Solar No Output?

[Ray.]

Hi all,

I hope to find some guidance, support etc regarding my solar install. I am using a hybrid regulator, as I have also just replaced my wind generator for a silent wind pro, which came with the windy...
I hooked up my 540W solar (2 x 270) in parallel and I get Zero from the panels. The panels have about 15-20% shade on them from my sat gear on the arch etc, but I would have thought I would have got at least some output?
The display on the regulator is always showing the solar to be in 'Night' mode, ie not getting any sun.
I thought it should be plug and play?

Help please

[Bill O]

Double check your wiring.

Did it ever work since you hooked up the solar in the regulator?

Did it work when only the wind gen was on the controller?


Try to properly disconnect the wind gen, then does the solar work?


May have a bad controller.

[Ray.]

Hi Bill,


Thank you for your reply. It is all completely new, at the moment, both the wind genny and the solar are going in to the hybrid controller.
I am pretty confident that the wiring is all good and you cant wrong connect the MC4's that are already connected to the panels and the cable to the regulator.
Today I hooked up the panels to the MPPT charge controller I got with the solar set, still the same with no output.
Do you know if I can check the panels offline with a multimeter to see if they are producing anything?


Thanks


Ray

[OneKoolCat]

Ray,

I would first completely disconnect the panels and use a meter to check the output of each panel independently before your parallel Y connectors.

Hopefully these are MC4 connectors and its easy That will help isolate the issue. If you have current at the panels, check after the Y connectors and see what you get.

As Bill O mentioned if you get back to the controller and have current jest before it you might have a bad controller or at least a bad connection in one.

[Nord Sal]

Some solar charge controllers will not work if you connect the panels to them before connecting the controller to the battery.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by Nord Sal

Some solar charge controllers will not work if you connect the panels to them before connecting the controller to the battery.

Yes the sequence in the hook up could be an issue.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by Ray.

Hi Bill,
Thank you for your reply. It is all completely new, at the moment, both the wind genny and the solar are going in to the hybrid controller.
I am pretty confident that the wiring is all good and you cant wrong connect the MC4's that are already connected to the panels and the cable to the regulator.
Today I hooked up the panels to the MPPT charge controller I got with the solar set, still the same with no output.
Do you know if I can check the panels offline with a multimeter to see if they are producing anything?
Thanks Ray

You should be able to test the panels for their open circuit V at the connectors coming out of the panel. In full sun, it should match w/your specs for the panel output or slightly more. Don't know how many MC4s you have before the controller but start from the controller back to the panel, If you have the proper V from the cables just before the controller, then its something w/the controller. If not, keep working back towards the panel.

[Ray.]

Hi Kool Cat,


I will check them tomorrow, hopefully I will have some sun.
I will check each panel, then put them on the MC4 2 to 1 connectors and check as we go.... all the way to the controller to try to see where the problem is....


Thanks


ray.

[Ray.]

Yep..... I always connected as per protocol, Battery, Load (if any) and then the source, ie PV or wind genny….

[Ray.]

The only extra MC4's are the two Y pieces to parallel the panels going in to the main regulator feed cable. This came with the MC4's already installed to the cable from the solar company.
Hopefully some troubleshooting tomorrow will solve the issue

[Dsanduril]

According to the SilentWind manual (assuming you have the Hybrid MPPT, but the PWM is similar) there are solar on and solar off voltage settings, and these come set at default values of 1.0V and 1.5V.

The manual is very unclear about whether these are battery voltages, or input voltages from the panels, but either way it looks like solar is basically disabled out of the box. Guessing from context that they are battery voltages, you would want off set at whatever your bulk or float voltage is (13.8, 14.2, 14.4 whatever). Not sure about the "on" as I don't know how the charger uses that (does the battery voltage have to drop below the "on" value to restart the solar after it is turned off? In that case some value like 13.2, or 12.8, or...,).

Solar Switch Off – Above this value, it will turn the Outputs Off.
Solar Switch On – Below this value, it will turn the Outputs On.

Anyway, I'd check those settings before going crazy. Also, pretty easy to check the panel voltage at the input terminals to the Hybrid before you starting breaking open MC4s. If it is near Voc then you don't have to troubleshoot that any further.



Note also that unless I am missing something, SilentWind list the maximum solar input at 300W. Most MPPT controller can be "over-siliconed" and will just put out their max rated power, however, the Hybrid manual does say:

Do not exceed your charge controller’s maximum wattage, voltage and amperage

If your panels are shaded, your sun angle is low, etc. this may be enough for 540W of solar, but it may also clip your output depending on actual conditions, or it may damage the controller depending on how it is built.

• System Voltage: 12VDC
• Wind and Solar generation capacity: Wind (max 40A) Solar (max 20A)
• Max Power input wind generator: 600W
• Max Power input solar panel: 300W
• voltage adjustable for the battery types: Gel, AGM, Acid and Lithium
• LCD-display of all relevant working data: W, A, V, Ah.
• Wind turbine MPPT point adjustable.
• Integrated electronic brake – charge limitation and storm brake.
• Eight models of load output optional.
• Cable connection – screw terminals.
• Connection – Bluetooth.

[mikereed100]

Ray,
I had a similar issue on a new install. When I checked the panels I found that one had a diode connected backwards, blocking any electrical output. I was a simple matter to re-install it correctly and all was well. Hopefully your solution will be as simple!