Sorry Dnix, that is not how I understand how solar cells work.
My understanding is this:
Grid tie panels are grounded only if they use grid tie inverters without transformers. This is because the chopping in the mppt causes the cells to have a fluctuating high frequency DC induced into them (from the chopping) and are also directly connected to the grid itself. This can induce a capacitance to the frame, and the inducing current is grid earthed by the Multiple Earth Neutral (MEN) system...... so if it is referenced to ground, it can shock a grounded person touching the frame if it is not grounded.
Those grid tie inverters with the big transformers (galvanic isolated) are not required to have grounding of any sort, as the frames do not get an induced charge with respect to earth.
The cells are a single slab of crystal. One side is only doped with boron or similar valence element, and the other side of it doped with phosphorous or a similar valence element.... this is not a capacitor... this can form an electric field ......of only half a volt or so.... it is not static electricity.... it is a diode... just a PN junction diode.
In a mosfet, we can get a capacitance from the gate to the substrate, but that is because it is insulated from the substrate. That is the intrinsic thing about capacitors, electrons do NOT cross the insulated dielectric..... because of course it is insulated.
In a solar cell, getting electrons to cross the pn junction IS the aim of the game and we use the incident photons to get that to happen....... in fact opposite to caps..... ie current flows across the junction..... how can this be a capacitor???
I don't see anything in the multiplier story to help in this. It is a convenience thing that helps the design of the next stage interface.... bit like driving a high side fet compared to a low side fet driver circuit.
What am I missing here. Your fairly sure of your ground from the looks of it, but I just can't see the sense in your argument at this stage.
Not understanding something here.
If different grounding actually changes something in the real world tests, I would like to know the real reason, but I see no reason to ground panel frames unless they are grid tied without galvanic isolation.....
If MPPT (HF switching involved) is used with off grid, I could vaguely see that some effect could be transmitted to the frames, but I can't see how this effects the electric field of the cells (compared to temperature say). It won't effect the number of electrons swept across the junction, as that is photon dependent, but maybe... just maybe it could have an effect on the field.... and number of electrons X field voltage is watts even then I remain skeptical....... assuming cell internal resistance remains constant??
Im afraid I'm lost on this one.
.................oztules
