Testing & Monitoring
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Why Your RV Solar Panels Aren’t Charging (And How to Fix Voltage Drops)
Check your multimeter readings at each connection point along your solar charging path—from panels to charge controller to battery—to pinpoint exactly where voltage disappears. Most RV solar systems lose 10-30% of their potential power to voltage drop, but this invisible thief often goes undetected until you systematically measure and compare voltages at every junction. Start…
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Why Your Solar Panels Are Losing Power (And How to Catch It Early)
Check your solar panel output on a clear day at solar noon and record the voltage reading—this becomes your clean panel baseline. Within two weeks, you’ll likely notice a 2-5% drop in performance even if your panels look relatively clean to the naked eye. That invisible loss is costing you real money and efficiency. Soiling…
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Dirty Solar Panels Are Costing You Money (Here’s How to Clean Them Right)
Clean your solar panels every 3-6 months to maintain peak efficiency—dirty panels can lose up to 25% of their energy output. Regular maintenance takes just an hour and requires minimal equipment, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to maximize your solar investment. Start by checking your system’s performance data through your monitoring app.…
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Read Your Solar System Like a Pro: What Every Wire and Number Really Means
Locate the single-line diagram in your solar system documentation—it’s your roadmap to understanding how energy flows from panels through inverters to your home’s electrical panel. This schematic shows every critical component: charge controllers, battery banks, breaker boxes, and safety disconnects, all connected by lines representing wire runs with their corresponding voltage ratings. Start by identifying…
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Never Worry About Your DIY Solar System Again With These Monitoring Solutions
Monitor your DIY solar system’s performance from anywhere using dedicated hardware monitors, smartphone-connected inverters, or cloud-based platforms that track voltage, current, and energy production in real-time. Install a basic Bluetooth-enabled shunt monitor for under $50 to see exactly how many watts your panels generate and how much power your batteries store—no electrician required. Check your…
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How to Test a Solar Panel Without a Multimeter
You can easily test the performance of a solar panel even without a multimeter. It requires a certain level of technical understanding, and the process must be approached carefully to avoid accidental damage or personal injury. But, with the right guide, you will find that it’s not as daunting as it initially appears. In this…
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5 Best Solar Power Meter in 2023
The best solar power meters measure broad ranges of solar radiant flux, have low measurement resolution, are highly accurate, are cosine corrected, and are easy to carry around in just one hand. Therefore, when buying a new solar power meter, look out for its measuring range, resolution, accuracy range, cosine correction, and portability. But beyond…
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How to Test Solar Panels – Tools, Terms, and Instructions
Testing solar panels is a fairly straightforward process, requiring few tools and little to no expertise. But one single false step or wrong connection can turn this ostensibly simple task into a stressful ordeal. You can end up damaging your panels, testing devices, or even getting shocked. Therefore, you’ll want to know how to test…
