How To Test A Solar Panel If It Works

E marine walks you through testing a solar panel s output to make sure it s performing correctly.

How to test a solar panel if it works.

Solar pv systems can chug away quietly for years without an issue but the figures above show it s not unusual for an unknown problem to cost you money. While solar panels work on cloudy and rainy days their output won t match that on clear sunny days. Simply touch the solar panel leads with the multi meter probes matching their corresponding polarity red to red black to black. Common issues are zero power and low voltage output.

This article describes how you can troubleshoot a solar system in basic steps. Don t rely on your electricity bill. A standard solar panel also known as a solar module consists of a layer of silicon cells a metal frame a glass casing and various wiring to allow current to flow from the silicon cells silicon atomic 14 on the periodic table is a nonmetal with conductive properties that allow it to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. Quality solar panels are built and guaranteed to produce power for 25 years for that reason it s most likely that a problem is caused by a defect in system.

Open circuit voltage can vary depending on your solar panel but the readings we are usually looking for are in the range of 15 to 23v. But don t get stuck on this detail. Touch the multi meter s red positive lead to your solar panel s positive wire. How do solar panels work to generate electricity.

Troubleshooting a solar pv system below i will describe basic steps in troubleshooting a pv array. If you re not sure how well your solar panels are working take our six simple steps to do a quick health check of your system. Then touch the multi meter s black negative lead to your solar panel s negative wire. You will want to ensure that you place the positive to positive and negative to negative when attaching your multimeter to the connection on the back of your solar panel.

Solar panel testing for amps. Set the meter to above 200 vcd to ensure you get the most accurate reading possible. As most solar panels are 12 volts the solar panel test methods are basically the same. Some exceptions may apply based on panel type.