Need help getting proper voltage out of used panel

[keaton85]

I have a used solar panel that I have been trying to get working for a while now. It's large with 216 cells with four junction boxes on each corner.

The issue is that I can only get a touch over 10V open circuit full sun! Ive looked for diodes suspecting that to be the cause but can't find any. Ive checked all cells by covering them and recording the voltage drop and all are accounted for.

I believe I'm only getting half the panel, due to getting a strong 10V and that would set me right at 20V where I should be correct? Anyway, if you have any insight that would be great!

[MarineLiner]

Welcome onboard and thanks for joining.
did you see any label-plate describing the panel?

[keaton85]

Nope, no labeling, just one large glass panel with four junction boxes in each corner. Im getting 10V between the top two and the bottom two or 10V across.

here is a link to some photos I took of the panel:

http://picasaweb.google.com/AjaDiGirolamo/Solar?feat=directlink

[Mike90250]

Nope, no labeling, just one large glass panel with four junction boxes in each corner. Im getting 10V between the top two and the bottom two or 10V across.

here is a link to some photos I took of the panel:
http://picasaweb.google.com/AjaDiGir...eat=directlink

Never seen anything like it. if all the boxes give the same power, maybe you can series / parallel them and get the full power ? Do you know what the full power is supposed to be ?

[BuzzBuds]

I am not sure on this what are wanting out of this panel and have you wired all those j boxes together in the right order you want is the 10v coming from just one j box or all of them and if all of them did you wire them in series or parallel

[keaton85]

I'm looking to get 20Voc out of it. Although if 10Voc is usable then I would love to know how to use that output. I have a 24volt system already set-up and if at all possible wouldnt mind adding it to the system.

Here is a quoted text from a solar guy I got ahold of, if this adds to anything.

"I've never seen this module before. The cells look like ribbon cells like older Evergreen or Ibarra (out of business) or perhaps an ASE Americas clone (now Schott). By the cell count, it looks like 6 each 36-cell modules (17 Vmax, 21 Voc, nominal 12-volt each 26-cell series string). But the 4 j-boxes indicate 4 strings of 54 cells. I'm almost sure that the j-boxes are Asian (maybe Japanese). No label and the red tape on the backsheet may be a tag indicating an off-spec module. Is there just 1 wire (no plus and minus) in each j-box? If yes, then the module may be for a Japanese grid-tied system. 18 cells in a row indicate the cell stringing. Look at the bus bars from behind the cells to trace the circuits to the terminals in the j-boxes. The j-boxes on each long-rail end are usually plus and minus on each end. I don't think any manufacturer made modules to connect plus and minus out of the 2 j-boxes along the short rail."

[BuzzBuds]

I'm looking to get 20Voc out of it. Although if 10Voc is usable then I would love to know how to use that output. I have a 24volt system already set-up and if at all possible wouldnt mind adding it to the system.

Here is a quoted text from a solar guy I got ahold of, if this adds to anything.

"I've never seen this module before. The cells look like ribbon cells like older Evergreen or Ibarra (out of business) or perhaps an ASE Americas clone (now Schott). By the cell count, it looks like 6 each 36-cell modules (17 Vmax, 21 Voc, nominal 12-volt each 26-cell series string). But the 4 j-boxes indicate 4 strings of 54 cells. I'm almost sure that the j-boxes are Asian (maybe Japanese). No label and the red tape on the backsheet may be a tag indicating an off-spec module. Is there just 1 wire (no plus and minus) in each j-box? If yes, then the module may be for a Japanese grid-tied system. 18 cells in a row indicate the cell stringing. Look at the bus bars from behind the cells to trace the circuits to the terminals in the j-boxes. The j-boxes on each long-rail end are usually plus and minus on each end. I don't think any manufacturer made modules to connect plus and minus out of the 2 j-boxes along the short rail."

W
Have you attempted to the trace yet and having 4 j boxes each have a plus and neg?

[keaton85]

There is a single wire on each j-box. I hooked it up in series and parallel with no success. When in parallel I still get 10Voc ish and then when in series I get warm wires a spark and 1.4V output? Do I need a diode or what?

So maybe I'm doing something wrong, or this panel is just a 10Voc output which I have no clue how to use for anything.

Would a bride rectifying diode do anything in terms of getting 20Voc or no?

[MarineLiner]

There is a single wire on each j-box.
I hooked it up in series and parallel with no success.
When in parallel I still get 10Voc ish and then
when in series I get warm wires a spark and 1.4V output?

say 4 J-Boxes as:
JB#1, JB#2, JB#3, JB#4.
which are positives ?
which are negatives ?

[BuzzBuds]

say 4 J-Boxes as:
JB#1, JB#2, JB#3, JB#4.
which are positives ?
which are negatives ?

good question I was about to ask the same thing if each J box only has one wire coming out of it and you find out which is pos and which is neg then my next question is how are these panels configured with the cells each cell needs to be in series I prosume they are but quartered off almost like having 4 panels in one either conected in series or parallel can you trace the cell tabbing from one string to another to find out the configuration of cells this will help emensly.

[keaton85]

Ok if you are looking at the image from the back it would be:

top left j-box #1: Pos
top right j-box #2: Neg
bottom left j-box #3: Pos
bottom right j-box #4: Neg

If I hook up #1 & #3 for pos and then #2 & #4 for neg then I get 10Voc like I should. THEN to try and get 20Voc I do #1 to #4 neg and take a reading off #2 to #3 I get 1.4ish Voc. It's like I'm shorting it out by connecting it in series!

I can try and trace the cells but idono how I would without taking off the back cover.

Any other info that you guys can think of?

[MarineLiner]

... at the image from the back it would be:
top left j-box #1: Pos
top right j-box #2: Neg
bottom left j-box #3: Pos
bottom right j-box #4: Neg

If I hook up #1 & #3 for pos and then #2 & #4 for neg then I get 10Voc like I should.