Portable Solar Smoking

[Grodyman]

I inherited a NaturePower 120 Watt suitcase solar kit. Opened it up and hooked alligator clips to terminals of battery, after a short time, smoke coming from the wiring/charge controller area behind the solar panel.

What could cause this? Wire run was maybe 6 feet.

Gman

[Sandia_Man]

Although that may occur to some solar controllers, the one that came with our Renogy solar suitcase does not have this issue. There is no way you can connect the portable solar panel to your battery without prior exposure to the sun, our unit comes in a padded black case and the second you unzip it both panels are fully exposed.

Just start with a new controller, water proof would be better as I lost one to a passing flash storm common here in the Mountain West. Since you inherited it double check wiring before connecting new controller in case it has been fiddled with. I find our portable panel can really keep up with what we already have on the roof being that we can reposition it a few times a day maximizing periods of peak output.

[naturist]

If the instructions didn’t mention the battery first thing, that controller would have to not care, as I’m sure many purchasers would open then connect. All the controllers I’ve seen do proclaim battery first, but obviously I haven’t seen ‘em all. Still, smoking wires are always a bad sign.

[Grodyman]

gemsworld wrote:
I used a 120 watt suitcase kit with the controller attached to the back of one panel for years and I connected the batteries to the controller after I had the panels set up. I never had a problem and never heard anyone mention having to hook up the batteries before the panels were exposed to sunlight.

Instructions don't mention this either, just says plug into port or connect to batteries. I'll buy a cheap controller and try again.

[Community Alumni]

I used a 120 watt suitcase kit with the controller attached to the back of one panel for years and I connected the batteries to the controller after I had the panels set up. I never had a problem and never heard anyone mention having to hook up the batteries before the panels were exposed to sunlight.

[rexlion]

And here I thought this would be about how to smoke meat using a solar powered smoker........

[naturist]

Grodyman wrote:
Controller is connected to rear of panel, so I would need to connect the clips while keeping the suitcase covered from the sun, then open the panels to the sun after connecting.....Is this the standard procedure?

Yup.

[Lwiddis]

Must be fun setting that up each morning. Unless you go to town for lunch. Then you get to set it up after lunch too.

[Grodyman]

Controller is connected to rear of panel, so I would need to connect the clips while keeping the suitcase covered from the sun, then open the panels to the sun after connecting.....Is this the standard procedure?

[Vintage465]

naturist wrote:
Probably is garbage now. Controller must be hooked to battery before any solar. Usually that’s taken care of by hooking controller to battery, THEN hooking panels to controller. Shut down by disconnecting panels THEN disconnecting battery. Since panels produce a small amount of power even in dim light, there’s no room for error. If there’s smoke, something is burnt up.

This is great info. I'm planning to get a 300w suitcase type unit with controller to supplement my 300w on the roof if we get in a shady place. Who knows what order I may have hooked it up in. Good info for sure.

Thanks,

[Vintage465]

naturist wrote:
Probably is garbage now. Controller must be hooked to battery before any solar. Usually that’s taken care of by hooking controller to battery, THEN hooking panels to controller. Shut down by disconnecting panels THEN disconnecting battery. Since panels produce a small amount of power even in dim light, there’s no room for error. If there’s smoke, something is burnt up.

This is great info. I'm planning to get a 300w suitcase type unit with controller to supplement my 300w on the roof if we get in a shady place. Who knows what order I may have hooked it up in. Good info for sure.

Thanks,

[BFL13]

With a "kit" the panels are already wired to the controller's array side, so all you can do is connect the controller's battery side to the battery. This should not fry that controller.

Some controllers, not all, will go bad if you do not follow the proper sequence in their user manuals--connect battery first then array, and VV when disconnecting.

Must be something else the matter. Take it all apart and check each panel aimed at the sun using your DMM to make sure each one is ok (see their Isc and Voc specs), then re-assemble and try again.

[naturist]

Probably is garbage now. Controller must be hooked to battery before any solar. Usually that’s taken care of by hooking controller to battery, THEN hooking panels to controller. Shut down by disconnecting panels THEN disconnecting battery. Since panels produce a small amount of power even in dim light, there’s no room for error. If there’s smoke, something is burnt up.

[Grodyman]

Not reverse polarity. Interesting about the controller needing battery before opening panel. I wasn't aware of that. It is a cheap plastic controller, garbage.

[Johnny_G1]

Should have hooked up controller first before opening suit case possible blown controller, controller need's battery power first. Foud that the hard way when a battery went out and fried a $3oo controller, no where for power to go from panel's. Possible reversed cable's????