SilverNodashi Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Hi, Please help! My solar panels are not working well. It seems to produce only about 50% energy. What can be wrong? It's 8x 255W panels connected to a 4Kw Axpert inverter and 48V, 200A battery bank. This morning at 9:40, it produced about 420W power. Location is silver lakes, Pretoria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Bad panel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flltech Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 What was the load at that time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 5 hours ago, plonkster said: Bad panel? I checked the fuses and they are fine. All 4 panel strings have more or less the same voltage. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Then we discovered this. Production was at 870W shortly after washing the panels P.S i don't really need help, just wanted to bring the message across Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulF007 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Ha ha , I didn't know that building had panels on it.If memory serves me there is a little solar shop right behind that M'D sign , maybe little to the left . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 1 minute ago, PaulF007 said: Ha ha , I didn't know that building had panels on it.If memory serves me there is a little solar shop right behind that M'D sign , maybe little to the left . What building? The little solar shop isn't so little anymore, and it's a bit more to the left now, by about 90 degree probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulF007 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Ah well close enough .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hobson Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 1 hour ago, SilverNodashi said: That is incredible! Sidewinder and Mark 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatfourfan Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 with the amount of taxi's that ride on the shoulder of that road, there is no surprise that those panels look the way they do. But DAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMN, that's a lot of crap......lol. Chris Hobson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted August 4, 2017 Author Share Posted August 4, 2017 1 hour ago, flatfourfan said: with the amount of taxi's that ride on the shoulder of that road, there is no surprise that those panels look the way they do. But DAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMN, that's a lot of crap......lol. Yup. Was like a blanket on top of the panels. Just goes to show, a bit of dust can make a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 14 hours ago, SilverNodashi said: P.S i don't really need help, just wanted to bring the message across It did strike me as odd that the great Silver would require help with something like this :-) Chris Hobson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted August 4, 2017 Author Share Posted August 4, 2017 44 minutes ago, plonkster said: It did strike me as odd that the great Silver would require help with something like this :-) The "great Silver"? ai, jai, jai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 27 minutes ago, Ambani said: You can contact Solterra for more help. They can assist you and are located in silverlakes Pretoria Wow, nice RAS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalito Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 We really underestimate the level of dust in our atmosphere and how solar panels are great at grabing the stuff. Most of these panels indicate high tolerance to dust, snow, etc. They promise to work even in the desert. Hmm, how often do we clean 'em? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted September 21, 2017 Author Share Posted September 21, 2017 1 hour ago, Kalito said: We really underestimate the level of dust in our atmosphere and how solar panels are great at grabing the stuff. Most of these panels indicate high tolerance to dust, snow, etc. They promise to work even in the desert. Hmm, how often do we clean 'em? Yup. And it's been quite dry recently so they don't get a natural clean-up as usual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidewinder Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 So last weekend I also "cleaned" my panels. Just a few minutes of hosing down from the borehole. Panels is not easy to get to even with a regular extension ladder. So the red line is a "regular" profile, and 'cos they are a bit oversized, the inverter "clips" the top of at just over 6 kW. The spike on the light brown graph is around 2 pm, when the panels were "cleaned". The delta is about 1 kW, but I think the cleaning only contributes less than a half of that. The cooling down is very effective. Now that makes me scheme......how about an automated "Cooling" system. And then recycle the water as water into the veggie patch. Damn...the temps on the Inv. is already peaking at 49 Deg. Better add those extra fans then..... maybe add another Inv..... Ag well, I rather braai this weekend pilotfish 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotfish Posted September 25, 2017 Share Posted September 25, 2017 On 9/22/2017 at 7:58 AM, Sidewinder said: Now that makes me scheme......how about an automated "Cooling" system. I have been thinking seriously about adding one zone to the irrigation system which will spray down my panels at around midday each day. No, I'm not a Capie - you guys got the mountain, we got the water!!! Just kidding, I'm on borehole water and I'm thinking a little bit of free water is a good trade off for a little extra fee power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hobson Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 The problem the cooling effect last about 10 minutes. I cooled my panels down about 18 months ago nothing major just sprayed them down with the hose. I got a 200W increase in power (from 3kW of panels). Interesting to note that from my PV String Tool I have deduced that my panels run at about 60°C in summer. Now to test whether the theory and real time observations coincide. pilotfish 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotfish Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 I would LOVE an extra 400w from 6kWp - but not if I have to spray them every 15m! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidewinder Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 I think the idea is to automate such a spraying system. Last time I sprayed my panels (to clean), I also got drenched., but I enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted September 26, 2017 Author Share Posted September 26, 2017 20 hours ago, pilotfish said: I have been thinking seriously about adding one zone to the irrigation system which will spray down my panels at around midday each day. No, I'm not a Capie - you guys got the mountain, we got the water!!! Just kidding, I'm on borehole water and I'm thinking a little bit of free water is a good trade off for a little extra fee power. Question is: will the panel frames corrode with the metal in the water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted September 26, 2017 Author Share Posted September 26, 2017 9 hours ago, Chris Hobson said: The problem the cooling effect last about 10 minutes. I cooled my panels down about 18 months ago nothing major just sprayed them down with the hose. I got a 200W increase in power (from 3kW of panels). Interesting to note that from my PV String Tool I have deduced that my panels run at about 60°C in summer. Now to test whether the theory and real time observations coincide. I have a temp sensor directly below one of my panels and another in the sun. They reach 60deg quickly in summer. Chris Hobson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hobson Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 1 hour ago, SilverNodashi said: Question is: will the panel frames corrode with the metal in the water? Here in the Karoo it is not the corrosion I would be worried about but the limescale. ___ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepBass9 Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 First rain of the season cleaned off my panels and now they start generating 20 mins earlier in the morning all of a suddenly! Chris Hobson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 20 hours ago, SilverNodashi said: Question is: will the panel frames corrode with the metal in the water? My experiences are that the first rains have a lot more acidity in them (from the air pollution) and panels are designed to last up to 20 years with all of that, not so? However, with water laden with metals et al, it could dry on the panels and very slowly over time form a layer. Like one gets in kettles in select areas, where there is a "aanpaksel" formed on the sides and elements. Maybe. But thinking of that, same applies to them just standing their cleaned by the "acid" rain. So maybe it is advisable to wash them once or twice a year with soap or some such? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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