My attempt to go solar with a DIY setup totally backfired

I was at my house in Austin last month trying to install a small 200-watt solar panel kit for my garage workshop. I hooked everything up and got it running fine for two days, then on day three the charge controller smoked out completely. Turns out I didn't match the voltage right on my battery setup and fried the thing. Anyone else wrecked gear by skipping the manual on solar wiring?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade_johnson19d ago

Come on @the_wyatt, is it REALLY that serious though? I've messed up solar wiring like 3 times and nothing smoked out - maybe you just got a cheap charge controller that was gonna die anyway. Honestly half the fun of DIY is learning by breaking stuff, manuals are for people who don't trust their gut.

the_wyatt19d ago

Gotta admit I used to roll my eyes at people who said you had to follow the manual to the letter for solar stuff. Figured it was all just plug and play, right? But after reading your story and seeing a buddy blow up his inverter the same way, I completely changed my mind. This hobby has zero tolerance for guessing games, especially when you're mixing voltages. Did you ever figure out if the battery was salvaged or did that get fried too?

alice_hart19d ago

You're both missing the point here @the_wyatt. Sometimes a blown charge controller is the BEST teacher you can get - that smoke is a lesson you'll actually REMEMBER. Following the manual step by step takes all the excitement out of figuring things out on your own.