Where do people source these? Or are they not a requirement of modern panels?
T.I.A.
Where do people source these? Or are they not a requirement of modern panels?
T.I.A.
Terry, it depends........
If the panels are simply in parallel, then no individual diodes are needed, although one diode may be needed in series to prevent night-time disharge (but the regulator normally provides this function).
If the panels are in series, then a bypass diode may be needed if there is risk of shading individual panels.
Whatever, a standard Schottky diode (with sufficient current rating) is normally specified.
regards ............ Zim
umm, if they need one for night time discharge, then they will each need one to prevent themsucking from higher ooutput panels,
That is the tricky part.
What trick?
The solar panels already have a maximum current rating - get a diode with a bigger current rating than that. The panel also has a maximum voltage rating make sure the diode reverse voltage specification is bigger than that.
True, but the leakage current is fairly small, so while the total leakage for all of the panels may be significant, for an individual panel, probably not. And it would only happen if a panel was totally shaded (eg completely black).
It has long been debated whether the forward power loss of a Schottky is less than the leakage lost overnight.
Better is the active FET switching in the modern regulator.
.................. Zim
Who sells them in that size?
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