Mixing Solar Panels

[Simpleone71]

I bought 4 bifacial Renogy panels and want to add two more panels. So far, I have not been really impressed with the bifacial. Renogy makes a non-bifacial panel that has the exact same specs (Voc, Isc, Vmp, and Imp) as the bifacial panels.

Since the specs are the same, I should see no penalty in mixing the bifacial and non-bifacial panels, correct? Obviously since the non-bifacial are cheaper, if there is no mixed match penality I will go that route, plus these two extra panels will be very low to the ground when I mount them.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

In parallel, there will be no effect.

Bifacial in series with the non-bifacial panels will prevent ANY benefit from the bificials, as Imp is the limiting current for the string.

 

[kmin]

Since the specs are the same, I should see no penalty in mixing the bifacial and non-bifacial panels, correct?

Depends if the specs are for single side or some certain combination of both sides..

 

[Simpleone71]

I will have a 3s2p array, so that sounds like I should get the bifacial or lose that extra capacity.

 

[Simpleone71]

Depends if the specs are for single side or some certain combination of both sides..

They must only be posting the specs from the one side as the Imp from both panels (bifacial and non-bifacial) are rated at 13.11A

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I will have a 3s2p array, so that sounds like I should get the bifacial or lose that extra capacity.

With 3S2P, you'll have at least one string with mixed panels, so that string will not get bifacial gains.

With 2S3P, you should have 2S2P of bifacial in parallel with 2S non-bifacial. You would get max gains from bifacial.

 

[kmin]

They must only be posting the specs from the one side as the Imp from both panels (bifacial and non-bifacial) are rated at 13.11A

So everything extra you get from bifacial is not in specs... If that's true, go like @sunshine_eggo wrote above