KenDan
New Member
I'm about to order panels and realized that maybe it's not quite as simple as I thought.
I have an MPP Solar LV5048 split phase unit on order and am considering the following panel options:
20 - Rich Solar 100 watt Poly Panels - or
12 - Rich Solar 160 watt Poly Panels
My house has a moderately shallow roof pitch (about 20°) and I'm at 41N latitude, so my winter sun peak elevation can dip below 26°. I'd like to find a way to mount my panels on the roof at somewhat increased angle to better compromise summer and winter sun elevation angles. I'm thinking a good compromise would be 45° from vertical. That means I need to tilt my panels by an additional 25° or so. (I am fortunate that my house faces almost exactly due south and has a totally unobstructed view in that direction)
I need to research what types of mounting hardware is available to do this. Any suggestions for mounting panels on the roof at increased tilt angles?
Tilting the panels on the roof seems to introduce a few other potential problems.
1) Less stable and increased vulnerability to wind.
2) Rows must be kept further apart to prevent the lower row from shading the upper row in the winter.
Although 12 of the 160 watt panels would be less connections and less mounting points, it seems the larger panels would exasperate problems 1) and 2).
Is it better to go with the smaller 100 watts panels?
My other question has to do with how connect the panels into the LV5048 which has two PV inputs. My general options seem to be:
If I use 12 of the 160 watt panels - connect 8 of them (4s2p) into one PV input and the remaining string of 4 (4s1p) into the other PV input.
If I use 20 of the 100 watt panels - connect 12 of them (4s3p) into one PV input and the remaining 8 (4s2p) into the other PV input.
Or perhaps, if using 20 of the 100 watt panels it would be better to connect a 10 of them (5s2p) into each PV input?
Thanks!
I have an MPP Solar LV5048 split phase unit on order and am considering the following panel options:
20 - Rich Solar 100 watt Poly Panels - or
12 - Rich Solar 160 watt Poly Panels
My house has a moderately shallow roof pitch (about 20°) and I'm at 41N latitude, so my winter sun peak elevation can dip below 26°. I'd like to find a way to mount my panels on the roof at somewhat increased angle to better compromise summer and winter sun elevation angles. I'm thinking a good compromise would be 45° from vertical. That means I need to tilt my panels by an additional 25° or so. (I am fortunate that my house faces almost exactly due south and has a totally unobstructed view in that direction)
I need to research what types of mounting hardware is available to do this. Any suggestions for mounting panels on the roof at increased tilt angles?
Tilting the panels on the roof seems to introduce a few other potential problems.
1) Less stable and increased vulnerability to wind.
2) Rows must be kept further apart to prevent the lower row from shading the upper row in the winter.
Although 12 of the 160 watt panels would be less connections and less mounting points, it seems the larger panels would exasperate problems 1) and 2).
Is it better to go with the smaller 100 watts panels?
My other question has to do with how connect the panels into the LV5048 which has two PV inputs. My general options seem to be:
If I use 12 of the 160 watt panels - connect 8 of them (4s2p) into one PV input and the remaining string of 4 (4s1p) into the other PV input.
If I use 20 of the 100 watt panels - connect 12 of them (4s3p) into one PV input and the remaining 8 (4s2p) into the other PV input.
Or perhaps, if using 20 of the 100 watt panels it would be better to connect a 10 of them (5s2p) into each PV input?
Thanks!
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