Post by MarcT on Apr 25, 2017 18:21:43 GMT -8
Hello guys,
I currently designing a solar system to allow us boondocking with our travel trailer.
I would like to keep the number of panel to a minimum to lower the installation cost/effort.
I cannot use 24V panels because the roof realestate does not allow me to install panels that are that wide so I'm stuck with 12V panels.
I already determine that I need a minimum of 400W. The last thing that I need to figure out is the best solar array design to deal with shading.
Every discussions and youtube demonstrations I saw show that one winning factor when dealing with shading, is to wire them in parallel to provide as many indepedent current paths as possible.
The way I see it, I can either use four 100W or three 150W panels.
Four 100W panels would provide 4 external current paths toward the charge controler but at the cost of more panels.
This brings me to my question; do you know how a 150W panel differs from a 100W panel?
Do 150W panels have two or three internal current paths ?
Both are 12 volts but the 150W provides more current that the other. Does that imply that there is more 12 volts strings in parallel in a 150W than in a 100 W ?
I currently designing a solar system to allow us boondocking with our travel trailer.
I would like to keep the number of panel to a minimum to lower the installation cost/effort.
I cannot use 24V panels because the roof realestate does not allow me to install panels that are that wide so I'm stuck with 12V panels.
I already determine that I need a minimum of 400W. The last thing that I need to figure out is the best solar array design to deal with shading.
Every discussions and youtube demonstrations I saw show that one winning factor when dealing with shading, is to wire them in parallel to provide as many indepedent current paths as possible.
The way I see it, I can either use four 100W or three 150W panels.
Four 100W panels would provide 4 external current paths toward the charge controler but at the cost of more panels.
This brings me to my question; do you know how a 150W panel differs from a 100W panel?
Do 150W panels have two or three internal current paths ?
Both are 12 volts but the 150W provides more current that the other. Does that imply that there is more 12 volts strings in parallel in a 150W than in a 100 W ?