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How One Shaded Cell Can Ruin a String
Solar panels are series-connected in a string to achieve the required voltage. In a series circuit, the current is the same through every cell. A shaded cell produces less current — limiting the current of the entire series string to the shaded cell's output. Without protection, a single shaded cell causes the entire string to drop to a fraction of its output.
Bypass Diodes — The Partial Solution
Modern panels contain bypass diodes (typically 3 per 60–72-cell panel) that allow current to flow around a group of shaded cells rather than through them. When a cell group is shaded, its bypass diode conducts and the cell group is bypassed — losing one-third of the panel's output, but the remaining two-thirds of the panel still contributes to the string.
Shading Scenario | Without Bypass Diodes | With Bypass Diodes (3 per panel) |
|---|---|---|
One cell in one panel shaded | Entire string output limited to ~20% | One-third of one panel bypassed — string loses ~2–4% |
One full panel shaded | Entire string output near zero | One panel bypassed — string loses ~6–8% (1 panel of 14) |
Two adjacent panels shaded | Entire string output near zero | Two panels bypassed — string loses ~12–15% |
Hotspots — The Fire Risk of Shading
When a cell is shaded but not bypassed (the bypass diode is open for any reason, or the shading is partial within one bypass group), the series current from the other cells is forced through the shaded cell in reverse. This creates a localised heating effect called a hotspot. At extreme levels (50–100°C above ambient), hotspots can melt the EVA encapsulant, crack the glass, and in rare cases initiate a fire. This is why thermal imaging of arrays as part of commissioning and annual maintenance is so valuable.
Engr. Jason Morales — Founder, SolarEnergyPH
