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How To Get Solar Panel Wired ?


NewCanalBoy

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My latest purchase came with a long solar panel stuck on the roof.

 

I would like to see if I can get it to work.

 

I don't understand what it should plug into (and therefore don't know it's name and therefore cannot search for it!).

 

And where does it go after that - directly onto battery terminals ?

 

It appears that it's only a 68watt panel which doesn't seem much by other people's standards but I don't have much onboard. Currently a 12v fridge and lights. Don't want much else.

 

So what am I looking for a 'solar power monitor' - ' solar power management system' ??

 

Do people only have them charging their leisure battery/ies ?

 

I'll try and attach a spec sheet of the solar panel. It actually appears to be one you place on the roof of your house (or many of them ) so might be completely inappropriate !!

 

I've also just checked my leisure battery (I have only one) and it appears that it is a normal car battery. I thought there was a definite distinction between the two ? Picture also attached.

 

IMG_20190716_150511973.jpg

IMG_20190716_162653490.jpg

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65 Watts so say about 2.5 amps max. in high summer. There is no way I would want my batteries charged at 2.5 amps and when well charged at up to over 20 volts for hours on end.

 

In my view you need  a solar controller as well. A 10 amp one will do for now but if you intend to add panels a 20 amp one will give you capacity when you do. An MPPT controller is usually considered to be the best choice and there are advantages but a PWM one will be cheaper for now.

 

Connections:  Pos and neg wires from panel to controller. Pos & neg wires from controller to the battery with whichever side has the battery master switch on it connected to the BATTERY side of the switch PLUS a fuse as close as is reasonably possible to the battery in the positive lead. For convenience to save covering the panel or disconnection it from the controller you may wish to fit a switch in the panel to controller cable..

2 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

it seems to output 23v so it is not suitable for direct connection to your 12v battery - you need a solar controller.

It might be OK with a very small panel that is not much more than a maintainer to cover self discharge but not with 65 watts or even 40 watts in my view.

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Just now, Tony Brooks said:

Budget or best?

Good !! (Somewhere in-between)

 

You have made some suggestions above so I'll look at those.

 

I'm still trying to get my head around all these figures but does it seem that it will help me with the smaller amount of gadgets that I wish to run ?

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I would check the panel first. There should be 20 volts between the terminals and when connected via an a meter you should see a few amps on a sunny day.  It is highly likely the panel is duff,  stuck down panels rarely last more than a couple of years. It will not be enough to run a fridge but if good will cope with lights and pumps.

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2 hours ago, Detling said:

I would check the panel first. There should be 20 volts between the terminals and when connected via an a meter you should see a few amps on a sunny day.  It is highly likely the panel is duff,  stuck down panels rarely last more than a couple of years. It will not be enough to run a fridge but if good will cope with lights and pumps.

Unisolar panels are an order of magnitude of better quality than the normally advertised stuck down panels this is immediately apparent when you see one in the flesh l, unfortunately the high quality of these panels may of lead to the unisolar company going into liquidation in August 2012  as with the tumbling price of normal solar panels they were over stocked with a non competive, price wise, product. 

 

A few years ago Midsummerenergy.co.uk did find the manufacturing unit for these panels and had them or an equivalent on the books for some time. it appears that this is still true although for how much longer it is hard to know the op can read up on a 75w equivalent panel here. 

https://midsummerenergy.co.uk/buy/flexible-solar-panels/miasole-75W-CIGS-flexible-solar-panel

 

Note the price of £185 for a 75w panel which reflects the quality of the units. 

They are a very hardy panel but, as others have pointed out, they will not deliver much output but the big advantage is that they are very low profile and very tough so don't get in the way when locking. Certainly a nice little freebie. 

Eta

Take care when sticking them down to ensure they are laid down nice and squarely as once stuck down they aren't coming back up again easily. 

Edited by reg
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Well I did have a quick look at it earlier but I couldn't remember how to work my amp meter !! Bloody hell.........

 

I'll check tomorrow when I've had some rest.

 

Fingers crossed, as has been said it was free, no loss if it doesn't work !

 

BTW any comment on my battery ?

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1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

Alan F nicked his spare solar controller - and one of his panels!

Correction, panel yes, controller no, he just got David to lick his fingers and stand between the batteries and panel when the sun came out , promising him he could use some of the resulting leccy later.

  • Haha 1
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1 minute ago, matty40s said:

Correction, panel yes, controller no, he just got David to lick his fingers and stand between the batteries and panel when the sun came out , promising him he could use some of the resulting leccy later.

:clapping:

 

A mere greenie wasn't enough!

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9 hours ago, NewCanalBoy said:

Well I did have a quick look at it earlier but I couldn't remember how to work my amp meter !! Bloody hell.........

 

I'll check tomorrow when I've had some rest.

 

Fingers crossed, as has been said it was free, no loss if it doesn't work !

 

BTW any comment on my battery ?

 

If this is a hand held ammeter and NOT a clamp on the wire type then my advice is don't use it because it is all too easy to wreck the meter. In fact I see plenty of multimeters with non-functioning 10 or 20 amp scales simply because of user error in connecting them. Volt meters are fine, very hard to damage. Ammeters far too easy unless they are clamp types and I doubt most cheaper clamp types would make much of a job measuring the output of a 65 watt panel.

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