I shorted my Panels ... Are they Dead?

[sensij]

Shorting the panels is fine. It is a normal diagnostic exercise to short them and measure Isc. (The sc stands for short circuit).

[Mike90250]

If the panels were robust and healthy, they are fine. Shorted panels produce Isc (amps, short circuit) and if there are some thin or defective traces, they may be damaged long term, but shorting a good PV panel should not hurt it, even for an hour. IMHO

[Matrix]

OK so I know it was a dumb thing to do. I was hot and had been on the roof most of the day and was not thinking clearly.

I bought 9 285w REC TwinPeak 2 Modules. I also bought 3 30 foot cables with the idea of cutting each of them in 2 to run 3 series strings of 3 panels to a combiner box. Hear is where the "fun" started. I was not thinking ... or more specifically was thinking more about wire length as I knew it would be tight getting everything to the combiner, so I never actually cut the cables (+ and -) in to 2 parts ... but rather, I connected everything to find out where the "center cut point" of each cable would be. I plugged in the series strings, and then plugged in the cables to themselves, BEFORE cutting them in 2. So the series strings were shorted. Probably for about an hour in full mid day sun.

So now I wonder ... Are the modules now dead? I have not yet installed the charge controller so I have not been able to test them yet. BUT ... The VOC rating for the strings @ STC should be 115.8, and at NOTC should be 107.4. I am getting between 95.6 and 102.7 VOC. I cannot test the ISC because I cannot easily take the panels apart. And I do not yet have the Charge controller, so I cannot simple just "hook it up" and see.

But will shorting the panels in full sun for an hour or more definitely "kill" them ?

How bad is it?