"A diode is a diode." ??????? Not so.
That's like saying a solar panel is a solar panel .. or a tire is a tire. If you can get the identical part # .. then replace it. Don't go out and just use any diode. The diodes in PV are commonly a Schottky barrier diode .. designed to minimize voltage drop, reduce energy loss .. and operate cooler than "ordinary" diodes when they're conducting. Even something as simple as how they're soldered or otherwise attached is also very important, as that aspect is also used to help dissipate the heat generated by losses within the diode when it's conducting current. To that point, diodes are often rated to operate up to 175C (nearly 2X that of boiling water). Diodes have specific voltage and current ratings. If you can't replace a diode with an identical part .. then you'll have to use as near a match as possible. Never go LOWER in ratings .. but if you go too much above .. it may not work properly (or long-term reliably) either. Corey .. contact me off list with the diode part number and I'll see what I can do to assist. Dan -------------------------------------------- On Mon, 10/20/14, Chris Mason <[email protected]> wrote: Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Diode Failure To: "RE-wrenches" <[email protected]> Date: Monday, October 20, 2014, 6:38 PM Corey, A diode is a diode. Get an electronics technician to identify the correct part and source it. On Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 4:51 PM, Corey Shalanski <[email protected]> wrote: Wrenches, Since my previous post (see below) we have recovered the faulty modules and are now looking to replace the diodes in order to make them functional again. I have had no success sourcing replacement diodes from the original module manufacturer, Mage Solar. Can anyone recommend a source for replacement diodes? -- Corey Shalanski Joule Solar New Orleans, LA ᐧ On Tue, Aug 5, 2014 at 10:27 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: Message: 10 Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2014 09:03:09 -0500 From: Corey Shalanski <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [RE-wrenches] Diode Failure Message-ID: <ca+smqz1c7kszuqnvzqr0mmux3f2dt6ydum40iseczr2ejrg...@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Wrenches, We recently were contacted by a customer who reported a lightning strike close to his house. His online monitoring revealed that 30 of 35 microinverters simultaneously stopped producing power. On initial visit to the jobsite we measured Voc on many modules - either 12V or 24V instead of rated 36V. On a second visit we discovered that bypass diodes - either 1 or 2 corresponding to observed voltage loss - had failed on each of the faulty modules. My question is: Can anyone support the theory that a nearby lightning flash can cause mass bypass diode failure? -- Corey Shalanski Joule Energy New Orleans, LA _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Redwood Alliance List Address: [email protected] Change listserver email address & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out or update participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
