How Do I Know If My Solar Panels Are Working

If your panels are fairly new you should compare your kwh output to the monthly kwh estimate that your solar provider gave you with your initial design.

How do i know if my solar panels are working.

Check this during the day when your system should be generating and if it is lit you may have a problem with a part of your solar system. When it s overcast your solar panels will likely operate at 10 to 25 of their rated capacity. What matters is how much sun your home gets year round. Power is measured in watts w or kilowatts kw.

Your inverter makes the direct current dc produced by your solar panels useable as alternating current ac for your home. Energy is measured in kilowatt hours kwh. Most generation meters will have some sort of indication light that will let you know instantly if your system is not functioning correctly. While solar panels work on cloudy and rainy days their output won t match that on clear sunny days.

You will want to ensure that you place the positive to positive and negative to negative when attaching your multimeter to the connection on the back of your solar panel. But don t get stuck on this detail. The inverter is the first place to check to make sure your solar energy system is working properly. This loss of power can also be experienced if a couple of your panels are extra dirty or shaded.

If your solar panels continuously output 5kw of power for a whole 60 minutes you will have produced 5kwh of energy. Set the meter to above 200 vcd to ensure you get the most accurate reading possible. Fading fading fading don t let this happen to your panels. Know your inverter if solar panels are the brawn of your solar energy system then the inverter is the brain.

Accessing your solar output data online.