solar panel diode

tom79bmth · Jan 30, 2015

Hi All

Just a quick question, I brought a cheap solar panel off eBay to keep my battery charged on my camper van.

I was just having a look at it to see if it has a blocking diode! there is a diode but I'm not sure what it is for as there are no markings on it. It's joined between live and neutral on the panel is that a blocking diode if not what's it there for ?

Gavin A · Jan 30, 2015

bypass diode I'd have thought, to bypass the panel if it was wired in series and shaded.

kjgreen3 · Jan 31, 2015

I'm assuming you have a dedicated solar panel running at around 12.5-14.8v designed for charging leisure (car batteries, I'm assuming 12V d.c.). If so this panel is designed to be used by itself therefore no bypass diode required.

That diode will be purely for reverse polarity protection in case you connect the battery up wrong.

Otherwise if it is a PV panel see post #2

Gavin A · Jan 31, 2015

kjgreen3 said:
I'm assuming you have a dedicated solar panel running at around 12.5-14.8v designed for charging leisure (car batteries, I'm assuming 12V d.c.). If so this panel is designed to be used by itself therefore no bypass diode required.

That diode will be purely for reverse polarity protection in case you connect the battery up wrong.

Otherwise if it is a PV panel see post #2

from what I remember blocking diodes are on the positive pole only, no negative connection, hence my comment.