Do panels loose amps overtime but Voltage remains strong ?

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
I have a bird-bath solar fountain. The pump is stopping more frequently these days, and I cant figure out why.
When I connect 3 AA batteries to test the pump it works fine, when I attach a multimeter to the solar panel it puts out ~6 volts. Yet when the solar panel is connected to the pump it doesn't work !?
So then I checked the amperage. First the batteries were giving out 5.2 set to 20m (not sure how to decipher that) and the solar panel was not giving any amperage reading.
Is it possible for a solar panel to put out volts without amps ? I thought the two were related.

Any help on this matter would be much appreciated.
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  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Do panels loose amps overtime but Voltage remains strong ?

    Has the protective covering over the solar panel gone opaque? We have driveway lights that have done that. Lousy output. Try removing the opaque plastic and silicon-ing a clear plastic yogurt lid over top. You'll get a couple more years/months out of it.

    Ralph
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  • tallgirl
    tallgirl Solar Expert Posts: 413 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: Do panels loose amps overtime but Voltage remains strong ?

    Sounds like the cover has gone opaque -- solar panels work by pushing electrons along from atom to atom. The more opaque the protective cover, the few electrons get pushed, the lower the amperage.

    I don't know about using a yogurt lid, but I'm also not going to suggest you go smashing any bottles so you can get a glass cover for your birdbath solar cells.

    It's a real shame the outdoor solar powered gadget folks aren't making better cells because it makes solar energy in general look sketchy.
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