No mix and no match ?

[Externet]

Greetings.

Have a bunch of ~40 VDC/400W surplus panels. Have an 'automotive' 12VDC input inverter : Cannot be used together. Or can they ?

Is my only choice to connect the panels to a series of 3 lead-acid batteries ? Or is a battery charger an option (charge controller?) with about 500VDC input and 36+ VDC out?
To use the 'automotive' 12VDC inverter to get 120VAC, do I have to get a DCtoDC converter ~500VDC to 14VDC ?
Or toss the towel and get a 12VDC panel ?

 

[SparkyJJO]

You would need a battery and a charge controller. Can't really attach that inverter directly to any solar panel(s) and expect it to work well (if at all).

Panels to charge controller
Charge controller to battery
Inverter to battery

 

[Mattb4]

Yes you can use your solar panels to charge a 12vDC battery to inverter setup. Simply buy a SCC (solar charge controller) of the right specifications to use between panels and battery. Panels in series the voltage adds with current staying the same. Panels in parallel current adds with voltage staying the same.

1-400w panel if producing at rated wattage could provide 400w/12vDC=33.33a charging.

 

[rhino]

The solar panel voltage does not matter like you think it does. This is common misconception with new people that somehow you have to have the right panel voltage to match the battery voltage. A solar charge control like Mattb4 mentioned can take wide range of voltages for different panel voltages and charge your 12VDC battery. See https://www.currentconnected.com/pr...harge-controller-mppt-75v-100v-150v-250v-ved/ as example which would allow you to put two of those panels in series to charge your 12VDC battery. The only issue is when you are charging a 12VDC battery you are much more limited in how many panels you can connect using same charge controller since the amperage at 12VDC would be very high as can be see in that listing.