Solar Panels Common Issues

Putting
up solar panels and finding out that they don’t work can be a frustrating
experience. In this article I’ll tell you about some possible problems that you
might encounter when you have solar panels.

Since
they’re usually quite reliable, finding out that your solar panel broke can be
quite a surprise. It can happen however, especially because of bad weather,
fluctuations in temperature, static electricity or lighting. Fixing a solar
panel means you need to know a few things first.

If the
solar panel is wired either in parallel or in series/parallel, you have the
possibility to test an individual panel, if you cover a minimum of four cells
on the panel. Doing this should decrease the output by at least half. If it
doesn’t drop the output, then the panel has problems, either because itself, or
the other panels which are wired together with him.

In some
case, the system’s voltage will decrease just as the day gets into its hottest
phase. That’s because a regular photovoltaic module works best when there are
25 degrees Celsius outside. When it’s too hot, the voltage can drop below 12
volts. It can also happen because of controller losses, bad wires, weak
connections or a photovoltaic module that is weak.

Putting
water on the array can help you troubleshoot this problem, as it will cool it
down and give you a chance to see how the system reacts. If the voltage is OK
when you cool it down, then look at the open voltage, after you disconnect the
panel. If it’s still lower than 18 volts, test each module individually.

The
metal connections can be affected by oxidation, temperature cycling or
corrosion. The metal can sometimes warp, the screw can become loose or you can
have some electrical resistance. In the end you get connections that are
overheated.

Another
option is that the insulation burned, due to an electric arc, which can also
melt the metal. You have the option to replace all metal parts that are
oxidized or corroded, to repair this problem. If you want to bypass terminals
that are burned, wire it to the metal strip directly.

In most
cases, you will find a bypass diode inside the junction box of the PV modules.
This diode will prevent any cell from overheating, when they have shade on them
for longer periods of time. In some cases, a diode can short out because of
lighting. In such a case, the voltage of the module can decrease.