In a previous post about a windstorm last fall, I described some damage to the mounting system for our solar panels. This time we’ll go over repairs, maintenance, and improvements to our solar power system.
Too often I have many projects that are “round tuits“. You know, those projects or chores that you will get around to it when you can? Last fall we had a windy spell that partially damaged a pole in our 10 x10 foot solar panel mounting system. At about that time, it was a good time to have the array lowered to a 45 degree angle for the low angle sun during winter months.
All fine and dandy for the winter, but now its June and I finally got round tuit today. (Yes, I had a zillion reasons that it took so long to get to this task, including new customers, new email servers, and too many computer related upgrades.) The additional cost of this delay can be measured in dollars or gallons of fuel for the generator. Today I started some long overdue maintenance to our solar array.
splint for the fracture
As you can see in the photos, one of the two primary poles cracked last fall. Fortunately, the crack was about 18-20 inches above the ground. This left enough room to cut a couple sections of additional 4×4 pole to create a splint. I used 3/8″ all thread rods and nylon locking nuts. My 15′ drill bit for going through customer walls with network cable was just the right size to make it all the way through three pieces of 4×4.
I had extra all thread handy if we needed two rods above and below the crack. The pole being repaired is at least eight or nine years old and drilling any large holes could compromise strength. Fortunately one rod above and below seemed to strengthen the weak spot sufficiently.
intra panel wiring
While into this project, I can see that all the wire connecting the panels together needs inspection and many replacements. This is especially true for the series connected used solar panels from an old BP project in Arizona 30 years ago. I purchased these units based on my measurements in their previous home. They put out about 5.5-6 volts each (no load), so we use them in sets of three.
My main solar charging wire runs 50 feet to the 12V battery bank. I obtained the aluminum wire 
as a scrap discount at a home improvement store. I think the wire is about a half inch in diameter, and is 0000 AWG or maybe 000AWG. All the connections here need to be freshly stripped and weather proofed. Power is even lost because of the poor contacts. With a 12V system any voltage drop represents real power loss at these higher currents.
more used panels
While working on this project I remembered that a friend nearby is replacing his entire solar panel set. My budget really needs new deep cycle batteries, however, Mr opportunity is knocking. I’m getting another 3 – 50W panels at a little more than three dollars a watt. No shipping or anything, so these will go up next month!
You can’t beat the minimal attention required for solar power systems. Regular checking of mounts, cables and batteries will give you a healthy system for years. When we move back into some wind power, I expect more frequent checks and maintenance because of the intentional moving parts.
[July Update: I've found a new source of panels for $2 a watt and will be looking for those after getting a new battery bank and MPPT solar charger 
]
How frequently to you check your power system? What is your planned schedule. What maintenance tips do you have? Tell us in the comments below!
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