i have a small solar panel,the ones from a garden lamp that turns on at night-i think.what i was wondering is can i just connect the solar panel to a capacitor and then a light just to test?or do i need something to convert the solar energy to usable energy?and how do i tell if a capacitor is broken?
solar panels for those lights provide the power directly to the light, so there is no capacitor used or needed. in any event, capacitors very rarely break but you would need an OHM meter to test it.
To test a solar panel, connect a voltmeter, and turn on and off a light. If the voltage increases when the light above the panel is on, it is working. The solar panel does convert solar (light) energy into usable (electrical) energy. No extra conversion is necessary to make eletricity. You might, however, want to convert .5 VDC or 2 VDC output of solar panel(s) - or the batteries they charge - to 20 VAC with an inverter though. If a capacitor is broken, it will look like an electrical short circuit all the time.
Most solar panels convert the energy collect from the sun directly into usable DC current. So no, you do not need a capacitor to test a light if you are in sunlight. You will need a capacitor or rechargeable battery if you plan on testing the solar panel away from a light source after the capacitor or battery has charged. Solar panels cannot store electricity.
you don't need a capacitor. You can connect it to a light directly. Capacitors rarely break. You can check with an ohmeter.
