Solar Panels Brands - does it matter?
I am looking to buy 200-300 watts of solar panels to charge 200-240 ah of battery storage. Researching panels on the web, it seems that prices for solar panels have a very wide range. Putting aside ...
Forum Discussion
One size panel and controller doesn’t fit all so it’s good to have choices. In my travels I’ve seen at least a dozen installations where the panels were mounted many inches above the roof to eliminate shadows from everything on the roof except antennas. But if the installation is close to the roof then most rigs will have shadows to consider regardless on panel size.
The 140W 12V panel on Solar Blvd is 59”x26”, 30 lb and cost $139.00
The 270W 24V panel on Solar Blvd is 65”x39”, 37 lb and cost $202.50
Using MS controllers on the Solar Blvd site:
4x140W = 560W, 45 PMW, $602 and 43 sq ft
2x270W = 540W, 45 MPPT, $832 and 35 sq ft
6x140W = 840W, 60 PWM, $1035 and 64 sq ft
3x270W = 810W, 60 MPPT, $1034 and 53 sq ft
The panels for a given setup all need to be closely matches unless multiple controllers are used which can be an advantage for 12V panels.
This points out that 24V panels have advantages and the downside may be minimal.
The 140W 12V panel on Solar Blvd is 59”x26”, 30 lb and cost $139.00
The 270W 24V panel on Solar Blvd is 65”x39”, 37 lb and cost $202.50
Using MS controllers on the Solar Blvd site:
4x140W = 560W, 45 PMW, $602 and 43 sq ft
2x270W = 540W, 45 MPPT, $832 and 35 sq ft
6x140W = 840W, 60 PWM, $1035 and 64 sq ft
3x270W = 810W, 60 MPPT, $1034 and 53 sq ft
The panels for a given setup all need to be closely matches unless multiple controllers are used which can be an advantage for 12V panels.
This points out that 24V panels have advantages and the downside may be minimal.
