Epic Solar Battle: Series Versus Parallel Wiring

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The sun’s height in the sky affects the solar energy produced,. Cloud and shade fall on the solar panels. It may not be much of an issue for solar farms in wide-open fields, but it is on an RV or camper.

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Parking under a tree or in a building’s shadow varies power output from the panels, depending on how they’re wired.

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When shade hits any part of a solar array wired in parallel, the power output from that panel reduces significantly. BUT, any other panels in the configuration are unaffected.

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When shade hits any part of a solar array wired in series, the power output from that panel reduces a lot for every n other panel in the configuration..

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When wired in parallel, the panels must perform at least 70%. Anything less, the volts will fall below 12.6v needed to charge the battery bank,

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When wired in series, performance would need to fall to around 18% before they stop charging the batteries.

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Parallel wiring handles the mixed panels far better than in series, and we wouldn’t suffer as much loss when we parked in the shade.

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When wired in Series  we suffer slightly more losses during the optimum operating conditions, we produce a high enough voltage to charge the batteries from dawn to dusk. So, we charge our batteries for longer.

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Pay special attention to anything on your roof that could cast a shadow on your panels, including aerials, satellite dished, and vents.

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