
Is my solar panel knackered?
Collapse
X
-
-
Not sure of the meaning of the term knackered but the panel looks fine from what I see.
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess this is a Kyocera KC120.2.2kw Suntech mono, Classic 200, NEW Trace SW4024 -
I don't know the make until I get a chance to remove it on Saturday here is what I have found so far, voc 20v, Aoc 5 amps bright sunlight, when connected to pre tested controller output drops to battery voltage and output current max 0.1A (battery voltage 12.4v) connected panel direct to battery without controller with ammeter in circuit panel output max 0.1AComment
-
Comment
-
Your battery could be full and not accepting any more current. You could have a loose high resistance connection. Try doing a short circuit test with your volt meter.2.2kw Suntech mono, Classic 200, NEW Trace SW4024Comment
-
Try a amps test of your panel , using a properly configured amp meter rated for the expected panel amps. Then reset the meter before you put it away.
Never attempt a short circuit test of any battery, you will have vaporized copper plasma in your face and be very uncomfortable.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
gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-ListerComment
-
CORRECTION
Try a amps test of your panel , using a properly configured amp meter rated for the expected panel amps. Then reset the meter before you put it away.
Never attempt a short circuit test of any battery, you will have vaporized copper plasma in your face and be very uncomfortable.
Oops! My apologies. I wasn't clear in my thoughts to text conversion.. I ABSOLUTELY meant to test the panel connections, not the battery.
Good catch!Last edited by littleharbor; 05-11-2019, 09:08 AM.2.2kw Suntech mono, Classic 200, NEW Trace SW4024Comment
-
I have traced the fault to 2 banks of 3 diodes that have blown, see picture, the manual states the following text.
9. BLOCKING DIODES Blocking diodes can prevent nighttime battery discharging caused and prevent modules from loss of array output and being damaged or destroyed by reverse current flow. KYOCERA modules do not contain a blocking diode when shipped from the factory, however most battery charging regulators do have this feature. 10. BYPASS DIODES Partial shading of an individual module in a 12 volt or higher "series" string (i.e. two or more modules) can cause a reverse voltage across the shaded module. Current is then forced through the shaded area by the other modules in series. By having a bypass diode, the forced current will bypass the shaded module in a series circuit, thereby minimizing module heating and array current losses. For 12-volt systems and higher: Each solar module junction box has a diagram illustrating the proper direction for the by- pass diode to be installed between two of the terminal screws (Figure 11, Figure 12). When the solar modules are connected as individual series strings first, and then these strings are connected in parallel, bypass diodes should be used in each junction box. This is the simplest wiring arrangement for most installations. At a minimum the bypass diodes must have the following electrical characteristics:Attached FilesComment
Comment