Not understanding my panels output.
- Thread starter e trouble
- Start date
Seeing that your location is Alberta, which is fairly up North, likely you will get more watts as Winter progresses into Spring. That presupposes that you have enough load since without loads the panels won't deliver anything. Also check to make sure you have no shading issues and that your panel tilt is where it produces best for the Season.
seneysolar
Solar Enthusiast
Check out your NMOT rating on that panel. Expected output is 252w per panel, then factor in low light conditions up north.
STC panel specs can be very optimistic...
STC panel specs can be very optimistic...
seneysolar
Solar Enthusiast
Yeah NMOT data is more realistic for the northern crowd
Would I be just as well off with 2 panels in parallel or would that trip a 20 amp disconnect breaker?
seneysolar
Solar Enthusiast
No, 3 in series is best unless you happen to be shading 1 of them
If you look at the panel, just at the bottom of the specs, under the fuse rating- you will see the ratings are for STC (standard test conditions) ie 25C cell temp inside the panel, at 1000W/metre squared, and an 'atmospheric mass' of 1.5 (the thickness of the earths atmosphere from sea level to 'space' vertically is 1 A.M)
Anything else other than those conditions the panels can be making less (normally) but sometimes more...
NMOT is 'more realistic' in 'some' conditions' but can be just as out as STC in other places and conditions...
It basically depends where you are on the planet, time of day, season, altitude above sea level, air and panel temps, and how much light is falling on the panels as to exactly what you will be at...
(which is why I always advise people not to 'crowd' the limits of their charge controller- ESPECIALLY the PVmax rating- in certain weather conditions you can see the Voc of the panel rise to 10-15% over the STC rated voltage- so I always say leave a 20% 'buffer' on the PVmax rating ie the combined Voc's no more than 80% max of the PVmax rating- eg on a 150v PVmax rated controller, the combined Voc's no more than 120v (80% of 150v)
Anything else other than those conditions the panels can be making less (normally) but sometimes more...
NMOT is 'more realistic' in 'some' conditions' but can be just as out as STC in other places and conditions...
It basically depends where you are on the planet, time of day, season, altitude above sea level, air and panel temps, and how much light is falling on the panels as to exactly what you will be at...
(which is why I always advise people not to 'crowd' the limits of their charge controller- ESPECIALLY the PVmax rating- in certain weather conditions you can see the Voc of the panel rise to 10-15% over the STC rated voltage- so I always say leave a 20% 'buffer' on the PVmax rating ie the combined Voc's no more than 80% max of the PVmax rating- eg on a 150v PVmax rated controller, the combined Voc's no more than 120v (80% of 150v)
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