Solar Panels Fail - What to do?

[MJCM]

So we are in the process of getting our mini Solar up and running now I was doing some shopping yesterday and a BIG store also had panels but not the same ones that we have bought for our setup.

 

Now my question, suppose the Shop runs out of "my" Solar panels and one of ours fail do I need to replace the lot?

 

So when looking for a replacement panel wiith another brand what to look for?? W / VMP / LMP / VOC / LSC etc ?

 

Edit: This is a picture of the back of one of the Panels

 

 

[BritManToo]

Assuming you have your panels in series, any panel with the same or higher current will do for a replacement.

Mine are 9A, your string will be limited to the lowest current panel.

How easy is that?

[MJCM]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Assuming you have your panels in series, any panel with the same or higher current will do for a replacement.

Yes Panels will be in Series.

 

What is the current to look for? LMP or LSC?

 

Edit: On my panels (see OP (I have added a picture) they are
LMP = 8.82A

LSC = 9.31A

[Crossy]

Panels of similar power ratings tend to have similar parameters, if Imp is similar then you're fine.

 

[MJCM]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

f Imp is similar then you're fine.

What about a bit Higher or Lower? Issue?

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, MJCM said:

What about a bit Higher or Lower? Issue?

Higher = no problem.

Lower = reduction in output for all your other panels.

[MJCM]

Just now, BritManToo said:

Higher = no problem.

Lower = reduction in output for all your other panels.

Thx.

 

Just for my understanding what about more power panels suppose 400W panels and LSC same as old panel?

[BritManToo]

Just now, MJCM said:

Thx.

 

Just for my understanding what about more power panels suppose 400W panels and LSC same as old panel?

Doesn't matter.

[MJCM]

So replacement should always be

 

LSC >= old panel

W >= old panel

 

everything else doesn't matter. Correct?

[TronxII]

I'ts not L SC it's i SC. I is for current like U for Voltage.

SC means short circuit, this is what you measure when you connect the + and the - of the panel.

The IMP is maximum power, which is not at short circuit, but somewhere at 16V for a "12V" panel  Where a 12V panel has 18 or 20V under no load. The same applies for your 24V panel, but higher voltages.

 

So basically, you also need to check the open circuit voltage of the panel.

I recently bought 2 new flexible 100W 12V panels, to put in parallel with my existing framed 100W 12V panels. Once they arrived, i realized that the new panels only do 18V instead of 20V open circuit. My bad of course. 

This also affects the maximum power voltage and does not work well with my MPPT inverter.

 

 

 

 

 

[Crossy]

13 hours ago, MJCM said:

So replacement should always be

 

LSC >= old panel

W >= old panel

 

everything else doesn't matter. Correct?

 

For SERIES panels yes, Imp.

 

For PARALLEL panels as @TronxII notes it will be Vmp that needs to be similar.

[MJCM]

4 hours ago, TronxII said:

I'ts not L SC it's i SC.

My bad, on the panel it looks like L but you are right it's i  (I)

[MJCM]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

For SERIES panels yes, Imp.

Panels will be in Series. 10 of them, I wanted 11 which was the Max for the Inverter, but SWMBO decided on 10 (who am I to argue? And very good that she didn't go with 9 (lucky number )