Open Circuit Solar Panel Damage

Measuring voltage and solar panel testing.

Open circuit solar panel damage.

If the positive and negative leads of a solar panels are connected together for just a short time it will not damage the panel. The open circuit voltage is shown on the iv curve below. It is true that some cdte cadmium telluride panels can be damaged if left without a load in the sun. Btw an unloaded panel runs hotter than a loaded pane so to whatever extent it is heat shortens the life of a silicon based panel it is better to have a load.

Solar panels are designed to be continuously operated at very very close to their short circuit current. Open circuit voltage voc the open circuit voltage is the maximum voltage that the solar panel can produce with no load on it i e. Temperature coefficient of voltage. The open circuit voltage v oc is the maximum voltage available from a solar cell and this occurs at zero current.

For a small battery maintainer panel with an output voltage on the order of 14 volts all it takes is a couple of shaded cells to drop the voltage low enough that you not be forcing much if any current through the shaded cells. You short circuit their output rather than leave them open. As you know that a solar pv system follows a non linear i v characteristic at no load it will operate at the open circuit voltage voc which is a value on the x axis of the i v curve. My purpose in looking at this concept is to increase panel area on overcast days when i am borderline on solar generation to charge.

This is because if one part of a solar panel is damaged the energy output loss is considerable and almost as if you lost the entire panel. You can reduce the loss of energy output by reducing the size of the solar panels. Measured with a multimeter across the open ends of the wires attached to the panel. User 333743 7066 posts.

Voltage at open circuit voc voltage at maximum power vmp or vpm nominal voltage. If two or more panels are wired in series it will be voc of panel 1 voc of panel 2 etc. Installing smaller solar panels can reduce the damage caused during a hail storm. That doesn t damage them.

In fact the way to test a solar panel for maximum power out is to put a volt meter into reading amperage reading which. Voltage at open circuit voc this is the voltage that is read with a voltmeter or multimeter when the module is not connected to any load. As a practical matter it is not an issue for your silicon based panels. Just do not short circuit the panel instead of open circuiting it if you are going to leave it partially shaded.

The open circuit voltage corresponds to the amount of forward bias on the solar cell due to the bias of the solar cell junction with the light generated current.