REVERSE ENERGY FLOW IN SOLAR AND OTHER POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS FOR THEFT DETECTION, PANEL IDENTIFICATION AND DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES

System and method for applying a reverse energy flow for measuring one or more electrical characteristics of a DC power source, such as a solar panel. Applying reverse current and voltage to a DC power source and measuring selected resultant current and voltage enables monitoring of electrical characteristics of the source, and when done periodically, enables monitoring of the performance of the source over time, including whether performance has become affected by a hardware failure or damage, or whether the source has become disconnected due to a faulty or failed connector or theft.