It becomes essential to match the gauge and the wire lengths when combining batteries in a battery bank. After measuring each battery's voltage, it should be recorded and maintained in a log sheet. Another important measure is the state of voltage. It should be checked if it is an acid battery. It checks the cell electrolyte level for correct acid volume once a month. The terminals of the batteries are protected from shorting they are labeled properly with safety procedures. Batteries should be checked and properly maintained to extend the life of the system. It has to be made sure in case of an off-grid system the charge controllers are grounded for protection.Ī battery is a device that stores electrical charges. Caution must be taken in selecting the correct wire size. Some charge controllers tend to lower the voltage coming from the panels and tend to increase the current going to the batteries. The wires from the charge controller to the battery bank can generally be the same or larger gauge than the main set from the PV array. The condition of the charge should be considered to check whether the controllers are fine to ensure proper monitoring of the battery voltage or not. It monitors the arrival of the current and voltage from the panels and further transmits them to the batteries. The proper planning of your system is necessary to determine which disconnect sizes you need.Ī charge controller is a kind of regulator that prevents the batteries from overcharging. Disconnects come in a variety of sizes, which starts from 30amp up to 800amp. It should be easily visible and accessible. This is used to isolate a PV system to prevent it from accidentally transmitting power to the utility grid during routine or emergency maintenance. Utility External Disconnect Switch (UEDS)Ī Utility External Disconnect Switch (UEDS) is a disconnect device. If any defect is found, then they have to be consulted with the installers, and all ground wires must also be verified. Inspections for any corrosion or burning must also be checked. Wiring installations should be tracked for cracks and deterioration of the insulation material. For multiple panels, a combiner set is a mandatory part to safely transfer the power to the charge controller. This allows 30 amps of current to flow from a single panel. Commercial solar panels generally use 10-gauge wires. The lower the gauge number, the higher the current it can handle safely. Copper wires are sized with the help of a gauge scale. There are two common conductor materials used in commercial/residential PV installations: copper and aluminum. In case of overcurrent and overvoltage, these DC boxes protect the inverters from damage. The DC box consists of overcurrent protection fuse assemblies for the strings and combines them into a single main output. DC box is generally used in larger commercial and utility plants. These combiner boxes are also known as the DC box. The combiner box combines all these strings together. Multiple strings of solar modules are then combined in parallel to multiply the string output currents to higher levels for input into the inverter. In a large solar photovoltaic (PV) array, multiple solar modules are connected in a series like a string to increase the voltage to the proper levels for the inverter. Adequate precautions have to be taken while performing the maintenance on solar panels when they are located on rooftops, as there is a risk of falling off. The observation of proper grounding of the array mounts, proper insulation of module wiring, and whether the grounded conductors are properly installed and the array mounts are properly secured and sealed should be monitored. The conditions of module mounting, along with the wiring, should be checked. If any defects are found, they should be noted so that they can be monitored in the future. A visual inspection of the module should be done in order to keep track of cracks, discolorations, dirt accumulations, etc. The array is often thought to be maintenance-free, but regular inspections must be carried out to make sure of the performance. The panels have to be properly installed in such a way that maximum sunlight reaches the panels because more sunlight will generate the maximum energy output. Let us go through the major components of a solar system and its functions and then provide a checklist for reference. Here we have mentioned some of the tips that will highlight the preventative maintenance of major components of a PV system. Solar systems can indeed be easily maintained when they are paired with diesel generators however, they are not maintenance-free. In other simple words, the working conditions of the system and its life is sustained for as long as possible. Proper maintenance ensures the system's optimum workability. Maintenance of the system is an important matter of consideration while installing solar systems.
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