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MC4 Blocking Diode 


MtB

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From the Bimble website:

 

"MC4 Blocking Diode 

If you find that your panel is draining your battery at night then you need to put one of these on the positive MC4 connector of your panel.  Max rating 20A so if you have a larger array you will need to put in Blocking Diodes on each chain to ensure no more than 20A can go from the panel through the Diode (or it will burn out)."

 

Is that a thing then? I've never heard of this happening. Does anyone here suffer from their solar panels draining their batteries at night? 

 

 

https://www.bimblesolar.com/mc4-blocking-diode

 

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Some panels have built-in diodes, some don’t. I think most ones for domestic consumption do, and or the controller prevents any reverse flow. Perhaps relevant when the panel is wired direct to the battery.

Edited by nicknorman
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From my recent research on the subject, most panels seem to have bypass diodes built in, to protect the two strings in the panel from reverse current if one or more cells are shaded. Blocking diodes are required if you have no controller (to stop the battery feeding back into the panels), or if you have multiple series strings of panels which are paralleled into a controller ( to stop one string of panels feeding current back into another, shaded, string).

 

IYSWIM!

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