Sorry about the lack of pics , I tend to just do jobs and forget about the aesthetics but you're welcome to have a look around . After reading various installation threads and being totally flummoxed by the science and calculations I was very sceptical so went for a lightweight fibreglass cheapo 100w Chinese panel which was luckily just the right size to fit where I planned to mount it , matched with a good controller which I could reuse if/when the panel proved to be rubbish and ended up in the bin or tiny pieces on the M1 somewhere . Neither . It's been brill . Thinking back I probably got lucky as a similar one will be 3-400 quid now from one of the established suppliers.... Wires STILL need tidying up but it all works - most welcome to have a mooch around and hopefully make a neater job of installation than I've done ... Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Either or. If you think you'll be shaded a lot then parallel, if you think it unlikely I would go series. Bigger volts smaller amps in the cables but means more output at the controller for less work by said controller Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk
On my controller it was about 2% more efficient with the panels in series, its actually voltage rated (60V) to just under 3 panels in series.. it can handle 260W of parallel panels or 520W of series panels. Plus a slightly reduced loss from the wiring because the current is lower. Decent panels have bypass diodes on sections so if they are shaded, the shaded sections are bypassed, so the panel voltage drops rather than shutting down totally. So with the diodes, series works best, without diodes you have to hope that one entire panel is not shaded and you have to put them in parallel because the shaded panel does nothing for you. Something like a 5mm rope across the panel counts as noticeable shading.. Your panel voltage remains higher in dimmer light with series panels, depending on the controller, some controllers like the ePever MPPT will stop charging at 14 volts in. The MPPT controllers deal in energy not just current.. picking optimum load voltage and current for maximum energy stored momentarily in the magnetic field of a big inductor inside the controller, which is then dumped into the battery load at the maximum current for the battery voltage. The reason for the slight difference in efficiency is because of higher currents with parallel panels. Above two panels in series you are heading into unsafe voltages too, 60 volts DC can be dangerous..I have worked on a 100 volt solar installation on a boat and it was scary because it powered up when the sun shone into the workshop. Tarpaulins fixed that..
@scrooge95 has one of the neatest solar cables through poptop I've seen. Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
This is my set up. I've made it so that it can point in 3 directions to catch the sun full on and tilt at an adjustable angle. Apparently tilting the panel at the sun at about 35 to 40⁰ in the UK adds about 30% to solar gain . I'll be at TE if you want a nosey.
That is using some "cable drag chain" between poptop and roof. look it up on eBay. The wire is guided by the links of the chain to lie down neatly under the edge of the poptop, outside of the canvas.
I remember you fitting/fettling this and taking with Neil and Chris about it at T.E. a proper job! But I use my roof rack too much for that particular option. I’ll still come and have a nosey though particularly with respect to the solar controller device and cabling. Cheers.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/XINPUGUANG-100W-Flexible-Solar-Panel/dp/B0CQN7SGLK This looks good value. But the brand name worries me! Thoughts?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125008202514?var=426081946736 ive put one of these on my Devon roof, seems all good so far. you're welcome to have a look at leicester
Going by one of the thoughts I have, because its 3mm thick rather than 5mm, so flexing it doesnt stretch the connections inside .. it may be quite good. But I would try to buy a better charge controller rather than a bundle. If that £20 controller is like the one I bought you cannot use the switched load output with any wiring where you are using the battery negative as the return ( because all the positive connections are joined in the controller and the PWM controller and the load switch use cheap switch transistors in the negative side)
Renogy do seem to have a good reputation. And its 2.5mm thick, so it conforms to my thinner is better theory..
Thank you both! That's very helpful. And not silly money either. On an aside I have a built in absorbsion fridge but I don't think anything will run that unless I'm hooked up to the mains as its too juicy off a 12v battery I'm slightly obsessed with getting this fridge to work off grid but I think I should just forget about that as solar wouldn't be enough and the fridge is small. Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk
My take would be thin = light = . I figured 4 or 5 kg bouncing around on an unbraced fibreglass roof isn't a good idea which is why I went for the lightest flexi I could find which coincidentally was the cheapest ... At about 1.8kg weight isn't an issue and yes , it's still working. Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
