Solar Panel question?
Which is better, one large solar panel or multiple smaller solar panels? rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
Forum Discussion
We use a single 230 watt panel left portable on a set of 25 ft cords. We can park in the shade if we want and if needed can track the sun all day averaging 15a from sun up to sun down. Tracking was more important this last weekend when it turned cloudy, cold and rainy and I needed to squeeze every last amp out to keep a grp 27 charged up.
Moving and storing a big panel can be a hassle. Ours travels on the bed, in the walkway or on the truck. I did consider getting one of the Solarblvd 160w folding kits but they sold out so fast.
One thing I have noticed is my 24v panel and MPPT control love sunshine but hate the clouds. Sunday it started out cloudy and that lowered the voltage put out by the panel. The MPPT function struggled to get the batteries voltage up so that it could drop out of MPPT. Luckily the sun peaked out just long enough and the controller dropped to absorb where it was putting out more amps than it did in bulk. I would have better off being able to shut off the MPPT function but that's not a option on my controller.
There are controllers that can be paralleled so that you could have one system mounted and another portable. I would think the output of the two panels would be different and might be a issue using a single controller. I am toying with the idea of setting up our second panel but it will be a separate system that will keep the inverters 8-D going on longer trips.
Moving and storing a big panel can be a hassle. Ours travels on the bed, in the walkway or on the truck. I did consider getting one of the Solarblvd 160w folding kits but they sold out so fast.
One thing I have noticed is my 24v panel and MPPT control love sunshine but hate the clouds. Sunday it started out cloudy and that lowered the voltage put out by the panel. The MPPT function struggled to get the batteries voltage up so that it could drop out of MPPT. Luckily the sun peaked out just long enough and the controller dropped to absorb where it was putting out more amps than it did in bulk. I would have better off being able to shut off the MPPT function but that's not a option on my controller.
There are controllers that can be paralleled so that you could have one system mounted and another portable. I would think the output of the two panels would be different and might be a issue using a single controller. I am toying with the idea of setting up our second panel but it will be a separate system that will keep the inverters 8-D going on longer trips.
