Checking if your solar panel is charging your solar battery does not need a lot of expertise. You will need some information that I will gladly give you in this guide.
Step 1: Check the voltage of the solar battery
The first step to tell if your solar panel is charging your solar battery is by checking the voltage of a solar battery.
- You can do so by connecting a multimeter to the solar battery.
- Check the reading on the readings on the multimeter before you start charging.
- Check if the readings after a few hours have changed.
- If the readings have not changed, check if the solar battery and the connections are in the right condition.
- A faulty solar battery cannot receive any charge. If the solar battery is not defective, the solar panel has a problem.
Checking the solar panel will help you determine the issue.
Step 2: Check the condition of your solar panel, solar battery, and regulators
First, check to see if the connections are made properly. If the solar panel wiring is done right, you can check the panel itself. Black spots, dust, and water droplets might inhibit the charging process. You should also check if the diodes are intact; otherwise, your battery will not charge.
Step 3: Check the voltage of the charge controller
The terminal voltage of the charge controller should be in range for it to charge a solar battery.
If the above components are not working as they should, there is a high chance that your solar battery will not charge.
Why is my solar panel not charging my battery?
A solar panel might be having a hard time charging your solar battery if one part of it is not working efficiently. Below are some things you should look for in your solar panel if it is not charging your solar battery.
- Look for hotspots: A solar panel with hotspots will not charge a solar battery as it is expected.
- Check the positioning of the solar panel: if the solar panel does not face the sun directly, then the solar panel will not charge your solar battery.
- Look if your solar panel is covered by dust: Dust particles interfere with the absorption of solar energy by the photovoltaic cells. Wipe off any dust and observe the charging process again.
- The wiring: one wrong connection in your solar PV system will result in your solar panel not charging the solar battery. This video demonstrates a step-by-step procedure for connecting a solar panel to a solar battery.
- Fault solar panel: a faulty solar panel cannot collect or pass any charge to a solar battery.
- Faulty solar battery: Sometimes, a solar panel is not the issue. If the battery is defective, it cannot charge and hold any charge.
- A faulty charge controller: if a charge controller is defective, it inhibits any charge from reaching the solar battery.
A solar panel should always face direct sunlight and have a functioning solar sensor.
Eng. Matthew Joseph Nandirio is the Founder of walkingsolar.
After graduating from the University of Houston in 2002, matt started working as a Solar Electrical Engineer for several multi-national solar energy companies.
He has a wide range of experiences including solar system requirement analysis, planning, maintaining, debugging and even solar device development through research.
He now shares his 20 years of expertise through his articles on the walkingsolar website.
Further, he is also the author of two books on Solar Technology, “Solar Power for Villages” and “DIY Solar System for Dummies”.
