Sverige
A Brit in Sweden
I have a question about connecting panels in parallel. I understand their capacities are added to one another and if they have similar characteristics (peak voltage?) then there’s no downside to doing it.
But what if one panel is shaded, does it degrade the performance of the panel which is in full sun?
I have one 160W poly panel (specs below) connected to a 20A PWM controller charging a pair of car batteries(100Ah +55Ah in parallel). If I add two 5W panels (tiny by comparison) in parallel, will they add a small amount to the performance of the 160W panel at no risk of reducing the output of the larger panel? If the smaller panels becoming shaded (bird poop, etc) risks dragging down the voltage from the 160W panel, then I guess I shouldn’t do it.
In that case, is it better to connect the tiny panels direct to my car batteries (omitting the PWM controller), as they are small enough not to damage the batteries with overcharging.
Specs of the larger 160W panel and the pair of 5W panels below. I realise the 5W panels won’t contribute much extra power, but something is better than nothing, right?!
[Technical data] Rated power (Pmax): 160 W - max. Voltage (Vmp): 18.1V - Max. Current (Imp): 8.85A -- Open circuit voltage (Voc): 22.32V -- Short circuit current (Isc): 9.56A -- Max. System Voltage: 1000VDC -- Operating Temperature : -45°C to +85°C -- Dimensions: 1460*664*35 mm -- Weight: 12kg
Technical data: rated power (Pmax): 5 W, max. Voltage (Vmp): 18.10 V, max. Current (Imp): 0.29A -- Open circuit voltage (Voc): 22.30V -- Short circuit current (Isc): 0.30A -- Max. System Voltage: 1000VDC -- Operating Temperature : -45 °C to +85 °C, dimensions: 230 x 185 x 17 mm, weight: 1.00 kg.
But what if one panel is shaded, does it degrade the performance of the panel which is in full sun?
I have one 160W poly panel (specs below) connected to a 20A PWM controller charging a pair of car batteries(100Ah +55Ah in parallel). If I add two 5W panels (tiny by comparison) in parallel, will they add a small amount to the performance of the 160W panel at no risk of reducing the output of the larger panel? If the smaller panels becoming shaded (bird poop, etc) risks dragging down the voltage from the 160W panel, then I guess I shouldn’t do it.
In that case, is it better to connect the tiny panels direct to my car batteries (omitting the PWM controller), as they are small enough not to damage the batteries with overcharging.
Specs of the larger 160W panel and the pair of 5W panels below. I realise the 5W panels won’t contribute much extra power, but something is better than nothing, right?!
[Technical data] Rated power (Pmax): 160 W - max. Voltage (Vmp): 18.1V - Max. Current (Imp): 8.85A -- Open circuit voltage (Voc): 22.32V -- Short circuit current (Isc): 9.56A -- Max. System Voltage: 1000VDC -- Operating Temperature : -45°C to +85°C -- Dimensions: 1460*664*35 mm -- Weight: 12kg
Technical data: rated power (Pmax): 5 W, max. Voltage (Vmp): 18.10 V, max. Current (Imp): 0.29A -- Open circuit voltage (Voc): 22.30V -- Short circuit current (Isc): 0.30A -- Max. System Voltage: 1000VDC -- Operating Temperature : -45 °C to +85 °C, dimensions: 230 x 185 x 17 mm, weight: 1.00 kg.