To keep or get rid of shaded panel in series

[Siamac]

Before you grill me, this is a temporary set up because I'm missing a couple of parts.

I have some ground mount panels in a series. One of them has shade at the bottom of the panel for about a third to half of the day. Please see the picture depicting the shade.

Is it better to leave that panel out for now? Will the amount it generates make up for the amount it drops from the series? Does it even matter, where production is going to be about the same either way?

I would prefer to keep it as a place holder while waiting for parts, unless it's going to cut production.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

The panel with shade on it is effectively shaded 100%. An entire row of cells in that orientation is no different than shading the whole panel.

If that panel's bypass diodes are working, and your MPPT is smart enough to figure out there's more power a whole panel's worth of Vmp lower, then it shouldn't matter, but that's a big if.

Can you place something under the panels to raise them up? Make their tilt steeper to get them out of the shade?

 

[sunsurfer]

Before you grill me, this is a temporary set up because I'm missing a couple of parts.

ALL my panels are sitting on the ground. They are propped up in the back with various things like totes at the moment. Eventually I'l make some low ground mounts out of some pressure treated 2x4. Might even anchor them to the ground so a tornado doesn't send them down the street. Power cables run through 1/2 poly drip line tubing. All temporary of course.

Life's temporary......

 

[Siamac]

ALL my panels are sitting on the ground. They are propped up in the back with various things like totes at the moment. Eventually I'l make some low ground mounts out of some pressure treated 2x4. Might even anchor them to the ground so a tornado doesn't send them down the street. Power cables run through 1/2 poly drip line tubing. All temporary of course.

Life's temporary......

Nice. Any pictures?

 

[Siamac]

The panel with shade on it is effectively shaded 100%. An entire row of cells in that orientation is no different than shading the whole panel.

If that panel's bypass diodes are working, and your MPPT is smart enough to figure out there's more power a whole panel's worth of Vmp lower, then it shouldn't matter, but that's a big if.

Can you place something under the panels to raise them up? Make their tilt steeper to get them out of the shade?

Yes, I'm definitely going to prop it up, but they're sunpower so hopefully the bypass diodes are working

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Yes, I'm definitely going to prop it up, but they're sunpower so hopefully the bypass diodes are working

That's half of it. Is the MPPT robust enough to sweep wide enough to find the max power point?

 

[Siamac]

That's half of it. Is the MPPT robust enough to sweep wide enough to find the max power point?

I haven't set it up yet. Basically a rebranded MPP ?

 

[Quattrohead]

It would be an interesting experiment to try it both ways but my gut says either raise the panel to get rid of the shadow or bypass it