Portable Solar Panels

[nightrage]

I am returning my second portable solar panel set. I use it with a VTOMAN power station. The first one was a 120W set up. I live in Las Vegas and NOT one time did it ever register over 81 Watts. The second one I am returning tomorrow. The power station is rated for 200 W so I purchased the 2nd portable panels rated at 200 W. The most I have ever recorded was 133. So if these portable panels suck so much why cant I buy one that is rated higher than the power station is and just expect it to never reach 200 W? Smart? Stupid?

 

[Lt.Dan]

In the real world you are never going to get rated capacity out of any solar panel. There are exceptions, but it is very rare.

Folding, portable, flexible solar panels are known to not be of the greatest quality, and therefor expected to be of lower performance.

It is typical to see 75% of a solar panels rated output, and with 133 out of a 200w panel, thats still 66.5%, so it is low, but not out of the questions dependent on weather, time of day, angle of panel, pollution in the air, etc etc etc...

 

[Tomthumb62]

I am returning my second portable solar panel set. I use it with a VTOMAN power station. The first one was a 120W set up. I live in Las Vegas and NOT one time did it ever register over 81 Watts. The second one I am returning tomorrow. The power station is rated for 200 W so I purchased the 2nd portable panels rated at 200 W. The most I have ever recorded was 133. So if these portable panels suck so much why cant I buy one that is rated higher than the power station is and just expect it to never reach 200 W? Smart? Stupid?

133W for a 200W panel in the summer Las Vegas heat sounds about right if not a bit low.

I get about 144-170W from our 200W Renogy folding panels (simply two heavy 100W glass panels hinged together with a tripod), but we’re way up near the Canadian border so it doesn’t get nearly as hot as Vegas. You’ll get much better production in cool weather.

Try getting the panels up off the ground if the ground is hotter than the air.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Wondering if there is something else going on with the power station as well (charge controller quality, flimsy wiring?)…

Batteries need to be somewhat depleted in order to accept maximum energy the panels are producing.

 

[Tomthumb62]

Batteries need to be somewhat depleted in order to accept maximum energy the panels are producing.

I sometimes forget this, lol. "Hey it's high noon and the sun is shining directly on the panels why isn't it charging the battery any faster...something must be wrong!"

Nope, it's just that the batteries were nearly full and not accepting any faster of a charge. Put a good enough load on the battery and then I see the amp rise up.

 

[nightrage]

Thanks for all your information!!!

 

[nightrage]

I sometimes forget this, lol. "Hey it's high noon and the sun is shining directly on the panels why isn't it charging the battery any faster...something must be wrong!"

Nope, it's just that the batteries were nearly full and not accepting any faster of a charge. Put a good enough load on the battery and then I see the amp rise up.

Thanks Im slowly learning!

 

[nightrage]

133W for a 200W panel in the summer Las Vegas heat sounds about right if not a bit low.

I get about 144-170W from our 200W Renogy folding panels (simply two heavy 100W glass panels hinged together with a tripod), but we’re way up near the Canadian border so it doesn’t get nearly as hot as Vegas. You’ll get much better production in cool weather.

Try getting the panels up off the ground if the ground is hotter than the air.

Thanks for your information

 

[nightrage]

In the real world you are never going to get rated capacity out of any solar panel. There are exceptions, but it is very rare.

Folding, portable, flexible solar panels are known to not be of the greatest quality, and therefor expected to be of lower performance.

It is typical to see 75% of a solar panels rated output, and with 133 out of a 200w panel, thats still 66.5%, so it is low, but not out of the questions dependent on weather, time of day, angle of panel, pollution in the air, etc etc etc...

Thank you