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Dirtdaddy
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Jul 25, 2023

Question on Coleman 100W Solar Panel "open circuit" voltage

I have what looks to be a Coleman 100W Solar Panel with a 30 amp Coleman controller in the trailer. It doesn't really charge my batteries, so I checked the open circuit voltage coming off the panel and it's under 13 Volts DC (This is when I remove the leads from the panel to the controller). I can not find a spec for the solar panel open voltage, but most other panels say it should be greater than 20 volts open circuit. Is it a fair guess the panel is shot? The controller rarely shows the indicator light it's charging, but does show the voltage of the battery.
  • Are you using a digital meter with the panel in full sun? Voc (open circuit) and Isc (short circuit) are 2 basic checks for panel. A 100W 12V panel should have about Voc=18V+ and Isc=3A+.

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