Solar Cynergy Panels
I'm looking at these panels which seem to be a really good deal at $144 a piece. http://www.solarblvd.com/p2711/Two-Solar-Cynergy-140-Watt-12-Volt-Solar-Panels-with-Y-Connector/product_info.html Bu...
Forum Discussion
Ken
A lot of low light abilities have to do with the kind of panel too. I've used my 230w poly in cloud cover so thick you couldn't tell where the sun was. It averaged 4a in bulk. My 245w monos will do about 2.5a under thinner cloud cover and my 220w mono drops voltage so fast in lower light the controller wont even wake up. A 65w Uni-solar roll and $10 PWM would produce more in low light than the 220w mono/ MPPT combo would.
BFL is the only person here that I know of that has had a PWM and MPPT system side by side. He did see the expected slight increase expected in MPPT but haven't seen him report that the MPPT set up was working when the PWM had gone to sleep.
BFL was right when he said if one 24 panel will fit where two 12v panel wont. I feel the same way. Find out what you can afford that will fit on your roof and meet your needs, THEN find out what controller is best suited to run them.
For me that meant the super cheap 24v panels on craiglist requiring a $100 controller for each panel is the most economical way of powering our rig. I'll bet 490w of 12v panels at PWM would do a good enough job that I wouldn't notice the slight difference.
I will say that if I lived where I could pick up from Solarblvd and the 24v panel would fit that the $149 230w panel and a $102 Eco-worthy 20a MPPT controller would be mighty tempting.
A lot of low light abilities have to do with the kind of panel too. I've used my 230w poly in cloud cover so thick you couldn't tell where the sun was. It averaged 4a in bulk. My 245w monos will do about 2.5a under thinner cloud cover and my 220w mono drops voltage so fast in lower light the controller wont even wake up. A 65w Uni-solar roll and $10 PWM would produce more in low light than the 220w mono/ MPPT combo would.
BFL is the only person here that I know of that has had a PWM and MPPT system side by side. He did see the expected slight increase expected in MPPT but haven't seen him report that the MPPT set up was working when the PWM had gone to sleep.
BFL was right when he said if one 24 panel will fit where two 12v panel wont. I feel the same way. Find out what you can afford that will fit on your roof and meet your needs, THEN find out what controller is best suited to run them.
For me that meant the super cheap 24v panels on craiglist requiring a $100 controller for each panel is the most economical way of powering our rig. I'll bet 490w of 12v panels at PWM would do a good enough job that I wouldn't notice the slight difference.
I will say that if I lived where I could pick up from Solarblvd and the 24v panel would fit that the $149 230w panel and a $102 Eco-worthy 20a MPPT controller would be mighty tempting.
