12v 100 watt vs 24v 200 watt solar panel

[jdhtejas]

Hey Folks,
So I am a total noob (1st post here too) and I am currently in research mode. I want to start small by powering my garage with solar that has no power at all to it. I am looking at solar panels on Amazon (don't laugh) and am wondering the benefits of getting a 24v/200 watt solar panel vs 2 12v/100 watt panels (to match the output of 200w). Doing the math they are pretty similar when putting them is series (looking at the Rich Solar panels). So besides having to work with twice as many panels and having to buy hardware for mounting those extra panels it seems the cost for buying the 100 watt panel works out better than the 200 watt panels. I plan to start with 1000 watts in panels and powering an all in one charge controller/inverter with a 48 volt battery. Am I missing something by thinking the better value is the 100 watt panels?
Thanks for any input ya'll might have.

 

[Rednecktek]

The higher wattage the panel Usually equates out to a slightly lower $/watt and since you're going to be going up to a 48v system and 1000w of panels, go with whatever makes life easier for you.

Really unless space constraints or moving them around on a regular basis is a factor it really doesn't matter. It's all really about how you wire it up after that.

 

[acdoctor]

Makes no difference so long as the solar charge controller is MPPT. Whether it is internal of the AOI or independent and you stay below the max VOC but high enough to start charging. Some AOIs now have VOC of 500 volts and minimum of 250 volts. So know and understand the specs before you purchase.

 

[MichaelK]

Don't know how you get your numbers, but for my purchases, larger grid-tie panels have been strikingly cheaper per watt than 12V panels. I think it must be shipping. Look for high-capacity grid-tie panels locally, with cash and carry pickup. I'm routinely getting 4W/$.

 

[TX2AKRV]

I am going though the same process for mounting solar panels on my Super C RV..

I like the bigger 200W 24V panels than the 100W 12V, since they produce more watts per surface area available for mounting the panels.

 

[MichaelK]

I plan to start with 1000 watts in panels and powering an all in one charge controller/inverter with a 48 volt battery. Am I missing something by thinking the better value is the 100 watt panels?

Perhaps one other observation I could make is that 1000W of solar is rather small for a 48V battery. Real-world charging amps is really going to be in the 18A range.

I'd say most practical 48V system really start out at ~2500W and go up from there. For my own 48V system, I started with 4500W, and have steadily added to it.

I'd consider 1000W appropriate for a somewhat smaller 24V system. For my own 24V system, I've got 2000W

I think at this point it's appropriate to make an itemized list of what you want to power and use that as a starting point for your system size.

Not everyone will agree with this scale, but it's what I go by...

<1000W: 12V system
1000-2000W: 24V system
>2000W: 48V system