diy solar

diy solar

Solar panel problem?

I believe the voc is 22.3v unless I’m looking at the wrong panels on the renogy website. And the controller is an epever tracer bn with mt50. I had an epever tracer an model a month ago when this started happening.
Ok, so my suggestion is simple, connect those 3 panels in Series, not parallel.
The solar controller can handle the voltage and you will reach a voltage sooner to get it to start outputting.
 
Ok, so my suggestion is simple, connect those 3 panels in Series, not parallel.
The solar controller can handle the voltage and you will reach a voltage sooner to get it to start outputting.
I will definitely consider Trying the series, but my question would be why has this become a problem now when the panels functioned daily for 3 years before these problems started to occur?
 
I will definitely consider Trying the series, but my question would be why has this become a problem now when the panels functioned daily for 3 years before these problems started to occur?
You might have been on the edge when they were new and as they age the output voltage dropped slightly.
 
I would say connect to one panel each day and see if one under performs.
check your combiner also
 
You might have been on the edge when they were new and as they age the output voltage dropped slightly.

So as predicted it stopped charging this morning, I went on the roof to start taking connections apart and testing the panels when I found this (the photos)

It seems that the fuse area between the 3 to 1 has warped plastic, in addition, the area I am pinching in the photo, that connector is loose and no longer locked in place and therefore can be rotated or pulled out by hand very easily. This mc4 part is from the 3 to 1 connector.

I think this may be my problem and will look to replace the parts.
 

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Just plug them together in Series and forget those 3 into one connectors.
Higher voltage and lower current will work more then fine with your present wire gauge.
 
Just plug them together in Series and forget those 3 into one connectors.
Higher voltage and lower current will work more then fine with your present wire gauge.
Thanks for the replies, I will get back up and do that today and see how it goes.
 
I made it into a series yesterday and it has been working great ever since!!!! Wooooooohooooooooo I am so grateful thank you all. This means a lot to me since I am living in the vehicle full time and can use my fridge and lights again without draining my battery to much.

the mc4 connector that had the fuse connected to it was a pain, I could not take it apart and eventually after trying for a while the crimped part ripped off. So I have it rigged up temporarily and it’s been working fine for the past day and yesterday’s afternoon. I will purchase a new mc4 connector and get it installed, and maybe a fuse?

anyway thank you guys so much hopefully it keeps working, but damn I am happy.
 
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