Do not allow shadows to fall on your solar panels

[Admin]

Do not allow shadows to fall on your solar panels.

This video demonstrates why.

 

[reiverlad]

Very interesting Phil, thanks for that !

 

[Steve and Julie]

That's unbelievable how much it dropped with such little shade I'm looking at putting panels on my roof so will make sure there is no chance of anything casting a shadow near them thanks for posting this Phil

 

[silverweed]

Is that the same with both mono and poly panels

 

[trevskoda]

Prof phil is a very shady guy,thanks for that very helpful vid .
I got it right first time.

 

[Fisherman]

So the morale is don’t park under a tree, well done Phil great video.

 

[Nabsim]

Am I right in assuming the panel you were using for this demo was wired in series? A much bigger effect there than I got when I tried it on mine in parallel

 

[winks]

Copied over from Motorhomer.

Only needs bit of shade on a small area to seriously cut output. I did a little experiment last year just covering a hand sized area of 40W panel ...

Lowest picture shows short circuit current win full sun. Top two show output with about ten square inches of panel obscured.

Cheers

H

 

[colinm]

Winks your photo's are not showing, at least not for me.

ok seen them now on motorhomer.

 

[trevskoda]

You have been warned

 

[martinmartin]

Is that that you trev stood over Charlie Reid.

 

[phillybarbour]

Great info thanks for sharing.

 

[martinmartin]

Do not allow shadows to fall on your solar panels.

This video demonstrates why.

That's a nice solar setup Phil but the the wiring needs tyding up, in a strong cross wind it will flap about like a flock of seagulls doing the flamenco on your van roof .not a critical post people.

 

[Admin]

There are 4 panels, two panels in series and then in parallel.

That's a nice solar setup Phil but the the wiring needs tyding up, in a strong cross wind it will flap about like a flock of seagulls doing the flamenco on your van roof .not a critical post people.

Agreed

 

[trevskoda]

A few more weeks and there will be little light to work any panels for more than an hr or so a day,santa may think phils roof is a landing pad for his new vertical take of sledge.

 

[colinm]

OK managed to find time to watch the vid, a few notes, placing your hand on a cell is not 'shading' a cell, it is completely blocking it as say a big leaf will do, this will shut down that cell completely and any cell trying to pump power through that cell will find it next to impossible.
As for the area shaded, the effects of this can vary greatly depending on how the panel itself is 'internally wired' and how the shadow falls across the panel. What I have found with my particular panel, if I 'block' the cells at one end, the panel produces no power at all, if I shade one end the panel will produce as much power as if all panel is shaded. If I 'block' one cell this has effect of blocking one line of cells, if I shade one cell it has effect of shading one entire line of cells.

 

[Admin]

OK managed to find time to watch the vid, a few notes, placing your hand on a cell is not 'shading' a cell, it is completely blocking it as say a big leaf will do, this will shut down that cell completely and any cell trying to pump power through that cell will find it next to impossible.
As for the area shaded, the effects of this can vary greatly depending on how the panel itself is 'internally wired' and how the shadow falls across the panel. What I have found with my particular panel, if I 'block' the cells at one end, the panel produces no power at all, if I shade one end the panel will produce as much power as if all panel is shaded. If I 'block' one cell this has effect of blocking one line of cells, if I shade one cell it has effect of shading one entire line of cells.

I did say that I was covering a cell and then demonstrated shading.