I'm new to this solar panel building and I'm planning to start with two 12v 25w panels to get my feet wet. What size controller should I use and how should I connect then in parallel or sires? What size batteries should I use and what size cables should I use?
Hooking up two 25w panels
- Thread starter will21
- Start date
You need to research it…
The first question is what are you running?
Another is what voltage of battery are you charging? Assuming 12v…
Here is how some strange guy you met on the internet would do it…
You mount the panels however- wherever works best for you. I would need to knows the electric specs of the panels to know if I was hooking them up in series or parallel. ( two small panels - probably series).
Using 10awg solar wire connect them to a Victron smart mppt Solar Charge Controller(SCC):
75/15 - if you will always be at 12 or 24v (cheapest).
100/20- if you think you may go to 48v someday.
Then with 10awg multi strand wire run to the battery. The wire should have a 30amp fuse or be very short (from the SCC to the battery).
Cables as short as possible between the SCC and battery- if the panels are not near the battery the long cables should be from the panels to the SCC.
It will charge at about 4amps in great sun. And add about 20amp-hrs to the battery in a day. A deep cycle RV battery - would take about 3 great sunny days to go from half full (which is all they should be emptied) to full.
If I didn’t explain anything clearly - just ask.
Remember we need to know all the electric specs of the panels before saying for sure if they should be in series or parallel.
I recommended a Victron SCC - it is a more expensive high quality unit. (There are cheaper ones out there). One of the reasons is in the VictronConnect app has LOTS of info on many different aspects. You will learn a lot studying what is happening. And then you may be able to use it on your expanded system.
The first question is what are you running?
Another is what voltage of battery are you charging? Assuming 12v…
Here is how some strange guy you met on the internet would do it…
You mount the panels however- wherever works best for you. I would need to knows the electric specs of the panels to know if I was hooking them up in series or parallel. ( two small panels - probably series).
Using 10awg solar wire connect them to a Victron smart mppt Solar Charge Controller(SCC):
75/15 - if you will always be at 12 or 24v (cheapest).
100/20- if you think you may go to 48v someday.
Then with 10awg multi strand wire run to the battery. The wire should have a 30amp fuse or be very short (from the SCC to the battery).
Cables as short as possible between the SCC and battery- if the panels are not near the battery the long cables should be from the panels to the SCC.
It will charge at about 4amps in great sun. And add about 20amp-hrs to the battery in a day. A deep cycle RV battery - would take about 3 great sunny days to go from half full (which is all they should be emptied) to full.
If I didn’t explain anything clearly - just ask.
Remember we need to know all the electric specs of the panels before saying for sure if they should be in series or parallel.
I recommended a Victron SCC - it is a more expensive high quality unit. (There are cheaper ones out there). One of the reasons is in the VictronConnect app has LOTS of info on many different aspects. You will learn a lot studying what is happening. And then you may be able to use it on your expanded system.
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I have looked into it plenty of times these panels were cheap and I've had them for a while now. I have a 30A MPPT charge controller a 10A charge controller and a renogy 30A PWM. I've collected batteries over the years I have two 12v 9A batteries and three 12v 7 Ah batteries. Id like to someday run my 2000W power inverter on solar power. So that's why I was asking so I know what to get in the future
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