Solar Panel Failure

One panel failed - what it means and how we dealt with it.

Background: 
We upgraded our our 3 BougeRV solar panels after our Standing Rigging update resulted in a change of the Backstay which, in turn, meant our old panels would no long fit in the area available. I chose Renogy Solar for the new panels. Purchased them from Amazon and built a new Solar Panel Frame to support them.

That was in March this year, so they are only 4 months old - and one failed!

Do Solar Panels failure due to 'Hot Spot' happen in about 1.04% of installations, we just happen to have one that failed.

IMPORTANT: The first thing I did when I realized the Panel was broken, was to disconnect that panel from the system intent on eliminating any risk of further damage. Only the panel has failed, there was no signs of any other damage. Once the broken panel was disconnected, our solar production rose to over 200W ( our AC was running ). So the rest of the system appears to be just fine.

So now, the issue is how do we fix it and do we make any changes?

First the Fix

We had read about Renogy not having a very good record for Customer Service, but I have to counter that, our experience has been the opposite  -- very much Positive.

I reached out to Renogy and spoke to a human ( Ken ) within 30 seconds of dialing their number. Ken was very considerate, listened to my description of the issue and taking time to ask about our installation. He informed me that he would be setting up a 'Case' so that I could easily communicate with Renogy as we progressed through our Warranty Claim. I received an email with a link to their system within minutes of my phone call. Ken advised that I should respond quoting the Serial Numbers of each panel ( only one had failed ) as well as images of the Labels on the underside of the Panels.

Shortly after the phone call, I received another email, this one asking for details of how the panels are installed and how they are used. I provided that information via their system. The next morning I went down to the boat and took a dozen photographs, both from the On top of the panels and below, including the labels. I could not find the Serial Numbers.

Back home my wife and I reviewed the photos and she noted that the serial numbers were on a small, separate label to the main info label.

I put those photos into a google photo Album, added the link to the Case in the online Renogy Case system and typed in the Serial Numbers. That was yesterday, Thursday afternoon. 

By 17:30 they had replied !! Renogy asked for my shipping address for delivery of the replacement Panel.

Wow! that's totally different from the outcome I had been expecting from some of the online reviews.

I'll include a link to the Album at the end of the post and will update that album with the images from the new panel, install and solar production result as soon as I can.

Will we make any changes?

Yes! Our two panels were connected in Series, so all of the current would flow through both panels, even if one panel failed. The advantage of using a smaller AWG wiring from the Solar Panels to the MPPT Controller is nothing compared to the risk of a short in one panel suffering further damage. 

So, plan is to change the system wiring to individual controllers and wiring.

The update will include a new Victron MPPT 100/50 solar controller ( matching the existing controller )

Additional 10AWG wiring from the new panel to the new MPPT controller.

Additional VE.Direct network wire from the new MPPT to the Cerbo GX.

I'm pretty sure there is an empty VE.Direct connection socket in the top of the Cerbo GX.

I still need to do some decent cable management for this entire system. Add in the new wiring for the Second MPPT controller will encourage that.

However, locating a 2nd MPPT controller might be more of a challenge. 

I may have to move the two MPPTs onto the bulkhead on the forward side of the install area, just below the Nav Table.

We'll see.

During this update, I'll also run all of the wires from the Solar Panels down to the combing via an outdoor conduit with water proof connectors in place of the existing clam shell entry to the combing.

Making the most of the change.

Now, we wait, in the meanwhile I'll order the 2nd MPPT and additional 10AWG wiring.

So first bits to arrive came on Monday July 20th, that's all of the wiring and the MPPT Controller. Next the VE.Direct cable arrived and the new Stainless Steel screws arrived ( the Screws are to replace the ones that came with the 4040 pieces for the Mounting frame, they have corroded badly in the few months since the install. ) 

The last piece is the replacement panel. This is where it gets a little confusing.

When purchased back in March this year, the 'pair' of panels came from Amazon. The packaging was amazing! The box had several layers of bubble type foam sheets outside and between the two panels, Each corner had a stiff plastic piece that kept the panels separated by about 3/8" and there were similar but straight pieces of plastic to secure the ends and sides of the panels and then the cardboard box was particularly solid. It was really a work of packaging art. Very impressed.

Then I received an email from Renogy stating that the minimum quantity of panels for shipping was 2. And they would send one of those packages and asking if I would first ship our good panel back to Renogy in CA. With experience of receiving broken solar panels, I was not confident that I could ship that good panel back to them in make-shift packaging giving it any chance of arriving in one piece.

My reply was to suggest that I await the shipment of two panels and then ship one back with the broken one, both in their packaging which would give them a much better chance of surviving the trip via UPS back to CA.  I'm waiting on their response which I think should arrive on Monday or Tuesday. Before I could send that email, a second response from Renogy arrived. It had the tracking number of the two panel shipment, due to arrive Tuesday.

Ok, a bit of cross talk going on somewhere, I'm sure it will work out.

Meanwhile, here's the review of the updated installation of the additional electronics.

( Link to the full image: Click here ) 

With the design complete and everything except the new panels ready, I'm hoping we'll get some of the install done on Wednesday this week ( July 29th. )

Checked the Tracking - UPS - due to arrive today after lunch. I hope it's ontime as it's Peggy Birthday and we plan to go out this evening to celebrate.

UPS delivered them later than expected and the Box was in really bad shape, I have little hope of the panels being unbroken BUT THEY WERE OK!

Stored in my workshop for a few days as I have stuff to do before doing the install on the boat.

Making progress.

Down to the boat. Remember, it's August! I removed the damaged panel and started replacing all of the corroded bolts with stainless steel. However after 2 hours, I was done! The heat and humidity combined were just too much for me. Dripping in sweat, I quickly wrapped up the tools and we headed home for a revitalizing shower. 

A couple of days later, back to the boat with the new panel. It was an easy install. I disconnected the cables from the older panel and connected them to the new replacement panel just to make sure we have a good panel. Time to drain the batteries to encourage the MPPT to want to charge them. So I turned on the water heater with the Multiplus in Invert mode, that quickly at a lot of watts. The solar production ramped up and very soon hit 240Watts of input. Woohoo! We're good to go, just have to finish the new wiring.

Another day, installed the new MPPT. actually, I relocated the original in order to mount both of them next to each other - purely asthectics.

I need to be able to refer to the two systems. So the Aft Panel is connected to the Outboard MPPT and the Fwd Panel will be connected to the Inboard MPPT.

Also installed the additional breaker for the input of the 2nd solar panel to the second MPPT.

Little steps, but in this heat, at least it's moving in the right direction.

Next is to rework the wiring. My buddy Mike came down to the boat the next day. He's in the process of upgrading his boat to LiFePo4 and Victron, so he came by just to observe and ask questions. Plus we hadn't done lunch in a few weeks.

With the main battery switch off and the Aft breaker open .I made up the cables to the new Bus Bar for the Positive outputs of the two MPPT's and rewired the Battery cable to that Bus bar. Battery switch back to 'Both' 

Next was the VE.Direct cable from the Fwd MPPT to the Cerbo GX ( that's the last remaining VE-Direct input on the Cerbo ) Now the MPPT springs into life, flashing Blue Light showing that Blue tooth is available. 

Opening the Victron Connect app on my phone, I was able to connect to the Fwd MPPT and change the charging mode to Smart LiFePo4. NOTE! There's a magic number on the side of the MPPT that allows reset of the Pin when logging into the device. Fortunately, that label is on the side of the heat dissipater plate on the right side of the MPPT, I'll have to take a photo of that for my records, and I'll have to unmount the Aft MPPT so that I can get that label too.

Now with the Blue Tooth connection, both MPPTs are showing in the Victron app. Of course, there's no input yet as the Input to the MPPT is not connected yet. That's another day, meanwhile it's lunchtime with Mike, it's on me, just to say thanks for the company.

Ok, next - wiring for the new panel to the new breaker and the new breaker to the Fwd MPPT.

My plan is to install Conduit that will be open beneath the Aft Panel, it will run down the outside of the Radar mounting pole then into the combing - replacing the existing clam shell POS with a 90º elbow that connects into the existing cable hole in the combing. I'll run a piece of string as a messenger through the conduit and use that to insert the original solar cables and the new cable, so we'll have 4 wires in that conduit.  I'll take a look at the cable(s) for the Radar dome to see if they will fit in that conduit also. At present the radar cables are ty-wrapped to the outside of the Radar mounting pole.

OK, making progress. I'll close this post and create a new one for the rewiring of the solar cables via the conduit.

Hope to get that done this next week.

See you out there.

Paul