2 x 200W Solar Panels - What Regulator?

[motor roamin]

I must admit I'm surprised at how heavy these solar panels are. I know the ones I have are quite large but I think they're in the region of 30lbs each! And these will be stuck with SikaFlex only!

Hmmmmmm

I have four 100w on my roof and they are screwed as well as stuck.....one hell of an insurance claim should they come adrift :thumb:

All the best Rick

 

[Gromett]

Technically speaking. Mono is better than Poly and MPPT is better than PWM.

However a good quality PWM can beat an el cheapo MPPT.

If you get a decent MPPT charger the difference over a day is quite noticeable in use not just on the meter.

Alan is correct that Mono and Poly are constructed exactly the same way.

How much you lose depends on how much of a cell is covered and how many cells are in your panel. If your panel uses half cells but double the number covering one cell will only reduce the output by at most half. If yours has full size cells then you would need to cover an entire cell to stop output entirely as there are two straps so covering half the cell will only impede the output of that one cell.

By full size and half I mean either equal length to width or half width to length ratios.

I know all this from having built my own panel from individual cells and doing some tests on them:thumb:

 

[chrisboyo]

Great thread this

It just so happens that I am looking to fit an 80/85 watt panal to my PCV
It,s a bit tight for space up there so I think thats all I would be able to fit

So, all you experts,

Lead me to the best deal price/quality etc

I have been looking on ebay and I am very Dazed & Confused

Thanks
Chrisboyo:thumb:

 

[Techno]

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[pappajohn]

Link Removed
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Taken from the blurb in the link....

The panel is resistant against a 227g steel ball, dropped from a height of 1m in a 60m/s wind

sounds impressive.......60m/s equates to 134.2mph.......the ball would just about fly sideways which makes the statement pretty much useless. oh:

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[Techno]

Who said the panel was laid flat

 

[StitchUp]

Strangely, if you purchase in $$ yo can save about £20 on this regulator. I just made an offer to try save a little more

Link Removed

BUT! The picture shows the remote display but in the description, it's not included - maybe I spoke to soon but the picture is misleading.

 

[jollyrodger]

20amp regulator/controller

Hi I have been reading this very useful thread, with interest.
Last year I fitted an 80w mono S/P permanently, bracket-fixed to roof (Sikaflex 291 & screwed) coupled to a cheap10w regulator. This feeds 2x 115amph batteries, feeding a 1000W “Ring Powersource Pro” m/s inverter with two 240v outlets .The system is fused and terminates in an internal dedicated double socket mains plug on one side & one external plug to rear of camper. On three week trip down through France/Spain had no need of mains hook-up. Evan on a 10 day stop at Arc d Bera (good site pensioners go free just pay for the pitch good facilities & 9euro`s per night)
Used :TV, Sat, pc, ham / pirate radio (100w) lights and all usual stuff, the regulator never went below two red lights at night and was replenished to the three lights-full charge –and site glass on batteries full green after couple hours of sun .back home still charging well, but slower even in this lovely w/x we now have .I now want to install a 20amp regulator/controller that shows actual charge rate/state ,and am looking for best for my needs at the right price, as a 600w microwave is on the cards. Start battery & smaller aux battery under bonnet completely separate on the original system. Many thanks in advance & great site

 

[steevie]

I have been reading thru this aswell, and just a few points....sikoflex is more than able to hold down your solar panels....well.it holds car wings on, and sunroofs and box van sides and on and on, and manyl direct from the manufacturers, and the main idea behind using it for your motorhome roof is so you dont have to put screws thru your roof membrane. On the matter of home type panels verses the rip off lower voltage panels, that is what your controller is there for, be it 18v panel, 36v or even the higher 48v, it will only allow 13v to your system. My 250w panel, house type, gives out 36v, but is simply controlled down with a £15 controller from ebay, which has various other timeable applications aswell. Total cost of the 250w system, £230, including the sikoflex. All summer it has performed brilliantly with up to a week and a half with no other power supply. The only time we havent coped with just the solar was in November, while dull skies, and the heating blower on and off all night. You do only get what you pay for, but buy it before some middle men talk you into twice the price. There is a problem with sikoflex tho......you need a hot wire to cut thru it if you need to remove something, a bit like with your bonded windscreen....similar stuff. Just my views yer know, but designed to be of benefit. just to update...the controller was fairly basic 30amp one, so I have now added a voltage display for the batteries, and an amperage display for when solar charging, complete with shunt relay.....cost another £6 for the two displays, from china again via ebay.

 

[StitchUp]

Strangely, if you purchase in $$ yo can save about £20 on this regulator. I just made an offer to try save a little more

Link Removed

BUT! The picture shows the remote display but in the description, it's not included - maybe I spoke to soon but the picture is misleading.

Update:
The meter was included so paying in $$ saved me £15.

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[wizzer59]

Give up guys, right now you need one of these oh:

 

[Paramotormanal]

Remember chaps if you have a multi panel array you do not have to wire them in series you can wire them individually, this can help when something blocks one of your panels or even if a panel fails the other(s) would still produce.

I fitted solar at home and on one of my strings of 8 panels 3of them go into shade sometimes so I wired those three to the same dc isolator as the other five but on separate cables so they don't affect the other panels.

 

[manda3000gt]

Just been reading this blog tonight
http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-rv-battery-charging-puzzle-2/

The guy seems to have a lot of experience when it comes to wiring up panels too get the most from them and not just adding more & more panels & unneeded gadgets & more money !
I am now thinking of ditching the cheap 20amp controller supplied with my panels & getting the MorningStar Tristar 45 and going throu wiring thicknesses & lengths

 

[wizzer59]

Just been reading this blog tonight
http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-rv-battery-charging-puzzle-2/

The guy seems to have a lot of experience when it comes to wiring up panels too get the most from them and not just adding more & more panels & unneeded gadgets & more money !
I am now thinking of ditching the cheap 20amp controller supplied with my panels & getting the MorningStar Tristar 45 and going throu wiring thicknesses & lengths

Thanks for that, makes interesting reading, mind you Scotjimland has told me and others to make sure the wiring is beefy enough for years so I have the biggest I can possibly get into my controller:thumb: