How to test and repair a broken solar panel. part 2, current short test.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Checking the short circuit current on the 3 separate wafer strings within a solar panel to see which ones are usable or repairable. Details of my book "Wind and Solar electricity is available here:
lowimpactorg.wp...
Just scroll down the page and you will find both of them.
Cheers, Andy
Great video Andy looking forward to the follow up, & thank you again for your teaching.
Kind Regards Bill
Bill, thanks for the appreciation.
Excellent video! Thanks for making this. I've just taken delivery of a small number of 255w panels with glass damage so I'll be performing these tests soon.
since last lacquered hows the efficiency of amps/volts and wearing of spraying?
Hi, it's quite some time since this video was shot, the lacquer started to peal off and I didn't replace it. In the end I replaced them with some intact second hand units. Subscribed? cheers
Nice video. I am brand new to solar panel assembly. I am still not understood the connection from the bus wire to junction box. Specially from the bus wire. Do I need to solder a wire to bus wire to bring it to junction box or is there any other connection or clip for that? Thanks for your time.
This depends on the panel but most are fitted with cables from the factory so this is not a problem. Cheers
You have no idea...... There is a data badge on the panel to tell you how it is performing against the irradiance of the sun you don't have to take anything apart. We test all panels (new ones) before we install
Hi Andy, Thanks for such a helpful video. We have access to a lot of solar panels (Trinasolar TSM-260PC05A, with a max power current of 8.5A) with broken glass, and we have measured the overall current from each one facing the sun in full sun in virtually identical conditions. They are ranging in output from 3.5 to 8.5A. Would you say there is a risk of hot spots developing in those panels which are outputting less than 8.5A, especially those down in the 3.5 to 7A range? And if so, would those hot spots constitute a fire risk? They are to be used in Portugal. Many thanks for any help you can give! EP
Hi. The 3.5 Isc panels should not create hot areas as the current is low due to areas of the panels not working. I would say that only panels with a similar short circuit current (Isc) should be matched together. Depends on whether the panels are grid tie or battery based. Cheers
+Andy Reynolds Thanks very much Andy. The panels are to be battery based - should we match those with a similar Isc for this? What is the reason for matching them in this way? Many thanks again.
Hi. Any panels in series will only generate to the capacity of the weakest panel. I assume these are 24v panels, so if you have a 24v battery bank then no problem as all the panels will be in parallel, but if like me you have a 48v system then panels have be matched to get the best output. Even the 3.5 Isc panels should be matched if you have room to fit them, as they will contribute to the overall generation. Cheers
+Andy Reynolds Thank you very much!
Hi, I have four 240watts solar poly panel at 37volts and 8.6 amps spec. When I measure the output of the panel ,it only give out 33volts and 8 amps but if connected to the charge controller to charge 24volts battery bank, it only give me 3amps. Is it normal or problem with the solar panel?
Hi. Difficult to be definative, depends on many things, is this in full direct sun and facing directly at the sun, what is the battery volts when you see 3 amps, what charge controller are you using, are the batteries sealed or flooded type and how old are they, do the batteries hold a charge well or go flat quickly. Hope this gives you food for thought. See this link www.lowimpact.org/book-title/wind-solar-electricity/ , cheers
Yes in full diect sun, very hot ,when I cool it with water its give 20 percent more power. Voltages is about 28 volts. Yes the amps also follow the temp of the penals.I have try pwm, mppt and direct charge. Mppt is the best but input must be high 50volts . I series one 33 volts 8amps panel with a 19 volts 7amps penal. Total up 52 volts 7 to 8 amps. My MPPT charger can only take 50 volts max. 20amps. I can get 8 amps max when charging my batteries. My battery is flooded type,less than a year. Can hold charge. 150amp 8 pcs. conventional batteries.
Hi. When your panels are hot the voltage goes down, and when the batteries are fully charged the voltage goes up, so there is less current flow. The main question is are your batteries full charged most of the time? if so you are not loosing anything you can use. As a test if you put a reasonable load on your inverter this will pull the battery voltage down and so should show in increase in the current flow from your panels. This is what you need: lowimpactorg.wpengine.com/wind-solar-electricity-3rd-edition/
Cheers, Andy
hi, My solar Charge Control Leron did not Charge the battery, how to Know if the problem is my solar Panel or my Charge Controler?
Hi. There could be a number of reasons for this. Have you installed an amp meter between the solar panel and the charge controller, so you can see what is happening? You could test the panel with a multi meter, first DC volts and then change the meter settings to DC amps and do a short circuit test. I suspect either a wiring fault, a charge controller problem, or you have used too much power and there has been poor generation. Edition three of my book (wind and solar electricity) is now out, perhaps it may be a useful purchase. Hope this helps, but from a remote situation it is always difficult. See my other videos on battries and wiring. Cheers, Andy
Hello I am From Brazil i am having almost the same problem when I test amper, My solar panel it is 95W and 5.5 amper when i test it shows only 1.6 amper, and i don't know how to solve it
Hi. You may have several problems. Is you meter accurate? try another unit, is the panel facing directly into full sun? do you have corroded contacts? If the glass is broken, or there is damage to the back of the panel then some of the wafers may be damaged. Check these things and then get back to me. Subscribed? Cheers, Andy
Henrique Domingues get more sun
Hi lightning caused my panels to shut down giving nothing coming out do you think I can recover some power of them or have they died
Hi, your question has many answers, so perhaps I should ask some questions. please answer them all. Are the panels on your roof? Are you off grid or on grid? If you are on grid does your grid inverter show a fault code or does it simply not work? Is there any DC volts showing at your DC insolating switch? Have you tested each panel separately? Cheers, Andy
Andy Reynolds hi the inverter no power. panels tested for voltage individual all dead noting coming out I am now thinking it could be the diods I still have to do this check from the front sun side looks as good as new
Andy Reynolds hi also the system was grid connected
Hi. A few years ago I came across a panel that gave no voltage. After a few experiments I cut the diode connection and then we had volts and amps. The diode had failed as a short and shorted out any power flow. This was caused by a student wiring the panel reverse polarity. High static voltage could do the same thing. With many 30v mpp panels there are commonly 3 diodes, as an experiment you will have to cut a connection to each one if you can get the box open, sometimes they are sealed. Check out my recent video on testing a grid inverter. Cheers, Andy
Great video thanks
Thanks for the appreciation, subscribed? Andy
Good to see someone working with broken solar panels - AND using ancient meters!! I have a few ov those on my system. :)
Here's a repair on a broken panel I had, if you're interested. I did a fairly extreme repair job, hence the title ov the video.
th-cam.com/video/EEZaSOullXo/w-d-xo.html
Nice to see someone else taking the time to pass on information, I will watch the series, thanks for the appreciation of the meters. Cheers, Andy
once broken. it's useless
That's a view, but if you 50 miles from anywhere and this is your only power, then maybe not. Perspective, cheers
I have several panels wirh broken glass and been almost 5 years and they charging fine still. I have 40 and 50 watt solars charging batteries in diffrent locations.