Hey everyone, I have 8 solar panels rated at 250w each, and I'm planning to connect them in series. I know a lot of advice suggests turning off the mains or breaker while connecting, but since my panels will be sitting outside under the sun and not yet connected to anything, I'm wondering if it's actually safe to do that. I just want to be ready to hook them up to my inverter. What do you think?
2 Answers
It's generally not recommended to connect panels while they're in direct sunlight, even if you're not completing the circuit. However, if you must, try to cover them with something to reduce the current. Better safe than sorry!
If your panels are disconnected from the inverter or charge controller, then connecting them while they're generating power should be fine. Just make sure there's no complete circuit, and it's all about keeping things safe!
That makes sense. I plan to run cables into the house to connect with my fuse box (which I'll keep off) before hooking up to the inverter. So do you think that process is safe?
But since the circuit isn't complete, isn't it okay to do it under the sun?