Remove Stock 40w Panel Before adding?
So I just got an Arctic Fox 811, and I'm adding 2 x 100 solar panels to the unit to help us with boondocking. The camper came with a zamp solar 40w panel already on the roof, and a zamp solar 30a pwm ...
Forum Discussion
It’s important to avoid conflating 12 and 24 voltage terms...
Your existing panel is a ‘12v panel’, as are the 100w panels you are considering...
What ‘12v panel’ refers to is merely a shorthand jargon for ‘nominal’ battery voltage (not actual), nor does it refer to ‘actual’ panel output...
The typical 12v ‘any-brand’ panel has 36 cells, each cell output is at approx 0.5v - 0.6v x 36 = approx 18’ish volts which is an ideal amount to overcome inherent wire run, connector and controller-heat loses and still provide the battery the 14 + (or so) volts needed to overcome internal chemical resistance (chem soup sluggishness)...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell
As a ‘practical matter’ the efficiency advantages of mono vs poly have more to do with per sq inch roof-top footprint...(a photon yield thingy).
No real need to overthink matters - I would simply utilize the extra OEM connecter (by adding a duplex splitter), parallel connect the additional two panels, then call it a day...JMO
3 tons
Your existing panel is a ‘12v panel’, as are the 100w panels you are considering...
What ‘12v panel’ refers to is merely a shorthand jargon for ‘nominal’ battery voltage (not actual), nor does it refer to ‘actual’ panel output...
The typical 12v ‘any-brand’ panel has 36 cells, each cell output is at approx 0.5v - 0.6v x 36 = approx 18’ish volts which is an ideal amount to overcome inherent wire run, connector and controller-heat loses and still provide the battery the 14 + (or so) volts needed to overcome internal chemical resistance (chem soup sluggishness)...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell
As a ‘practical matter’ the efficiency advantages of mono vs poly have more to do with per sq inch roof-top footprint...(a photon yield thingy).
No real need to overthink matters - I would simply utilize the extra OEM connecter (by adding a duplex splitter), parallel connect the additional two panels, then call it a day...JMO
3 tons
