By George Lone
To answer
this question, I would start by asking what charge controller do you have or plan
on using?
If you have
a PWM charge controller, and plan to charge a 12v battery bank, you must
connect your panels in parallel.
Parallel Connection 2x RNG-100D (100 W Mono)
If you have
an MPPT charge controller, you have the option to wire your panels in series or
parallel. To determine which set-up is better, we would answers to a few
questions:
- 1.What is the distance you will have
between your solar panels and charge controller? - 2.Are your panels going to experience
any type of constant shading throughout the day? - 3.What type of battery bank do you want
to charge: 12V or 24V?
1. If
your answer to this questions is longer than 20 -25 feet, we would recommend connecting
your panels in series. When your panels are connected in series, the
operational voltage of the panels is added together. If you are connecting two
100 Watt panels in series, and each panel has an output of 18.9 volts, you will
end up with 200W (37.8 Volts and 5.29 amps under optimum conditions). The
higher voltage helps with the voltage drop caused by the large distance and
allows the amperage to reach the controller efficiently.
2. If you
answered yes to this question, we would recommend connecting your panels in
parallel. When your panels are connected in parallel, you add the amperage
together, but the voltage stays the same. For example, if you have two RNG-100D
100 Watt panels, each panel will produce about 5.29 amps. Connecting these
panels in parallel will produce 200 Watts (18.9V and 10.58 amps under optimum
conditions).
3. If you
answered this question “I would like to charge a 24-volt battery bank,” you
would have to connect your panels in series to be able to achieve the necessary
charging voltage to charge a 24 Volt battery bank.
Series Connection 2x RNG-100D (100 W Mono)
I hope that this information
helps inform your wiring decision. If you need any additional information
please contact our technical support department at 800-330-8678 or
[email protected].
