Dead Solar Panels

[gettinthere]

I have 2 Kyocera 140w solar panels that I installed in 2012. They have been working fine until very recently. Now I'm getting nothing at all out of them.

I have one panel feeding the second panel and the second panel feeding a Blue Sky charge controller. All marine grade jacketed wire oversized for the load. I checked the wiring at the controller and found nothing amiss. I pulled the cover off the junction box of the second panel and checked it. No corrosion or anything amiss. I put an amp probe on the incoming wire rom panel 1 to panel 2 and it read zero. And the wire going to the charge controller also read zero. Sunny day around 10 am, there should have been SOMETHING. My other 2 panels going to a second charge controller were putting out.

 

[jssailem]

Planned obsolescence?

 

[gettinthere]

Kyocera panels are considered good quality and have a 25 yr performance guarantee.

 

[IStream]

It's not entirely clear to me how you had these connected during testing. I'd suggest breaking all connections and testing each panel's output voltage under open circuit conditions.

 

[gettinthere]

They were connected as usual, from the panels, to the charge controller and into the battery bank which was around 70% SOC and accepting charge from the other controller. I neglected to check voltages, only amps.

 

[Maine Sail]

They were connected as usual, from the panels, to the charge controller and into the battery bank which was around 70% SOC and accepting charge from the other controller. I neglected to check voltages, only amps.

If you have two controllers it's possible one is shutting the other one down because the other controller is set .01V higher. Not uncommon at higher SOC's. Did you also have the battery charger running?

If you want to know if the panels are working disable the other array's controller and turn off any other charge sources.

To test the PV test at PV j-box. To test controller test for voltage on incoming / PV side and the battery/ output side...

 

[gettinthere]

If you have two controllers it's possible one is shutting the other one down because the other controller is set .01V higher. Not uncommon at higher SOC's. Did you also have the battery charger running?

If you want to know if the panels are working disable the other array's controller and turn off any other charge sources.

Hmmmm. haven't seen that problem in the 2 years I've had the system. I added the external controller for the controllers and set them both to the same settings. I'm not on shore power so that wasn't an issue. The wind gen is set about .2v lower so it shouldn't be a problem. I've had both controllers and the engine alt cooking together in the past without this issue also. I will try to get to the boat soon to check this idea and get back here. Thnx!

 

[SycloneDriver]

What type of amp probe?
Controller type, MPPT or PWM?
Are the panels in series or parallel?

 

[gettinthere]

I went to the boat and covered the good panels with towels. Still nothing out of the Kyoceras.

The meter is a clamp-on DC meter.
MPPT
Parallel

 

[All U Get]

I'm keeping an ear open on your progress for the obvious reasons. There must be a break somewhere in the continuity or can that diode in the panel block the current from flowing. Any recent lightning strikes near you. [dumb question] Four panels total, but only one pair feeding the batteries, the other set showing nothing. If you already started to take stuff apart, do you get any volts from the panels when disconnected. When there's no good reason for them not working what would be a bad reason. I tied off my wind gen while traveling this year and got my panels working together with separate controllers just as you describe so it can be done.

 

[gettinthere]

I know it can be done, the system has been working great for the last 2 years. I've even had times where all 4 panels, the wind gen and the eng alt were cranking together to make a lot of amps. I have the system dialed in pretty well. I neglected to check voltage when I opened up the distro box under the panel to get amps reading. That will be my next thing.

 

[svchickadee]

I had the same problem. In my case the charge controller had failed. Disconnect the wires from the solar panels to the charge controller at the charge controller and measure the voltage coming out of the solar panels. This will tell you if the panels have failed.

 

[SycloneDriver]

Sounds like a bad controller.
Time to get out the voltmeter.

 

[gettinthere]

Received excellent tech support from Blue Sky so far. We've diagnosed intermittent output to some cracking of solders in the terminals. They have inferred they will fix it even tho it's a year out of warrantee. I'll be going to a marina in a few weeks and will send it to them then. Stay tuned.

 

[gettinthere]

EXCELLENT support from Blue Sky. The charge controller is about 5 or 6 years old and well past warrantee. Blue Sky gave me some good phone support but did determine it was possibly some solder at the terminals that might have become intermittent so I sent it in. Just received the call back that indeed it was some soldering that gave out. They are replacing the charge controller with a new unit at no charge!