Solar, where does excess power go? (1 Viewer)

[David and Sally]

Our new MH has a 100w solar panel. I have no idea how it wired in yet so I assume some sort of controller and charges the hab battery.

Where does the power go when the battery is charged? I assume the panel keeps producing power but nowhere to go?

 

[DBK]

No, it simply doesn't produce power. It depends on the controller how this is done but as an example an MPPT controller will allow the panel voltage to rise to the point when it produces no current, essentially an open circuit.

 

[HandyAndy]

The same place your house electric meter and it’s 100 amp capacity from the grid goes when you are not using it... i.e nowhere.

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[hilldweller]

I assume the panel keeps producing power but nowhere to go?

Do you wonder where the power goes at home when you turn a light off ?

Just the same, it sits there sulking, 'till you turn the light on again.

 

[hilldweller]

The same place your house electric meter and it’s 100 amp capacity from the grid goes when you are not using it... i.e nowhere.

Damn - beat me to it !

 

[Camping Gaza]

Look behind the fuse panel in the back of that cupboard... you will see a great big pile of electrons, getting bigger all the time!

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[David and Sally]

Look behind the fuse panel in the back of that cupboard... you will see a great big pile of electrons, getting bigger all the time!

That explains it then. I thought they were currants

 

[Stealaway]

It has a look 'round for something to do with the power, if it can't find anywhere to use it , it just drops off to sleep ------ and wakes up as soon as you need some more.

 

[TerryL]

My mother used to go round all of the electricity sockets last thing and take all the plugs out. Her mother was the exact opposite - she had to have a plug in every socket "in case the electricity leaked out"! Just as well they had fewer sockets in those days.

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[Ingwe]

A friend was asking about our leisure battery. She said "oh, so you don't have electricity". I asked her what power she thought came from the battery. Logically, she said "battery power". You can't fault that

 

[Burgo]

My nan always made sure all the sockets in the house had plugs in as she swore black was blue that the electric leaked out of empty sockets and stained the rugs.

 

[klaatu]

I still turn off electric sockets with switches in case the the electric leaks out.

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[TerryL]

In all honesty it is a good idea to turn off any socket that isn't being used. You never know if a fault will develop.
Just that these days we get so complacent.......

 

[Guigsy]

To answer the question... instead of the PV panel turning the energy from the rays into electricity, it just does what other inanimate objects do if you put them in the sun, the panel gets hot.

 

[Off da Grid]

My solar controller has an output to turn an AES fridge onto solar power when the batteries are full I’ve fitted a relay to this output to turn on a mini dehumidifier, keeps the van condensation free for free all year

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[mitzimad]

My solar controller has an output to turn an AES fridge onto solar power when the batteries are full I’ve fitted a relay to this output to turn on a mini dehumidifier, keeps the van condensation free for free all year

which controller is it?

 

[Off da Grid]

Votronic a German mppt controller rather expensive but does a good job at looking after the batteries. It has settings for every type of battery.
Got mine from Photonic universe. See below for the link they are also on Amazon.
Make sure you get a big enough one, allow 10% above the maximum output of your panels.
A solar panel can actually put out more than its rated capacity when it’s nice and cool in the winter on a good sunny day than it can in the summer when it gets hot.
Having said that you don’t often get maximum capacity due to wiring losses etc.