how do you know if a solar panel is dc or ac?

Question

my solar panel shows a dc charge and an ac charge i was reading the nec code book and it says that there are ac and dc solar panels so i was wondering how to tell, also how would you find the wattage of something using a multimeter?

Answer 1

The only way a solar panel can output AC is if its natural DC is put through an on-board inverter (oscillator) that will turn the DC into AC.

Wattage only makes sense with a load connected to the panel. It is the product of the voltage generated by the panel and the current drawn by its load. When you have a load on there put the leads of the multimeter across the voltage terminals while it is set to Voltmeter function. Put the leads of the multimeter in series with the load while it is set to Ammeter function. Some of the more expensive panels have meters built in to answer the power question constantly.

Answer 2

I have never heard of an ac solar panel and neither has Google

You put the panel in the sun and using a meter read the volts but to get the wattage you have to create a load.
A simple load could be a length of steel even a bit of your fence. Connect one electrical connection to the steel and connect the other electrical connection to the other end say 4 metres away, using a clamp.
Shift the clamp to bring the connections closer together until the multimeter is reading the rated voltage of the panel.

Then reconnect the multimeter on amps in SERIES with the lead and read the amps.
Then disconnect it as the Amps could cause heat if left a long time.

Volts X Amps will give you the watts

eg 12.00 volts x 5.02 amps would = 60.24watts so that panel would be rated at 60 watts, if the panel was a 12volt panel.

Note only do this on a single panel. Multiple panels could kill you.

Answer 3

Here is a little info just in case you are interested.

There is a standard wattage, Volts, Amps for solar cells which is called STC (Standard Test Conditions). It is something like 77 deg. at a set candle power. You will never get lucky to see this with your solar module setting out in the sun. About all you can do with a meter is just check the voltage (Voc) and the amps (Isc) out put in bright sun. If you want any more information from a solar panel you will have to buy some toys. Normally you just need to know if the solar module is working or not. If not replace it if it is working don't worry about it. Pretty simple.

Some volt meters are a little goofy will show something when testing DC voltages when set for AC voltage.

Solar electric from a solar cell (one single cell) module (a bunch of cells hooked together) panel (more then one module hooked together) array (normally a group of panels create a solar array) will be in DC voltage unless someone put some kind of an inverter on it.

Watt: Standard unit rating of module power output (W). Watts = amps X volts.

Volt: Standard unit of electrical potential (V) or measure of the strength of an electrical source.

Amp: A measure of current (A) or quantity of electricity.

Vmp: Maximum available voltage.

Voc: Open circuit voltage. An open circuit occurs when contacts, switches or similar devices are open and prevent the flow of current. Used to determine if the module is within the maximum voltage of an inverter.

Imp: Maximum available current. Determines maximum current an array can deliver at optimum conditions.

Isc: Short circuit current. A short circuit occurs when there is an improper connection that interrupts an electrical circuit. Used to determine appropriate fuse sizes.

Answer 4

At the very most, 40 watts. But that is only when the sun is at it's peak and the panel is correctly aligned to the sun. The inverter will also waste some power. Unless you live in Florida or someplace similar, you will probably get more like 10 or 20 watts. Also you will need a battery and a charge controller, as the output of the solar panel varies a lot in voltage, and inverters have a limited operating range. .

Answer 5

I'm not currently updated about the latest in solar panel technology but I did made a project on solar panels some ten years ago, solar panels will have a DC output. If ever you need AC. You will have to employ DC to AC Inverter.

What I am thinking about what the book was saying about the AC solar panels is that, the inverter unit is built-in to the panel.

Answer 6

Use a multimeter or occiliscope (sp) to measure the voltage across the positive and negative terminals.

To get the wattage there are three ways:

Measure the voltage and current independently and multiply them together.

Or you can measure the voltage, square it, then divide it by the internal resistance of the device you are measuring.

Finally, you could measure the current, square it, then multiply it by the internal resistance of the device.

Check out Joule's Law for more info.

Answer 7

solar panels generate only dc. the only way you can obtain ac from your system is to connect an inverter. solar cells directly converts the sun's radiant energy into electrical energy.

Answer 8

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