I own an AC200P generator with two BLUETTI SP200 200w solar panels. I use it may be 6-7 times a year. I used it last night. We have a sunny day today, so this morning I put it outside wanted to recharge it. However, it went from 0 to 2% but then it stopped charging. I reset the unit and all the connections but I wasn’t able to resume the recharging. The panels are clean and had no shade on them, they were under full sunlight.
The generator does charge when i plug it in to the wall, it just won’t charge from the solar panels. I’m not an expert in solar, so have no idea where to start troubleshooting, so i’m coming to this forum for advice. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!
Hi, I have narrowed the issue down to one of the solar panels. I used a multi-tester at the connector, and one panel showed ~21 volts whereas the other one showed 0 (both panels under full sunlight). Is there anything I do at this point to restore functionality on this one panel? I purchased it on May of 2021 and haven’t used it a lot. Is it normal for solar panels to fail like this? Thank you.
@mlk4343 I’m sorry the solar panel was broken according to your discription and it can’t be repaired.
There are many factors that affect the service life of solar panels.
Environment: extreme heat, humidity, and severe weather events can affect the durability and performance of solar panels;
Regular maintenance and cleaning: dust, dirt, and debris can accumulate, reducing their efficiency over time;
Storage conditions: temperature control and moisture protection can help extend the shelf life of solar panels.
Hi there, none of these factors were an issue in this case. My garage where I store them is clean and well insulated. Also, as I mentioned before, they didn’t have a lot of use, therefore any wear and tear should be very minimal. Is there anything I can do to troubleshoot this? Thank you again.
Hi there Bluetti world ! I also have a Bluetti AC200P Power Station and have just purchased a 300W XTM Solar Blanket . The Bluetti has MC4 connections and the XTM blanket has Anderson plugs , so I have made the connections compatible by swapping the Anderson plug positive to negative (easy to do ). Thinking that this would all work fine , I set up the blanket in the sun and looked to see what the result would be. Initially, the PV charge screen was indicating 23.4 volts only ( no amps, no watts). Then it changed momentarily to 16.6 Volts, 8.2 amps, and 136 watts , then back to 23.4 volts with zero amps and zero watts. The screen has stayed like the latter. I don’t believe the solar panels are at fault as I have also tried using a MPPT controller and still no charge . Any suggestions ?
@oldmacka the AC200P requires a minimum solar input OCV of 35 volts. You would need two of the 300 watt panels connected in series, or a single panel with at least 35 volts OCV/VOC for this model power station. Additionally, if your panel has a solar controller you would need to bypass it. Finally, with an Anderson connection you may need to check the polarity as you mentioned. Also, check that the DC input on the touchscreen is set to PV once you have sufficient input voltage.