Shooting A solar panel with a gun

[Murby]

Will a bullet kill an entire solar panel or just a section of it?

[ButchDeal]

That would highly depend on the bullet, the module, and the location that the bullet hits.

pretty sure that a 16" round from the NJ would take one out even it is missed by a few yards.
Also pretty sure that I could take out a full module with a .22 in just the right place.

[Murby]

That would highly depend on the bullet, the module, and the location that the bullet hits.

pretty sure that a 16" round from the NJ would take one out even it is missed by a few yards.
Also pretty sure that I could take out a full module with a .22 in just the right place.

I'm talking random hunting bullet.. Can these panels take a hole and survive? Or would poking a hole randomly, anywhere, kill them?

What I'm asking is, if one cell is destroyed or damaged, will it kill the entire panel or just the one cell or group?

[jflorey2]

I'm talking random hunting bullet.. Can these panels take a hole and survive? Or would poking a hole randomly, anywhere, kill them?

Depends on the panel. A Unisolar panel? They advertise that they can be riddled with bullets and still work OK due to their process and wiring scheme.

A standard GT crystalline panel? If you take out a whole cell or set of interconnects you'll lose a substring; diodes should allow the remainder of the panel to work. Unless it's a PWM controller battery system - then the voltage would likely be too low to charge. Then water will get in and the panel will die.

If you take out the junction box, you lose the whole panel.

[SunEagle]

I'm talking random hunting bullet.. Can these panels take a hole and survive? Or would poking a hole randomly, anywhere, kill them?

What I'm asking is, if one cell is destroyed or damaged, will it kill the entire panel or just the one cell or group?

It would depend on where the damage was with respect to the "string wiring". If the bullet hit a major trunk connection of a group of series wired cells, then every cell "up stream" could be disconnected and no longer produce. If the cells are wired in a "mess" orientation then hitting a single cell should cause less damage.

IMO if the glass on the front of the panel has been broken, cracked or compromised, then water and moisture can certainly get inside and cause further damage to the panel.

[littleharbor]

The vast majority of solar modules have tempered glass fronts. Tempered glass will always "break into a million pieces". In case you've never seen a shattered module the glass stays put because of the lamination process holding it all together, Shattered panel.jpg

[ButchDeal]

I'm talking random hunting bullet.. Can these panels take a hole and survive? Or would poking a hole randomly, anywhere, kill them?

What I'm asking is, if one cell is destroyed or damaged, will it kill the entire panel or just the one cell or group?

A random hunting bullet is bigger than a .22 and the "random" part comes into play. I am pretty sure that placed in the right spot you can take out any module. There are critical junctions, diodes, and the connection wires that all can not take a hit.

[J.P.M.]

A golf ball took out a SP 327 five doors down from me about a year ago. FWIW, the vendor replaced it w/in 3 days, no charge. The array was 2 yrs. old at the time.

[Mike90250]

Once the tempered glass is cracked, the panel is doomed. And like others said, what the bullet pierces, center of a wafer, or center of the main bus, depends on what the result is, but none of it is going to be good.

[jflorey2]

A golf ball took out a SP 327 five doors down from me about a year ago. FWIW, the vendor replaced it w/in 3 days, no charge. The array was 2 yrs. old at the time.

I once installed an off-grid system at a drop zone by the border. When they would do military training, occasionally someone would drop a ripcord (~8 ounces, metal) and it would fall 5000 feet and take out a panel. Lost two panels that way. Since they were charging a 48 volt system via a PWM controller, that would take that entire string out.

[Murby]

I like this forum! Great replies!

Thanks everyone..

[SunEagle]

I once installed an off-grid system at a drop zone by the border. When they would do military training, occasionally someone would drop a ripcord (~8 ounces, metal) and it would fall 5000 feet and take out a panel. Lost two panels that way. Since they were charging a 48 volt system via a PWM controller, that would take that entire string out.

Ouch!!!!.

I also believe most solar panels will not stand up to meteorites that make it to the ground.

[J.P.M.]

I once installed an off-grid system at a drop zone by the border. When they would do military training, occasionally someone would drop a ripcord (~8 ounces, metal) and it would fall 5000 feet and take out a panel. Lost two panels that way. Since they were charging a 48 volt system via a PWM controller, that would take that entire string out.

Did you get hazardous duty pay for the install ?

[PNjunction]

If your application means taking a random hunting bullet(s), then look no further than Powerfilm. Unlike most of the boutique backyard/park junk out there, these are the real deal and suitable for the military:

Want to see one take twelve 40-cal rounds? Video near the bottom of the page:

http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/milita...ollable-solar/

Note that this is kind of an older video, and the panel voltage shows only 15v or so. Both of my own Powerfilm panels put out near 19v OCV, so I have a feeling they were loading theirs down. That is one thing that drives me NUTS about Powerfilm - the 15v spec is totally misleading for most consumers looking for an approximate 18v ocv. Somebody needs to talk to marketing, as I'm sure they have actually lost sales over this misleadingly low spec when their production panels have a regularly expected ocv.

Unlike most camping store toys, these are VERY high quality, the non-toy pricing kind of reflects that. I'm totally happy with my foldable units. Essentially, only the little hole that gets blown away no longer functions - the rest of the panel still works perfectly.

Again, beware of junk that stuffs cheap material inside a folding camo case. Powerfilm is the real deal. Perfect for your hunting application where a hole(s) taking out your panel is not an option.

[littleharbor]

I would have to think long and hard about living anywhere there are bullets flying around willy nilly. LOL