If a warning light is blinking on the Solar Charge Controller, it may be due to faulty wiring, battery over-charging or under-charging, or equipment failure. So you have to make sure your system is properly wired, your equipment is up to date, and your battery is being charged properly.

So how do you make sure what is happening and take the necessary steps? Fear not, I will walk you through the process and provide you with all the crucial info. Without further ado let’s delve into the topic.

Solar Charge Controller Icons and Meaning

Let’s deal with the basics. Here we will learn about what most of the lights in your Solar Charge Controllers mean.

• Panel Icon: As usual this oftentimes indicates the connection of your system with the Panel. If something goes wrong here you have to put the blame on the Panel Wiring or other pieces of equipment. When the charge controller gets power from the panel, this icon starts to flash and it stays stable and lit up. This means your system is Good!
• Battery Icon: Simply like the previous point, this shows you the status of the Battery. If you face a problem here, your battery might be in danger. Depending on your Charge Controller, the Battery Icon flashing fast usually means your battery is fully charged. The opposite slow flashing means your battery is losing power. 
• Load Icon: This is the load you put on your PV system. This icon lets you know if it’s big, small, or perfect. Depending on the Charge Controller, Light Blinking here means Overloading and Short-circuit. 

All of these may vary depending on the type of Solar Charge Controller you have. The key point here is the basic introduction. In the next two sections, we will learn in detail the reasons for the Solar Charge Controller Blinking / Flashing and what necessary steps to take in case of a problem.

Reasons for Solar Charge Controller Blinking

In this section, I have attached some of the most common reasons for Flashing/Blinking in Solar Charge Controllers.

Wrong Wiring

The classic issue. Wrong wiring is the single most common issue of many problems related to Solar Panels. First of all, if your panel is properly wired the charge controller would detect stable power input from the Solar Panel. The panel icon should stay stable. If it’s unstable, this icon will flash to warn you. If this is the case, it’s time to properly wire your system and troubleshoot issues with equipment.

Battery is Overcharged

Don’t you hate it your battery gets more energy than it can handle. This overcharging will cause damage to your battery. When overcharging occurs the battery icon would flash to alert you. In this case, It’d be a good idea to stop charging for now.

Battery is Undercharged

Just the opposite situation of the previous one. Similarly to Overcharging, Undercharging will also damage your battery. The charge controller will flash to alert you. One of the main reasons for undercharging is the lack of sunlight in the panel. So the fix would be to make sure the panel produces enough energy.

Indicating the Process of Bulk, Float, or Equalization Charging

Bulk, Float, and Equalization Charging are normal processes. Depending on the model of your Charge Controller, blinking may indicate one of these processes may be ongoing. No need to be scared since this is all-natural. 

Note: Any Blinking that is meant to alert will be different from regular blinking. (I.e. Red Light Blinking almost always means something is wrong with your system)

Faulty Equipments

Using old, worn-out, or faulty equipment is a surefire way to get problems. If you have problems isolating the problem correctly by trying out all of the above steps, the issue might be some random unknown faulty equipment.  

Fixes for Solar Charge Controller Battery Blinking

It’s time to fix all the issues we encountered. I’ll be listing all the necessary steps you should take. 

Fixing Wiring

• Step 1: Turn off the whole system. (You don’t want to get electrocuted? Do you?)
• Step 2: Check the wiring between your panel, charge controller, and battery. See any damaged wire? Fix or Replace them ASAP! Make sure you have connected the terminals properly (Hint: Consult your Instruction Manual for Help)
• Step 3: Are your connectors loosely connected? Make sure the connectors are connected tightly. 
  Step 4: Check the Junction Box of the Solar Panel. Check the solders, and make sure there is no broken circuit.
• Step 5: If your problem persists it’s highly recommended to get in touch with an expert and let the expert wire your whole solar-powered system

Fixing Battery Overcharging

One easy way to fix this issue is to put a regulator between the solar panels and the controller. It would control voltage and current and prevent overcharging. Another thing is to check if your battery is compatible with your solar panel PV system, and Solar Charge Controller. Incompatibility can cause Overcharging, so be sure to use compatible batteries.

Fixing Battery Undercharging

First thing first, go check if your panel is receiving enough sunlight. You don’t want low power coming into your panel due to some random tree obstructing sunlight. Then make sure your solar panel is clean, otherwise, dust will contribute to low power production which will lead to Undercharging. Also, be sure to use a good solar panel and a good battery because bad equipment always causes problems.

Replace Bad Equipment

It’s highly recommended that you replace old and rusty equipment with new up-to-date ones. Things like broken panels, old models of charge-controller, batteries in bad condition, etc. should be replaced. It’d fix a lot of issues, especially the Solar Charge Controller blinking and flashing due to some malfunction.

Take Help from a Professional

Is the problem still persisting, even after trying all this fix? It’s highly recommended to call up a professional. A professional helping you on the spot can easily troubleshoot problems. Problems tend to differ from person to person. A professional is way better in this case compared to a generalized guide.

Conclusion

A Solar Charge Controller flashing or blinking can easily seem intimidating to a newcomer. But with proper knowledge of the Charge Controller, a lot of things will be clear. (Pro-tip: Always read the Instruction Manual for proper knowledge)

Overall, Charge Controller Blinking means a natural process is happening most of the time. But if the Blinking is different (i.e. Red Light is a big indication of trouble), it is mostly due to Faulty Wiring, Battery being Over or Undercharged, or Bad Equipment. After identifying the problem, you have to take the necessary steps.

The post Solar Charge Controller Keeps Blinking/ Flashing: Reasons and Fixes appeared first on Solar Power Princep.

The easiest way you can reduce your Solar Panel’s Voltage is by using either an MPPT Charge Controller or a Step-Down Converter (aka Buck Converter). Other solutions are to use resistors or modify the solar cells’ connections via the junction box. 

Before we embark on how you can reduce your solar panel’s voltage, we have to know how much voltage your average solar panel produces. Then how to properly test how much voltage your panel is producing. Then learn in-depth about each possible way to reduce the voltage.

Though you can effectively reduce solar panel voltage by following the article, in some cases the most cost-effective and time-saving solution is to buy a compatible solar panel. Anyway, let us dive in on how you can make your panel compatible. 

What Voltage Should Your Solar Panel Produce?

Just look at the back of your panel. They should be listing how many volts your panel should be producing. Another way is to estimate by counting solar cell count. 

First of all solar panels are a collection of solar cells. When the light hit them, they collectively produce voltage. Voltage production depends on environmental factors and various things. Anyway on average your panel would produce slightly half of your panel’s cell count.

For example. You have your standard 32-Cell panel. It’ll be outputting 14V to 15V.

How to Check Your Solar Panel’s Voltage?

Before planning to reduce your solar panel you have to make sure your panel is performing well. If it is broken and producing low voltage you’ll have problems in the long run.

First, perform an Open Circuit Voltage Test.

• Step 1: Put your Solar Panel in a Sunny Place
• Step 2: Take Your Multimeter and Set it to DC
• Step 3: Disconnect your Panel from System;
• Step 4: Take the Negative Lead and connect to the Negative Terminal of the Multimeter;
• Step 5: And just like that take the positive lead and connect it to the Positive Terminal.

Read the voltage. Then compare it to the label at the back of the panel. If they are similar or very close to each other, your panel is performing correctly. 

Why Should You Reduce Your Solar Panel Voltage?

Most experienced people know why sometimes you need to reduce your panel’s voltage. But in case you are inexperienced, it is an easy mistake to think that you can use a high voltage incompatible panel. 

If you use an incompatible panel, especially a high voltage one, the additional produced current would be turned to heat. And it would cause overheating of your system and cause costly damage to your system.

So it’s important that you use compatible panels or reduce the voltage of Solar Panels via any means. For both safety and saving money. 

How can you Reduce Solar Panel Voltage?

To my knowledge, there are four main ways you can reduce the voltage of your panel and make it compatible with your equipment. They are using MPPT Charge Controller, Step Down Converter, Using Resistors, and finally reconfiguring the cell connections via Junction Box.

Each of the methods how you can set them up is discussed below

Use MPPT Charge Controller to Reduce Solar Panel Voltage

MPPT Charge Controller is quite possibly the highest quality Solar Charge Controller you can buy. MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) Charge Controller can easily match the voltage between panel and battery.

MPPT charge controllers are created to maximize the efficiency and amp solar panels provide. So they possess the mechanism to dynamically match voltage to ensure that you get the most amp.

The keyword here is matching voltage. If you have an incompatible voltage panel, the MPPT charge controller will automatically optimize it.

If money is not your issue, I’ll recommend MPPT Charge Controller the most. Not only will it match your voltage but all make your Solar Powered System very efficient.

Also setting it up is very easy. You can follow your manual or Follow the steps below to attach your charge controller to your system

• Step 1: At first connect your battery to the charge controller.
• Step 2: Connect Negative Battery Cable to Negative Terminal of Charge Controller. Same as that Positive Battery Cable to Positive Terminal of Charge Controller.
• Step 3: Connect Negative Battery Cable to Battery Terminal. After that connect the Positive Battery Cable.
• Step 4: Now find the MC4 cable connectors at the back of your panel. As expected connect the positive cable to the positive adapter cable and negative to negative. (Pro Tip: Make sure the exposed wires never touch each other)
• Step 5: Finally connect the panel with your charge controller.

Use Step Down Converter

Now on to Step Down Converter. The step-down converter works somewhat like your MPPT Charge Controller. In simple words, it lowers or steps down the voltage as the name suggests. 

The thing about Step Down Converter is that it is cheaper than MPPT but probably not as reliable as the former. 

Anyway, you set up your Step Down Converter similarly to your charge controller. There should be ports in the device for connecting the Battery and Solar Panel. It all boils down to not messing up the terminals. 

After you set up your Step Down Converter, you should get a screwdriver and multimeter. Hook the multimeter up to measure voltage. Now you should be able to spot two circular button-like things. Use your screwdriver to adjust the voltage.

This method is way more hassle than the previous method. And this method also has various inconveniences you can face. This will be discussed in the next section in detail.  

Use Resistors to Reduce Voltage

Remember those circuit equations back in Highschool Physics. Today we will be using their application to reduce the voltage of your panel. Seem fun, doesn’t it?

Firstly you will need two resistors. Now let’s say you have a 24V panel. We can half that and make it 12V using the resistors. Here is how?

Take two Resistors. Now Connect both of them in Series. Connect one end of the series system with the positive terminal of the Solar Panel. Now you can take reduced voltage as output from the middle point of the two resistors. 

The more interesting thing is you can manipulate the value Resistance to optimize the amount of reduced voltage. Here is how the whole thing work.

R1 x V-(Reduced) = R2 x [V-(Panel) – V-(Reduced)]

Here R1 is the value of the first resistor, and R2 is the value of the second resistor. V-(Reduced) is the reduced voltage you want to get. V-(Panel) is the voltage of the panel. All you have to do here is to figure out the value of Resistors. For example, if you use two ten thousand ohm resistors you can half the voltage of the panel. 

In my opinion, this method should be used if you are looking to experiment with circuits. This is no long-term reliable solution due to various factors.

Reconfiguring the Panel Via Junction Box

First of all, do not attempt this if you have minimal knowledge regarding electronics. Only attempt this if you want to do it for the sake of tinkering around.

Most solar panels are two parts wired in series for more voltage. See where it is going? Now if you can somehow manage to make the connection parallel you can reduce the voltage (Halve the voltage to be exact). You can do this exactly via the Junction.

Before you attempt this or do this, this method is not easy and can result in your solar panel getting damaged if you don’t know what exactly you are doing. Do this only if you are experimenting with your panel and want to learn more about its internal mechanisms, not for practical reasons. 

What Method Works the Best?

So amongst these four what method is the best? In my opinion, you should either use an MPPT charge controller or consider buying a compatible panel if you want the least amount of hassle and issues.
Here is a detailed explanation.

First of all, let’s talk about the Step Down Converter. It is quite cheap which is great for saving money. But the main problem is when your voltage fluctuates. Weather can often cause it. It often time results in the loss of efficiency. That’s why you need precise calibration

The resistor method suffers from the same issue. Voltage fluctuation will cause problems in your apparatus since the Resistors aren’t variable. Plus there is the issue of wiring a complicated circuit. It’s better to buy MPPT Charge Controller or replace your panel instead.

The fourth method (Junction Box reconfiguration) is directly tinkering with your panel. One wrong step will result in your panel getting broken. Not only that but you may only be able to halve the voltage. Instead of messing around with it, buying an MPPT Charge Controller is way more practical and rational. 

So in one statement, I’d recommend you to buy the MPPT Charge Controller. And in the case it is unavailable to you you can use the step-down converter.

Conclusion

Reducing the Voltage of a Solar Panel is very important if you are unable to find any compatible panels for your system. It’s essentially a safety measure. It can easily be done by connecting an MPPT Solar Charge Controller or Step Down Converter. Or if you are feeling adventurous you can go the experimental route.

All in all, I hope this article helped you to learn a thing or two and hopefully gave a you reliable method to resolve your issue.

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Low Voltage in Solar panels often happens due to the panel not getting sufficient light. Shading, Dirt Buildup, and Environment often cause this. Other things that cause low voltage are faulty wiring, degraded panel, and low-quality equipment. The most efficient solution is to ensure a good environment for your system.

As stated earlier, nine out of ten times environmental things cause low voltage in your panel. That’s why you must ensure that your panel is getting proper sunlight and that your environment is suitable. Along with that, you have to ensure good wiring and equipment.

If you are facing the ‘Low Voltage’ problem you have to understand the why first? After that, you have to diagnose all the problems in your system and take the necessary steps to fix them. In the following article, we would be discussing all of these in a step-by-step manner.

Reasons For Low Voltage In Solar Panel

To fix low voltage issues you have to understand in-depth the things that cause low voltage. If you do so it may help with multiple other issues. Regardless I will be providing an in-depth explanation regarding the most common issues.

Environmental Issue

We all know Solar Panel produces voltage by absorbing Light from the sun. If they don’t get proper sunlight. Your panel won’t be producing the voltage it should. Here comes one of the biggest problems: Shading.

Shading is when trees, vegetation, towers, building, or other stuff blocks sunlight from your solar panel. This will no doubt lower your voltage. 

Speaking about shading, it can also be caused by dirt buildup in your panel. If you live in an area where things are dusty your panel would also get dirty. 

Now another Environmental thing that tanks Solar Panel voltage production is Heat. Every Solar panel is created to operate at an optimal temperature. Many think that high temperature = high-powered Solar Panels. No! That’s not how it works. 

If your temperature is very high your Solar Module won’t perform well. And this will cause overheating. Overheating with any electronics cause performance to drop. So your voltage too will drop fast. 

Faulty Wiring

Faulty wiring will cause many hassles for you. Low voltage problem is one of them. Say you have a loose wire. Not only will this cause a fire but also mess with your voltage production. There are also other things like a blown fuse, wrong connection, bad quality cables, etc.

A well-wired system will always provide you with safety and efficiency. So if your voltage is dropping then Faulty Wiring can be one of the main culprits. 

Low-Quality Faulty Equipment

Another big culprit in various problems regarding solar panel systems. It’s common knowledge that using low-quality faulty equipment is asking for trouble.

Let’s take your solar panel. If it’s cracked, it has a hotspot and it has discolored, your panel is busted. And it will produce substantially low voltage. Not only that, use a low-quality charge controller, inverter it too will cause the same problem.

Old or Low Quality or Broken equipment doesn’t perform well. It messes up the circuit. And in turn, it also messes up the voltage production. 

How to Diagnose Low Voltage In Solar Panel?

Now that you know the main causes of Low Voltage in Solar panels, let’s discuss how you can properly diagnose the problem and fix it. There are a couple of things you have to do. These are: Testing Open Circuit Voltage, Evaluating the Circuit, and Evaluating the Environment. 

First off let’s do an open circuit voltage test. Follow these steps: 

• Step 1: Make Sure you are using a good Multimeter.
• Step 2: Disconnect your solar panel from your PV system
• Step 3: Take a working multimeter and set it to DC
• Step 4: Make sure your solar panel is getting sufficient light
• Step 5: Take the negative lead of the panel and connect it to the negative side of the terminal
• Step 6: Just like that take the positive lead of the panel and connect it to the positive side of the terminal

Your average 12Volt panel would be producing 18V-28V in Open Circuit. The number is 36V-56V for an average 24Volt panel. 

Now you have to make sure something isn’t going haywire in your circuit. Take your multimeter and check the voltage at various levels of your circuit to precisely find the problem. 

Now check if your Solar Panel is not getting shadowed by trees or other things. Check if your panel is blocked off by dirt. And finally, check if your panel is broken or damaged. Also, check the MC4 cable and Junction box of the panel and make sure it’s connected properly.  

How to Fix Low Voltage in Solar Panel

Now that we have performed the necessary tests on Solar Panel, it’s time to fix the problem. In the following section, I’ll provide the steps you can take to fix the pesky problem of low voltage in your solar panel.

Fixes to Environmental Issues

First of all, let’s talk about shading. A solar panel can last for about 25 years. Now trees can easily grow up and block it. It’s recommended that you perform an inspection each year to make sure some tree isn’t growing over your panel. Also, keep a regular eye so that the tree doesn’t accidentally cover your panel.

Next up, set your panel in a place that doesn’t get blocked off by trees or buildings. Make sure sunlight is hitting the solar panel perpendicularly.

Now let’s talk about dirt buildup in panels. Rain usually clears out your panel. But if the dusty wind is the everyday routine in your place, you might have to clean your panel. If your panel is way too dirty, you should call up a solar cleaning service. 

Now, let’s talk about overheating. There is not much you can do in terms of high temperature. But take some steps to prevent it. During high temperatures lower the load in your PV system. Also, you can add more solar panels to the system and connect them in a parallel fashion. 

Fixes to Faulty Wiring

Faulty occurs when you make mistake while wiring your system. The solution depends on how complex your system is. If it’s a simple battery charging system fixing it will be easy. 

But if it’s a full-on solar array system or your home’s solar panel system you better take help from an expert. Regardless we will be providing tips on how to properly wire your system.

1. Always use good quality equipment, wires, and panels. Using Old Equipment or Low-Quality products is the main culprit in causing Faulty Wiring.
2. Always wire equipment properly in your system. More often than not people mess up the terminal. Sometimes they don’t connect them properly, sometimes the wire gets torn, etc. Always be super careful while wiring and don’t mess up the terminals.
3. Check for Bad connections. Use a multimeter to check voltage and various points and troubleshoot errors accordingly.
4. If your Solar Panels have defects like Hotspot, Weird Pattern considers replacing them. Along with that if other equipment like Charge Controller, the inverter has a problem replace them if you have money.
5. Look for physical damage in the circuit. Sometimes wires get cut off. To solve physical damage take protective measures against things that can harm your system.
6. Always set up voltage and watt requirements according to experts. If you are inexperienced and try to use a random rating panel you will face various problems. Learn about proper electricity requirements.
7. Try to get your circuit wired by a professional. Professionally wired circuits have nearly zero chance of being open circuits. The same tip applies if you are already facing a problem and want to troubleshoot it.

Fixes to Faulty Equipment

There is not much you can do here. First of all, identify faulty equipment. Check if your Solar Charge Controller, Inverter is okay. The easiest way to fix broken and faulty equipment is to replace them. Always buy products from reputable companies.

Reset Your Solar System

One of the most common solutions. Sometimes resetting your system fixes problems. This is true for many other electronics including solar panels. Follow these steps:

• Step 1: Turn your solar inverter off. First of all, skip this step if you have solar panels with a microinverter. The inverter is usually a large box. Once you find your inverter locate the AC/DC toggle switch. Then Power down your Solar Inverter. 
• Step 2: Now on to Solar AC Disconnect. Check beside the inverter. There should be a gray box with black/red handle. Turn it off by pulling the lever. 
• Step 3: Now go to your main electrical panel. Try to find your solar breaker. (Usually labeled Solar PV). Now as usual flip that off.
• Step 4: Memorise what you have done. Now, wait a couple of minutes (Three or Four). Take a walk. Pop a can of soda and drink it if you want.
• Step 5: Good job if you haven’t forgotten the order you just did the steps. (Even if you have you can always look at this list). Now you have to do all the things we have done in reverse order.
• Step 6: Go to the main electric panel and Flip the solar breaker ON. 
• Step 7: Go to AC Disconnect Box and move the lever to ON. 
• Step 8: Can you guess what’s next? It’s obviously the inverter. Turn your inverter on.

And finally, you have performed a hard reset. And hopefully, this resolved the problems you have had. 

Conclusion 

Low voltage in Solar panels is a common problem we’ll all face. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to solve All you have to do is to make sure your Solar Panel is in a good environment and make sure your PV system has good quality equipment. 

Anyway if you follow this guide I hope your problem will be resolved. Along with it, you may also learn a thing or two that might help you in the long run. Regardless, I hope I managed to help you in resolving your issues. 

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The main reasons for no voltage in solar panels are Issues with Solar Charge Controller, Inverter, Broken or Damaged Solar panels, Wrong Wiring, and an unsuitable environment. A couple of go-to solutions are resetting the charge controller and inverter, replacing components, and making sure your panel is getting proper sunlight.  

No voltage problem is one of the most annoying issues you can face. The first step is to learn in-depth about the issue. Then when you have done so, it’s recommended to diagnose or pinpoint the exact issue and then go on to troubleshoot it. 

Fortunately, I am here to walk you through all of the steps to the best of my ability. Without further ado, let us proceed. 

Reasons for No Voltage in Solar Panel

As we discussed earlier, there can be multitudes of reasons why your solar panel is having no voltage. To fix the issue without problem it’s recommended that you learn in-depth about why these issues are caused. This way you’ll not face further issues in the long run.

Solar Charge Controller Fault

The solar charge controller regulates the amount of power that goes through your system. It’s one of the most integral parts of your PV system. If something is wrong with it i.e. broken or not working properly it will mess up the circuit and causes issues like zero voltage.

Solar Inverter Fault

Solar Inverter converts your DC current to AC current. It’s also an integral part of the circuit. The most common problems are faulty installation of the inverter,  wrong programming, broken inverter, and wrong wiring. A faulty inverter is also a big culprit in the no voltage problem. 

Environmental Issue

How does your panel produce voltage? By sunlight is the answer. Now if your panel is not getting the sun, it won’t be producing the volts. Here come environmental issues like shading, dirty solar panel, high temperature, and bad weather. Extreme environmental cases and lack of sunlight will drag the voltage of your panel down to zero. 

Broken Solar Panel

A busted solar panel won’t be producing the voltage you want it to. If your panel is cracked, broken, and has a weird pattern, the integrity of your panel is no more. Thus there will be no voltage produced by it

How to Diagnose Solar Panel No Voltage?

Before we proceed to learn about various reasons here are a couple of things you should do to pinpoint your exact issues. Doing so may save you a lot of hassle and your precious time.

Open Circuit Voltage Test

First of all, we need to know to measure voltage properly. Trust me, one out of five times people use the multimeter wrong and get freaked out when they get an undesirable result. Follow the following steps to perform an open circuit voltage test. 

• Step 1: Disconnect your solar panel from your PV system
• Step 2: Take a working multimeter and set it to DC
• Step 3: Make sure your solar panel is getting sufficient light
• Step 4: Take the negative lead of the panel and connect it to the negative side of the terminal
• Step 5: Just like that take the positive lead of the panel and connect it to the positive side of the terminal

Now it’s time to read the result. Your average 12V panel would be producing about 18V to 28V open circuit on full sunlight. 

Solar Charge Controller Test

More often than not damaged controller causes the no voltage issue. So it’s important to verify the integrity of your solar charge controller. Follow these steps

• Step 1: Connect the negative side of the multimeter to the negative wire of the charge controller.
• Step 2: Do the same for the negative one.
• Step 3: Read the multimeter.
• Step 4: If it’s zero/ no current then, reset the controller. Disconnect it and then reconnect it.
• Step 5: Repeat the Process till Step 3.

If you still get zero voltage, your Charge Controller is busted.

Checking the Solar Inverter 

If something is wrong with your system your Solar Inverter will start flashing light. Go ahead and reset the inverter. Another issue is noise from the Inverter when there is no current. That means that the broken thing needs a replacement.

Checking the Panel’s Integrity

Just make sure your panel isn’t damaged. Check for cracking; weird patterns or hotspots. Also, make sure your MC4 connector isn’t loose and the junction box is fitted properly. You should easily be able to spot anything that is broken with your panel.

Solutions to Solar Panel No Voltage

In the following section, we will be seeing how to fix each of the problems in a definitive manner. Fixing them is fairly easy, but if you are feeling nervous do consider calling a professional electrician for help.

Resetting The Charge Controller

If your solar charge controller is showing a problem moon error symbol, zero power, frozen display, etc. it may cause the zero volt problem. The easy fix is to reset your solar charge controller.

As with any electronics resetting works like a charm. A quick restart can easily resolve various issues. There are two types of reset. Hard and Soft. Try the soft one before attempting the hard one.

A soft reset is simple. Press the reset button and restart your charge controller. In some models, you have to press both the power and the reset button and in some four buttons together. 

Its screen will blink and flash and soon after it will return to the same display screen. It’s basically like rebooting a phone. 

Hard Reset is basically disconnecting the system. Do this night if you attempt it. Disconnect the load first, then disconnect the panel. Do not forget in which order you disconnected the wires. 

Wait like five to ten minutes. It depends on the controller. Reconnect the wire in the same order you disconnected them. 

In most cases, a soft reset is enough. If it is not working attempt a hard reset. Resetting Solar Charge Controller is one of the most common solutions if your Solar Charge Controller is not working properly. 

Also if resetting doesn’t fix the problems with Charge Controller consider replacing them.

Resetting the Solar Inverter

As said earlier resetting devices can make it work like a charm. We’ll be doing the same for Solar Inverter to see if the issue persists. 

• Step 1: Find the Solar Inverter in your PV system. It’s usually a large box. 
• Step 2: Find the AC/DC toggle switch and turn off the inverter
• Step 3: Check beside the inverter, there should be a gray box with black/red handle. This is the AC disconnect. Pull the lever down.
• Step 4: Go to your main electric panel,  find your solar breaker and flip that off. 
• Step 5: Remember the order you performed the action. Now, wait a couple of minutes.
• Step 6: Now we’ll be doing all these things again in reverse. 
• Step 7: Flips the Solar Breaker On;
• Step 8: Go to the AC disconnect box and move the lever to ON.
• Step 9: Turn your inverter on.

After this, if your inverter isn’t working properly, please consider buying a new one. It’s recommended that you buy quality products otherwise the same problems might happen.  

Solutions to Solar Panel’s Internal Problem

If your Solar Panel has cracks or hotspots or other physical damage, you have to replace it. There is no way I know of that can easily fix such damage. But the least you can do is to fix loose cables and a badly fitted junction box. 

Let’s talk about Loose MC4 cables. Due to not making full contact problems occur. Here is how to fix them.

• Step 1: First we loosen up the back gland of the connector with a screw.
• Step 2: Now pull the MC4 connector to check if it pops out.
• Step 3: If it pops out it means your MC4 connecter is loose. Now push the MC4 connector in until you hear a click. Make sure the connector is fully seated.
• Step 4: Put back the backward gland.

After following this your MC4 connector will be fixed.

Now to the junction box. These are located in the back of your Solar Panel. You can open them and check if they are screwed up properly. If not screw them up properly. It’s recommended that if you have problems in your junction box seek help from the experts.

Other Tips

One of the most important issues people face in their PV system is bad wiring. These not only cause zero volts but also low amp or zero amps issues. The thing to always keep in mind here is to wire your circuits properly. You can do so by taking help from experts if needed.  

The second one is to always use quality components and equipment. Please refrain from using old and low-quality equipment. Not only will it cost you more money in the long run, but it’ll also waste your time. And please make sure your solar panel is getting proper sunlight and not facing any harm that can damage it.

Conclusion

No voltage in Solar panels is a common problem we’ll all face. Most of them are fairly easy to solve and need simple resetting. Sometimes you will need a replacement and at another time if nothing seems to work you’d need to call an expert.

Anyway if you follow these steps hopefully your problem will be resolved. Along with it, you may also learn a thing or two that might help you in the long run. Regardless, I hope I managed to help you in resolving your issues. 

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The Main Reasons your 12V Solar Panel may not be working are Wrong Wiring; Faulty Panel; Faulty Equipment; Bad Environment and many other trivial things. First of all, you have to identify the issue and then troubleshoot it.

So the first step is to learn a bit about how a 12V solar panel work. Then we have to review all possible things and issues it might be facing. After that, we have to know how to diagnose and identify the problem. And finally, solve.

In the following article, I’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to identify and fix your trusty 12V Panel which is not working. So stay tuned.

How Does Your 12V Panel Work?

Before we identify our problems, it’s recommended to know a bit about how your 12V panel work. Well, first of all, if you are using a 12Volt Panel be sure to use equipment compatible with it. i.e. 12V battery, 12V inverter, and at least a 12Volt Charge Controller.

Now take a look at the back of your panel and check how many watts it is. Then divide the watts by volt. For example, let’s say you have a 100W/12V panel. And this will produce about 8.33 amps per hour during sunlight.

Now a common question comes up. How long will it take me to charge a battery? Well, it’s simple math. Divide your battery capacity by the amp you will be charging it at. Say you charge a 100 amp hour battery in 8.33 Amp. So it’d take approximately 12 hours or half a day.

Why is your 12 Volt Solar Panel Not Working?

So here you are? Your panel is broken. Well, there are a couple of issues you need to understand if you want to have a shot at fixing them. Here are some of the common issues which cause Solar panels not to work.

Zero or Low Amp Issues

Amp is basically the lifeblood of your PV system. If it’s zero or very low, your panel won’t work. So why is your panel having zero amp?

Well, an open circuit aka faulty solar panel wiring may be one reason. Another reason is the well-known solar charge controller errors. Basically, your Solar Charge Controller goes haywire and stops current flow. 

Finally, Internal Problems within the Panel will definitely cause zero amp issues. Maybe the problem was with your panel after all.

Zero or Low Voltage Issues

Ah, a problem quite common as the first one. Remember Ohm’s law. V=IR. Well if your V aka Voltage is zero then I aka Current is also zero. And your solar panel won’t work. So why is your voltage zero?

The two main causes are ‘Broken Solar Charge Controller’ and ‘Broken Solar Inverter’. If you are using a solar array, one busted panel in any of them will also cause zero voltage issues. 

Also keep in mind that, things like shading (something obstructing sunlight from panel); dirty panels; really high temperature, and defective panels will lower voltage and cause issues. 

Faulty Solar Panel

The Classic one. A faulty solar panel won’t work no matter how hard you try. An internal fault is hard to fix. And will cause issues nine out of ten times.

Problems like loose MC4 connectors and Junction Box Problems are fixable. But things like cracked panels, weird patterns in panels, and old panels are almost always impossible to fix.

Problems With Other Equipment

First of all, be sure to use quality equipment. In your PV system, you need a good solar charge controller, a good inverter, and other good stuff

If a single one of your equipment is busted the system won’t work. So check every piece of equipment.

Other Trivial Issues

Aside from all of these, there are multiple other trivial errors that can botch your system. Bad wiring is the usual culprit. Other things are using incompatible equipment; overcharging the battery, directly connecting the battery, and other issues. Most of them can be fixed if you have basic knowledge regarding solar panels.

How to Diagnose Problems with 12V Solar Panel?

Now that we know all the reasons things could go wrong, we have to identify our problem. We have to do a couple of tests and make sure what is actually causing problems.

Checking the Amp of 12V Panel

• Step 1: Get your solar Panel onto a nice sunny place, there should be no load on it yet.
• Step 2: Set your Multimeter to DC Volt settings.
• Step 3: Connect the negative terminal to negative and positive to positive and hook up the multimeter to the panel. The Red Part would be connected to the Voltage Slot in Multimeter.
• Step 4: Note Down the Volt
• Step 5: Now Disconnect the system and set your multimeter to DC amp
• Step 6: Reconnect the system like in Step 4. This time the Red Part should be on the Amp Slot.
• Step 7: Note Down the Amp
• Step 8: Now compare them with the rating of your Solar Panel

After doing this if you are getting zero amp then the problem may be with the panel itself. (Considering you used a good multimeter). 

Now we measure with Load.

• Step 1: Make Sure Your System is wired properly
• Step 2: Set Parameter as DC Voltage and connect your multimeter in parallel to your circuit. And take note of the voltage.
• Step 3: Set Parameter as DC Amp. And Connect the multimeter in series to your circuit.
• Step 4: Take Note of the Amp. And compare them with your Panel’s rating.

If you still get zero amp then, your wiring is busted or something is wrong with your system.

Checking the Voltage of 12V Panel

First of All Let’s test Open Circuit Voltage.

• Step 1: Take Your Multimeter and Set it to DC;
• Step 2: Disconnect your Panel from System;
• Step 3: Take the Negative Lead and connect to the Negative Terminal of the Multimeter;
• Step 4: And just like that take the positive lead and connect it to the Positive Terminal.

For a 12Volt panel you should get from 18V to 28V;  

Checking the Solar Charge Controller

• Step 1: Connect the negative side of the multimeter to the negative wire of the charge controller.
• Step 2: Do the same for the negative one.
• Step 3: Read the multimeter.
• Step 4: If it’s zero/ no current then, reset the controller. Disconnect it and then reconnect it.
• Step 5: Repeat the Process till Step 3.

If you still get zero, your Charge Controller is busted. 

Checking the Inverter

If something is wrong with your system your Solar Inverter will start flashing light. Go ahead and reset the inverter.

Another issue is noise from the Inverter when there is no current. That means that the broken thing needs a replacement.

Checking For Environmental issue

Make sure your solar panel is getting proper sunlight. Nothing is shading it. Check if something is messing up the circuit. (Like tress and other environmental stuff). Make sure your panel is clean and tidy. And please make sure high temperature isn’t destroying the panel’s efficiency.

Checking the Panel’s Integrity

Just make sure your panel isn’t damaged. Check for cracking; weird patterns or hotspots. Also, make sure your MC4 connector isn’t loose and the junction box is fitted properly. You should easily be able to spot anything that is broken with your panel.

Solutions to Issues With 12V Panel

Here we will talk about how you can fix those annoying problems we just discovered. So without further ado, let’s start. 

Solutions to Open Circuit

1. Ensure your Solar Panel is getting proper sun. Shading is a big problem with Solar Panels. Be sure to put your panel in a sunny spot.
2. Always use good quality equipment, wires, and panels. Using Old Equipment or Low-Quality products is the main culprit in causing Open Circuit.
3. Always wire equipment properly in your system. More often than not people mess up the terminal. Sometimes they don’t connect them properly, sometimes the wire gets torn, etc. Always be super careful while wiring and don’t mess up the terminals.
4. Check for Bad Connection. Use a multimeter to check voltage and various points and troubleshoot errors accordingly.
5. If your Solar Panels have defects like Hotspot, Weird Pattern considers replacing them. Along with that if other equipment like Charge Controller, the inverter has problem replace them if you have money.
6. Be Careful of Overheating. More Temperature equals Less Current Flow. Overheating is a big culprit of an open circuit. Always ensure the safety of your circuit and system and monitor any overheating.
7. Look for physical damage in the circuit. Sometimes wires get cut off. To solve physical damage take protective measures against things that can harm your system.
8. Always set up voltage and watt requirements according to experts. If you are inexperienced and try to use a random rating panel you will face various problems. Learn about proper electricity requirements.
9. Try to get your circuit wired by a professional. Professionally wired circuits have nearly zero chance of being open circuits. The same tip applies if you are already facing a problem and want to troubleshoot it.

Solutions to Solar Panel’s Internal Problem

Let’s talk about Loose MC4 cables. It is highly recommended that you take help from an expert while fixing it. What happens here is the terminal is not actually fully inserted into our MC4 connector. 

Due to not making full contact problems occur. Here is how to fix them.

• Step 1: First we loosen up the back gland of the connector with a screw.
• Step 2: Now pull the MC4 connector to check if it pops out.
• Step 3: If it pops out it means your MC4 connecter is loose. Now push the MC4 connector in until you hear a click. Make sure the connector is fully seated.
• Step 4: Put back the backward gland.

After following this your MC4 connector will be fixed.

Now to the junction box. These are located in the back of your Solar Panel. You can open them and check if they are screwed up properly. If not screw them up properly. 

It’s recommended that if you have problems in your junction box seek help from the experts.

If your Solar Panel has cracks or hotspots or other physical damage, you have to replace it. There is no way I know of that can easily fix such damage.

Troubleshooting The Charge Controller

If your solar charge controller is showing a problem moon error symbol, zero power, frozen display, etc. it may cause the zero amp problem. The easy fix is to reset your solar charge controller.

As with any electronics resetting works like a charm. A quick restart can easily resolve the solar panel not charging the battery. There are two types of reset. Hard and Soft. Try the soft one before attempting the hard one.

A soft reset is simple. Press the reset button and restart your charge controller. In some models, you have to press both the power and the reset button and in some four buttons together. 

Its screen will blink and flash and soon after it will return to the same display screen. It’s basically like rebooting a phone. 

Hard Reset is basically disconnecting the system. Do this night if you attempt it. Disconnect the load first, then disconnect the panel. Do not forget in which order you disconnected the wires. 

Wait like two to ten minutes. It depends on the controller. Reconnect the wire in the same order you disconnected them. 

In most cases, a soft reset is enough. If it is not working attempt a hard reset. Resetting Solar Charge Controller is one of the most common solutions if your Solar Charge Controller is not working properly. 

Also if resetting doesn’t fix the problems with Charge Controller consider replacing them.

Solutions to Faulty Equipments

The best advice I can give is to replace them. Fixing faulty equipment is a hassle in itself. If money isn’t your concern please consider buying high-quality equipment. Actually, this will save you money in the long run.

Solutions to Other Trivial Issues

Aside from all these, there is a multitude of reasons your solar panels may not work. A couple of general rules are wiring your circuit correctly, using compatible equipment, not using cheap or old things, making sure your solar panel is clean and getting proper sunlight, and ensuring all of your equipment and performing well.

And finally, if you are unsure about anything always feel free to take help from professionals. And please consider reading my other articles. You may find more about general solar panel issues.

Conclusion

12V Panel is a very common choice amongst customers. And many face issues with it while trying to use this. Fortunately, these issues are fairly easy and simple to fix. There are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. Always wire your circuit properly.
2. Always check inverters, charge controllers, and other equipment and replace them if needed.
3. Always keep your panel clean.
4. Always seek help from a professional if you are unsure about what you are doing.

With proper knowledge and understanding, problems such as this can be fixed easily. And as always, I hope this article helped you in resolving your problems.

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