Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Power Forum - Renewable Energy Discussion

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Voltage with no Wattage on Panels

Featured Replies

Ok so here goes what is probably another "stupid" question where I could not find an answer on Google

Its early morning and light outside but the sun is not technically up yet, I see the panels are producing voltage but no Current or Amps as per attached image (120v currently), is this because there is technically no sun?

Morning volatage.png

I have a split array - 6 facing east and 6 north. Right now I'm seeing 217V and 3,5 A on the east facing array, 96V and 0.4 A on the north facing. The latter is not nothing, but it's negligible. 

But the monitoring software I used showed 23W of PV at 6.50 this morning (presumably from the east facing array). That's very low current or very low voltage or both. It's torch battery stuff.

So I'd expect your system to be showing you some PV power at 120V, unless there's something like your inverter not drawing from PV until it reaches a certain voltage.

Pour a cup of coffee and watch those graphs a while.

Yesterday you posted some shots of what looked like a constantly and rapidly fluctuating PV. Looking at them now, the graph shows now PV power when PV is clearly on but below 150 or so V. 

What software are you using for monitoring?

  • Author

Bobster, I am using Solar Assistant from https://solar-assistant.io/

Yes I posted yesterday regarding the rapidly fluctuating PV, - Today I have left the setting on "Utility First" to see if the PV fluctuation is related to the usage or maybe an incorrect setting on my side. So right now my PV is not being used anywhere, its under 50w now and while the fluctuations are still there they are in line with Voltage and the panels are not in full Sun yet

PV Voltage.png

  • 1 month later...

This is because Power = Voltage X Current... you will have some voltage when there is some ambient light, but the current will be 0, so P=0. As the sun increases, your current will increase and therefore your power too.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.