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ENERGIZERS & SOLAR PANELS 91
Always orient solar panels south/full sun so they can receive
the most available sunlight.
Common user mistakes with solar
fence energizers
(please read!)
Should I place it on the ground, hang it on the fence or
from a post?
The ideal is to have the sunlight striking at 12 noon perpendicular (at
right angles) to the solar panel, without anything shading the panel.
• In winter
if a PRS is still being used on a fence, the panel needs to be at
a steep angle (greater than 45º) to the ground. Why?
1. To reduce risk of snow or ice sticking to it.
2. In winter the sun’s rays (for us in Iowa) come from low in the south.
You can hang a PRS 50 or 100 on a post in winter. But PRS 200, 200X
and 100X units are too heavy and bulky for this.
• In summer
(see photo at left)
,
because the sun passes overhead for
most folks, PRS units can be placed nearly flat upon the ground—
though in Iowa we raise up the north edge of the unit. While any rock,
brick or small log will work for this, we usually prop one edge on top of
the ground rod, which for us sticks up 4" to 6".
1. Not facing it toward the sun.
Be sure to read
the answer to the “Should I place it on the
ground…” question (
at left
).
2. Not elevating it above the snow
(above)
.
A solar panel covered with snow will not work.
3. Allowing posts, grass
(above)
or trees to
shade it for a portion of the day.
If a solar
panel is not
fully exposed to the sunlight, it
won’t develop enough voltage to recharge
the battery.
It’s easy to forget that grass can rapidly grow
enough to shade a unit sitting on the ground.
4. Allowing dust to cover the panel.
A light
film is not a problem—but if the unit is in a
dusty location it will accumulate a layer of
dust thick enough to reduce the abilities of the
solar cells. A flat battery will result.
Rain, of course, washes it off.
5. Not turning off the energizer when it’s
not in use.
A common mistake because the
insulated clips connecting it to the fence
and ground rod allow users to remove them
without turning off the energizer.
6. Allowing the battery to gradually
discharge when not in use.
When storing,
disconnect battery (fully charged) from the
energizer. Store both in a heated area.
Ensure
battery charge stays above 40%.
More on solar…
Solar Energizer best practices…
• When not in use, turn off the unit and face the panel toward the sun
to recharge its batteries. If in use, leave the energizer turned on.
• If an energizer tests less than 2000v across the energizer terminals
(while disconnected from the fence/ground), test the battery to
make sure it is fully charged.
• Test batteries with a multimeter, not a fence tester.
• Check batteries to make sure there is no corrosion on the terminals.
• Reduce risk of rodents chewing on wiring harnesses by keeping the
harness off the ground.
• Do not allow animals access to the energizer (horned animals can
hook the fence lead and disconnect the energizer from the fence).