Hello All,It has been a while since I have been here. I need to come back more often. I have a 2016 fuzion 345. Love the tech but man does it eat power. I did put 6 6 volt batteries and that will get me through a weekend, not much more. I have an onboard gen but I get away for peice and quiet.Because I use power I have bought 2 - 280 panels and all the trimmings. Last item I need to know. Which is better parallel or series. I know that pannenels in parallel is more volts, series is more amps. I just don’t know which set up I should do. Which is better for battery health? Which is better for quicker recharge. I will be adding an inverter later.I would like your thoughts.

Actually, in parallel you add the amps, and in series you add the volts.The big factor there is the Voc limit of the solar controller which will fry if you go over the Voc limit at all, no second chances.Unless there is much shading in your situation, there is no advantage in amps to the battery either way. If there is some shading, parallel is better for daily AH haul.

Those are likely 60 cell modules with a Vmp or around 30 volts. You will need an MPPT controller to allow them to charge your 12v battery bank without wasting most of the power. An MPPT controller will have a maximum Voc. Your panels are likely around 37 Voc at 25 degrees Celsius. When it gets really cold that will likely increase to around 45 Voc. If you put them in series make sure your controller can handle the 90v input or you will fry it.Volts add in series, amps add in parallel.

BFL13 wrote:Actually, in parallel you add the amps, and in series you add the volts.The big factor there is the Voc limit of the solar controller which will fry if you go over the Voc limit at all, no second chances.Unless there is much shading in your situation, there is no advantage in amps to the battery either way. If there is some shading, parallel is better for daily AH haul.You are right. I did get it backwards. I was going off this site.http://solarloco.com/blog/diy-solar-panels/the-difference-between-series-and-parallel-circuits/I have a 40 amp controller. It can handle 1560w/12v. 72 cell Voc < 46v.

I was thinking more amps would charge quicker. Much like more amps on small electronics. There just not much information to read about benifets to more volts vs amps.

y22man wrote:I was thinking more amps would charge quicker. Much like more amps on small electronics. There just not much information to read about benifets to more volts vs amps.It does not work that way. Total power to the batteries is governed by the MPPT and series or parallel will not significantly matter when it comes to total power. One advantage to series is that the wire gage between the solar panels and controller does not have to be as large for series wired panels.

Solar panels in series or parallel? | Good Sam Community

Ed_Gee
Explorer II
May 04, 2018
y22man wrote:
I was thinking more amps would charge quicker. Much like more amps on small electronics. There just not much information to read about benifets to more volts vs amps.

It does not work that way. Total power to the batteries is governed by the MPPT and series or parallel will not significantly matter when it comes to total power. One advantage to series is that the wire gage between the solar panels and controller does not have to be as large for series wired panels.
y22man
Explorer
May 04, 2018
I was thinking more amps would charge quicker. Much like more amps on small electronics. There just not much information to read about benifets to more volts vs amps.
y22man
Explorer
May 04, 2018
BFL13 wrote:
Actually, in parallel you add the amps, and in series you add the volts.

The big factor there is the Voc limit of the solar controller which will fry if you go over the Voc limit at all, no second chances.

Unless there is much shading in your situation, there is no advantage in amps to the battery either way. If there is some shading, parallel is better for daily AH haul.

You are right. I did get it backwards. I was going off this site.
http://solarloco.com/blog/diy-solar-panels/the-difference-between-series-and-parallel-circuits/
I have a 40 amp controller. It can handle 1560w/12v. 72 cell Voc < 46v.
KD4UPL
Explorer
May 04, 2018
Those are likely 60 cell modules with a Vmp or around 30 volts. You will need an MPPT controller to allow them to charge your 12v battery bank without wasting most of the power. An MPPT controller will have a maximum Voc. Your panels are likely around 37 Voc at 25 degrees Celsius. When it gets really cold that will likely increase to around 45 Voc. If you put them in series make sure your controller can handle the 90v input or you will fry it.
Volts add in series, amps add in parallel.
BFL13
Explorer II
May 04, 2018
Actually, in parallel you add the amps, and in series you add the volts.

The big factor there is the Voc limit of the solar controller which will fry if you go over the Voc limit at all, no second chances.

Unless there is much shading in your situation, there is no advantage in amps to the battery either way. If there is some shading, parallel is better for daily AH haul.

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