Care of Solar Panels

Solar panels are marvellous things, they also can be short circuited indefinitely without any harm AS LONG AS NO BATTERY IS CONNECTED to them. Try that with other electrical gadgets and watch the smoke pour out :-)
Klaus

V8,

Are you sure about that "short circuit" bit? Are you sure ya don't mean "open circuit"?

Amazing if yer right. I didn't know that.

Bilbo

Yes, VERY sure Bilbo.
If you care to read the label on the back of a solar panel you'll notice a maximum output current and a short circuit current quoted. There is very little difference between the two. Shorting the panel output means the maximum short circuit current flows in the leads (if you panel is optimally oriented in full summer sun) This is no different from the same current flowing to the battery.
Shorting a panel is usually done via an ampmeter on high Amp range, which is like placing a wire link across the terminals. Its a good way to test a panel for its capacity and for bad connections. The open circuit voltage measurement could be misleading, especially with the high input resistance digital voltmeters in common use nowadays and would not always show a bad connection.

BUT DO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FIRST when you try that or you'll be shortening the battery too which is NOT a good idea.

Klaus