Renogy Solar Help

[Tam O'Bedlam]

About 2 years ago I bought from Amazon, 3 100w Renogy Panels, the ROVER 40A Controller and 2 AGM Batteries (155ah each). Installed them and they have worked fine for the last almost two years.

Yesterday afternoon I was cleaning and noticed that the Controller claims it is nighttime, and my batteries have dropped down to 53% (which normally they never get lower than 67%) now it was a partly cloudy day, but it certainly isn't nighttime! The only thing the manual says in troubleshooting about this is to make sure you have the wires hooked up correctly, I know they are of course since everything has worked swimmingly for quite some time. I cannot reach Renogy support. I made sure the connections to the controller are tight, I even got the ladder out and checked the ones on the roof and made sure the panels were clean, everything seems fine.

Any suggestions?

 

[MotorVation]

Let me try this again. I caused a "fault" in my controller a couple weeks ago. I reset it by removing power to it and then hooking it up again. That cleared the fault and it reverted back to the correct settings.

I don't know your setup, but I removed power by unbolting the fuse that runs from the controller to the batteries and then hooking it back up. 

I would find out how to reset your controller and give it a try

 

[Tam O'Bedlam]

Restarting, always the first thing to try!    I tried that already, I have a switch between the battery and the controller so I used that, and checked the fuses since I was there (removing them and checking that they were ok and then putting them back in) unfortunately, that did not help. The error screen shows no errors  

 

[MotorVation]

And, it's the weekend and no customer support. Bummer. Good luck with it...

 

[Trebor English]

What is the voltage at the controller input from the solar panels?  Even on a cloudy day it shouldn't be zero.  Since the Renogy Rover they sell today is rated at 100 volts input yours may be connected with the 3 panels in series or parallel.  If series, any one panel; being open will stop all charging.

 

[Tam O'Bedlam]

I am wired in parallel. according to the controller I am getting .3 volts from the panels.

 

[abnorm]

CAUTION:
Never disconnect the BATTERY from the CONTROLLER without first disconnecting the Solar Panels from the Controller (or covering the panels to stop producing energy)…….you risk damaging the Solar Controller !

A switch between the battery and controller is unnecessary and dangerous...…..

 

[B and C]

Time to break out the meter and check the actual voltage at the controller. Might be as simple as the set screw on the controller is loose or a splice where the panels are connected in parallel is corroded.

 

[Tam O'Bedlam]

CAUTION:
Never disconnect the BATTERY from the CONTROLLER without first disconnecting the Solar Panels from the Controller (or covering the panels to stop producing energy)…….you risk damaging the Solar Controller !

A switch between the battery and controller is unnecessary and dangerous...…..

I have a fuse between the panels and the controller which I pull before doing anything else per Renogy's recommendation for exactly the reason you describe.

 

[Trebor English]

If the input to the Rover is only 0.3 volts it could be a blown fuse, a shorted Rover input, a shorted panel or a short in a wire.  Pulling the fuse to disconnect the panels from the Rover will allow measuring from panel plus to panel minus without the Rover.  If that is 20 volts then it would appear to be a blown fuse or shorted Rover input.  If that voltage is close to zero then there is likely a short in the wires or a panel.

 

[wayne49]

CAUTION:
Never disconnect the BATTERY from the CONTROLLER without first disconnecting the Solar Panels from the Controller (or covering the panels to stop producing energy)…….you risk damaging the Solar Controller !

A switch between the battery and controller is unnecessary and dangerous...…..

Unless it's night time or the panels are covered.

 

[MotorVation]

Unless it's night time or the panels are covered.

I should have mentioned that I disconnected power at the batteries at night