Solar Panel Testing

From wsuwiki

Solar Splash

Solar Panel Care

It is good to take the panels out and make sure they are working correctly occasionally. There is little else that can be done other than handle them with care and try not to do any more damange than has already been done to them. The panels are fairly robust, but they cannot handle much abuse.

Panel Testing

Testing the panels is a straightforward process. In order to test the panels you need to have at least one voltmeter and ammeter and a good sunny day. One way to test the panels is as follows. This method is testing the panel without any loading. This means that the panels are not connected to anything.

1. Take the solar panel out into the sunlight.
2. Aim the panel such that it is perpendicular to the sun.
3. Using the volt meter on the leads from the panel
   1. Measure the panel voltage
   2. Switch the Volt meter to current and check the current
4. Power is calculated by multiplying the current by the voltage

You can move the panel in order to maximize the power output. The voltage from the panel should be 54-58V. The current output should be close to 3 Amps or higher. The panel output should be around 175 Watts. (Power = Volts * Amps) If you are getting numbers close to this the panel is functioning properly. If not you need to proceed to the next round of testing.

If the panel is not producting the full voltage, the next step is to check the individual row voltages. This is done be taking the panel out into the sunligh with a voltmeter. This is much easier with two people. At the end of each row of solar cells there is a flat metal connection that goes between the rows of cells. Measure the voltage from one end of the row to the other side. Make sure that nothing is covering the cells in the row being measured, this will seriously affect the total output for the row. The measured voltage varies, but should be around around 18 volts. Check each individual row. If each row is producing enough voltage then check the connection between the rows. If a row is not producing close to (or more than) 18V, then you need to check each cell in the row. To do this, hold one end of the voltmeter to the row connections, then check the voltage increase as you go down the row. If you reach a cell that does not add voltage to the row, you might need to wire around that cell.