Leaving a solar panel unplugged from battery

dpyo4812

Good afternoon
I am in the process of adding a solar panel to the top of my truck and build out a removable unit that includes all the necessary parts “
Inverter mppt and battery “ my question is does it damage the panel if it is not connected to the battery when it is not being used to charge the battery.

JamesDow

Any potential damage would likely be minimual.

I would not keep solar panels unpluged left in the sun for an extended period. (>60 days)

A panel in the sun without a load may be damaged (rated life decreased) over time by the excess heat generated by the panel.

zgfiredude

Interesting.....

Jay

I would suggest the question be sent to the manufacture of the product. They would probably know best.

Sharon_is_SAM

The bigger issue with panels is the order of connection of the controller. Although some controllers are not particular, the conventional order is to connect the controller to the battery before connecting panels. Also, you may want to cover the panel end terminals in case something comes in contact and creates a circuit.

This makes sense - “A solar panel will not turn solar energy into direct current until there is a circuit. If there is no circuit, the solar panel will just “sit there” as the photons will not be converted into electricity. The panels will get hotter true, but the modules are going to get hot anyway if you connect a load to it.” The panels dissipate heat.

Apparently, some panels are more prone to damage with a disconnect

Here is a source that says it will reduce longevity of the panel:

https://shopsolarkits.com/blogs/learning-center/leaving-solar-panels-disconnected#:~:text=Keeping the solar panel unplugged,load, it can get damaged.

And another source that says - no problem:

Is it OK to leave a solar panel disconnected?

J
Jim Bruce
Updated on October 6, 2022
Many people wonder if it’s OK to leave solar panels disconnected when they are exposed to the sun . Yes, it’s OK. Nothing happens to them. Solar panels will generate electrons when sunlight strikes their surface, but with no closed circuit they go nowhere.

Since there is nowhere for the voltage to go, it may increase the temperature of the panels by a few degrees. However, the solar panels are large enough that this heat will dissipate without any real effects on the solar panels.

I found this specific to roof mounted panels.

“Disconnecting the solar panels still will generate electricity inside the solar panels if exposed to sunlight, which means the Voltage generated across that particular Solar Panel will be converted into heat. In normal circumstances, the surface area of a solar panel is designed in a way to dissipate this heat under extreme situations, but if left unchecked it can cause a fire.”

dpyo4812

Thank you for all responses, still working on my plan.