This is resolved, so this is an informational post for others that may run across the same issue.
First--what do you see that is suspect -- or just flat out wrong -- in the picture below?
If you said, "why aren't the panels connected to the Jaboni solar gland" you're spot on! Same question I had.
zThe owner then said, "there's another one under the panel". I was surprised--but sure enough there it was!
So at the Jaboni solar controller we put a multimeter on the incoming wires (circled in the pic below) from the Jaboni solar gland (so directly from the panels) and measured 0 volts.
Then the new owner says, "so I wonder if this loose wire has voltage on it?". I was surprised (again) that there was another wire run, and sure enough it had the output of the solar panels on it (>33vDC, which is low for the two panels wired in series but it's very overcast here today).
So the fix is easy. Remove the wires that are obviously connected to the Jaboni gland on the roof that does not have any panels connected to it (first picture) and, observing polarity, install the wires that are connected to the panels. (The owner was told to cover the panels with blankets to ensure there wasn't live voltage on the wires while messing with them.)
The bonus here is if the owner ever wants to add additional panels (without upgrading the Jaboni controller) he already has a gland on the roof and a wire run back to where the existing controller is, so it would be a snap to expand the system.
Howard
First--what do you see that is suspect -- or just flat out wrong -- in the picture below?
If you said, "why aren't the panels connected to the Jaboni solar gland" you're spot on! Same question I had.
zThe owner then said, "there's another one under the panel". I was surprised--but sure enough there it was!
So at the Jaboni solar controller we put a multimeter on the incoming wires (circled in the pic below) from the Jaboni solar gland (so directly from the panels) and measured 0 volts.
Then the new owner says, "so I wonder if this loose wire has voltage on it?". I was surprised (again) that there was another wire run, and sure enough it had the output of the solar panels on it (>33vDC, which is low for the two panels wired in series but it's very overcast here today).
So the fix is easy. Remove the wires that are obviously connected to the Jaboni gland on the roof that does not have any panels connected to it (first picture) and, observing polarity, install the wires that are connected to the panels. (The owner was told to cover the panels with blankets to ensure there wasn't live voltage on the wires while messing with them.)
The bonus here is if the owner ever wants to add additional panels (without upgrading the Jaboni controller) he already has a gland on the roof and a wire run back to where the existing controller is, so it would be a snap to expand the system.
Howard
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