How to Check if Solar Panel is Charging Battery

The solar panels are using for store the electrical energy into the battery and reusing it. You are owning a solar panel you needs to verify the battery charging correct or not. This is an important thing in solar installation. So here is some easy way to Check if solar panel is charging battery properly or not.

1. Checking the Battery

Common Issue: Battery corrosion, Battery terminals loos connection, Dead battery

At first you need to inspect your connected battery. If any corrosion inside or outside battery may stop charging. The connected wires from solar panel is loos contact with the battery terminal also makes this issue.

For better understanding you needs to check your battery using a digital multimeter, if the battery is charging the voltage will raise. Otherwise the multimeter shows the solar output voltage of 15v or above.

If the battery backup is reduced due to suffer deposit or over discharging will be stop charging in your battery. In that condition please call your battery customer care and resolve the issue by replacing the battery if the warranty is valid.

Steps to Check Battery

• Disconnect your battery from solar panel connection. Remove the screw using tools. Then safely separate it from any short circuit.
• Turn on your multimeter and turn the dial to DC voltage sensing mode and measure the battery voltage. Then note this value in a paper.
• After that reconnect the solar panel wires to your battery. Leave the battery at-least 30 mins or 1 hour to charge.
• Check the battery voltage again after 1 hour then compare the previous battery voltage.
• The battery voltage after connecting solar panel is grater than the disconnected state means the battery is charging by solar panel. Other wise some issues in your battery or wire or may be in solar panel.

Also Check : Steps for connecting solar panel to a battery

2. Checking Solar Panel

Common Issue: Damage of Solar panel cells, Shade on solar panel

If the solar panel is provides adequate voltage and current to charge battery will lead to charging problems. So the solar panel also need to check it has any cracks on it also check the voltage of the solar panel.

Steps to Check Solar Panel

• Any cracks or dame can be easily identified by visual examination. If anything is seen you need to follow the next step to measure the voltage.
• Connect the multimeter probes on both ends of the solar panel output pins. Point the solar panel face to the sunlight. In that time the out put voltage must be in the range of 10-18v DC.
• If the voltage is in between this range means the solar panel is in good working condition. Also additionally check the ampere of the solar panel by connections a 12v bulb and multimeter in series to measure the ampere of the solar panel.
• If the voltage is in the normal range but their is no ampere means the solar cells may dead or internal disconnections is happened.

3. Checking Solar Charge Controller

Common Issue: Faulty charge controller

A faulty solar charge controller also stops charging battery. In latest solar charge controller like MPPT and PWM solar charger have the display to shows the error. In any case of fault detected it start to beep or blink lights.

Steps to Check Solar Charge Controller

• The solar charge controller or MPPT is the main unit for solar charging section. So any fault inside the charge control will stop charging battery.
• First inspect visually how much voltage and ampere is coming from the solar panel through the solar charge controller display.
• Then find how much voltage and ampere is using for battery charging.
• If any mismatching happens on the charge controller screen will be the error of the controller unit. So you needs to replace it.

4. Checking Connecting Wires

Common Issue: Damaged Wires.

Most of the case the solar DC cables get damaged and solar power is not reaching to the battery. So to resolve this issue you need to recheck the panel wiring of solar connection.

You can also use the multimeter to check the wire continuity. If the wire have good continuity means the wire is good and it properly carrying the power. Use minimum of 4 squre mm wire to connect with your solar panel to avoid energy loss through transmission.