Faulty panel, any help?

[Deleted member 3614]

Then that panel was producing.
One thing to note, if your system is not needing the amps it will depress solar power production. Turn on a couple of 5 amp loads & production will ramp up to meet the new loads.

Out of interest, ohh and will be testing the panel in about 2 hours time when it stops raining.

The rv came with a 150 watt 9 amp panel and one agm battery that were just 80 amps, when i bought the two 130 amp batteries I bought this panel, knowing the batteries will need more amps to charge. After connecting the new panel, not much happened, in fact, the 8-9 amps went all over the place, direct sunlight would only get 4 amps.

Now i think, this new panel has been faulty since i owned it, and what i have learnt yesterday, if something is wrong a good panel will put its power into a bad one when in parallel.

Funny this I bought the new panel late last year and thats when all the charging issues started to show up.

I blame myself for not learning how to check panels to see if they are working ok.

Sorry, i didn't see your reply last night. I disconnected the panel and placed it on my voltmeter, it read nothing, so i tried the good panel and that read 19.1 volts. Ohh the batteries yesterday were at 12.3 so low i guess.

 

[SCClockDr]

It feels good when you discover the culprit.

 

[Deleted member 3614]

It feels good when you discover the culprit.

Its been one of those days, gas leak in mum house and couldn't shut the gas off, all hell kicked off and gas people rushed down.

I tested the diodes and guessed i did something, the panel was showing nothing until i tried to check the diodes, had no signs on the meter but i then did a voltage check and it was showing 22.1 volts. I unplugged the good panel and tried the bad one, it was working at 6 amps.

i then plugged the good panel back in and the amps started to rise. so the max should be just over 16 amps when both are at full power, they topped out at 9.8 pv which was converted by the mppt at 13 odd, so not bad i think. as the panels are tilted theres a slight shading on the lower panel, about an inch on three cells. I know about these issues but will it cut loads of amps out?

The sun was out with a clear blue sky but about an hour into the test it was very hazy, a washed-out sun which cut the amps down to 6-8.

I,m guessing to get full amps the skies need to be dead clear.

the mppt went into the 14.7 volts, a first for these batteries, i bet they felt good hahah, as it hit that mark it went to float, which then cut the amps down as you said. i then turned the inverter one with my desktop and 27 inch monitor, as the volts dropped to the boost recon level it then kicked back into boost and rased the amps.

I,m stuck on why the panel didn't work until i tried the diode thing, any ideas why?

 

[SCClockDr]

Bad (cold) solder joint.

 

[Deleted member 3614]

ohh as the panel warmed in the sun the connection may have been made.

 

[kernel]

Most common, especially if its been handled or installed is to have one of the leads jerked out inside the junction. Inspection would reveal if the lead moved out from its strain relief clamp.

This is actually the only module malfunction i have seen while installing...... and one of our guys did it in a real steep tough spot. Lost balance and pulled up on the module while i was underneath the hood zipping wires up high and tight.

 

[Deleted member 3614]

Most common, especially if its been handled or installed is to have one of the leads jerked out inside the junction. Inspection would reveal if the lead moved out from its strain relief clamp.

This is actually the only module malfunction i have seen while installing...... and one of our guys did it in a real steep tough spot. Lost balance and pulled up on the module while i was underneath the hood zipping wires up high and tight.

that's the first place i looked.

the diode check didn't work but it may of been because the panels were in sunlight. today i will find something to cover them.

i guess to get full power from both, the sun would have to be direct inline with the panels? if off to the sides a bit the power may not be full. is that about right?

our weather in the uk sucks, if they invented a panel that uses clouds then that would be perfect lol. last week, 5 days straight of heavy clouds.

 

[Deleted member 3614]

Just before sunrise and its clear blue skies, shock horror!!! I tested the diodes and one isn't working.

so its a simple replacement I think they are 20P but finding someone to solder them dam thing as I have never soldered before.

will this faulty diode effect the good panel? as both are in use or will it knock the power down like i,m seeing at only 13 amps?

 

[nosys70]

the diode are here to avoid one panel feeding the other instead feeding the battery.
so yes, i one diode is dead, this is a problem.
take care when you install the new diode to install it the right (same) way as the others.
there probably is a ring marked on the diode to indicate the direction.
you need also a diode that will support the current passing trough, so if the panel is rated 8 amps, take a diode that is rated 8 amps or more.
for the blue sky, eventually you would be surprised, but panels give their best with sunny day slighly cloudy, because the light is reflected by the clouds and panle temperature is usually lower.

 

[Deleted member 3614]

the diode are here to avoid one panel feeding the other instead feeding the battery.
so yes, i one diode is dead, this is a problem.
take care when you install the new diode to install it the right (same) way as the others.
there probably is a ring marked on the diode to indicate the direction.
you need also a diode that will support the current passing trough, so if the panel is rated 8 amps, take a diode that is rated 8 amps or more.
for the blue sky, eventually you would be surprised, but panels give their best with sunny day slighly cloudy, because the light is reflected by the clouds and panle temperature is usually lower.

Yeah I see the ring, the directional part.

Its interesting, the voltage was jumping from 22 to 16 in seconds then levelled. its now 10 to 9 am and the panels are at 6 amps pv and 9 converted by the mppt, i think thats way out, if the fault is lowering the amps then i gather when they are fixed the power should be a low more, the voltage now is steady at 20 vols pv.

I did notice i don't need to tilt the panel when its cloudy, the spread of light thing going on, when the suns out its then time to tilt.

all good fun tho.