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Author Topic: PV solar panels  (Read 4003 times)

9H1FQ

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PV solar panels
« on: May 11, 2017, 01:06:32 AM »

Can PV solar panels detect and rectify an amateur RF, causing RFI?
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N3QE

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RE: PV solar panels
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2017, 03:28:07 AM »

Yes they can, but they don't do that just by themselves. They need the wiring around them to be poorly laid out such that the wiring can pick up large quantities of RF and then the wires can re-radiate the generated RFI.

If the wiring is that poor, then the dominant mode of RFI is not rectified and radiated RF, but is radiated crap from the DC->AC inverter.
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9H1FQ

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RE: PV solar panels
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2017, 09:03:57 AM »

so, its the associated wiring and the invertir that can cause RFI.
I would have tought that being of semiconductor material, PV panels can rectify a strong local RF
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An unknown gem of the Mediterranean sea is the Island of Malta. blessed with warm sun , all year round.
In just one day, you can see places which will make you travel in history from the Prehistoric temples throu the middle ages, the Knights of Malta, all the way to world war two. All the major civ

KC2MMI

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RE: PV solar panels
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2017, 06:54:08 AM »

Semiconductor or not, AFAIK photovoltaic panels are designed to react to PHOTONS and nothing else. So while there may be some incidental interaction with radio energy, you'd notice that the same way that you notice the gravitational pull of Saturn.

When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not unicorns. All that stray WIRING up on the roof is going to act like an antenna. All the "at the lowest price" electronics in the switching converters, that build panel voltage up to higher levels, is going to generate noise. All conventional RFI/EMI problems.

QST covered this in some detail last year. How the installation is done and what equipment is used make all the difference.

The panels? They're just lounging in the sun. Quietly.
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K0UA

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RE: PV solar panels
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2017, 08:01:55 AM »

My solar panel, which is very near some of my antennas is quiet as a rock.  My Battery Tender charge controller is also quiet as a rock. It is in the ham shack within inches of my antenna patch panel.  All charge controllers are not equal.
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73  James K0UA

K1HMS

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RE: PV solar panels
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2017, 05:07:08 PM »

For every new generation of solar panels used on satellites the question of PIM (passive intermodulation products) comes up. Usually by a supporting consultant that will charge a small fortune to do a test and write a report. It is never an issue but once the question is asked the test must be done. The parallel capacitance of a PV cell is very large making it impossible to generate significant RF current across the junction.

OTOH inverters are right up there with spark transmitter for emi.
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