Solar Panel Half Cell Discussion
Half Cell or Half Panels are ramping up production and I wanted to know how they work and are they suitable for a RV. I'm not an expert but this is what I found. Lots of sites have the basic half cell...
Forum Discussion
The video starting at 8:26 shows a panel with the lower half shaded and in series with other modules, hence this panel cannot be used since it can only produce 5A. So the bypass diodes kick in resulting in 3*0.6 voltage loss for that panel with the other panels producing 10A at their voltage. The video goes on to state that all of the panels must have the lower half shaded which results in 5A at 2X the voltage. In this case the full power for one panel is loss.
If the shading results in the one panel producing 10A at 1/3 or 2/3 of the voltage then the total power is equivalent to full cell panels. The video suggests that the half cell advantage only occurs when all lower panels are covered in shade and shows this with a large array of panels. Or perhaps a roof shadow from a neighbors house.
Prices and availability of half cell panels and Global MPPT controllers will improve but improved power for a RV environment seem questionable to me and there may even be less power than for full cell panels in which case best to use full cell panels. This is my take on this excellent video and I started this thread to learn more. In other words looking beyond the marketing hype for half cell panels how do they work in other common environments and are they better options for your environment?
As I drive around I see panels over parking lots and tops of building where tilted solar panels are more closely spaced for more panels and subject to the type of shadows that benefit the half cell technology.
If the shading results in the one panel producing 10A at 1/3 or 2/3 of the voltage then the total power is equivalent to full cell panels. The video suggests that the half cell advantage only occurs when all lower panels are covered in shade and shows this with a large array of panels. Or perhaps a roof shadow from a neighbors house.
Prices and availability of half cell panels and Global MPPT controllers will improve but improved power for a RV environment seem questionable to me and there may even be less power than for full cell panels in which case best to use full cell panels. This is my take on this excellent video and I started this thread to learn more. In other words looking beyond the marketing hype for half cell panels how do they work in other common environments and are they better options for your environment?
As I drive around I see panels over parking lots and tops of building where tilted solar panels are more closely spaced for more panels and subject to the type of shadows that benefit the half cell technology.
