Solar Panel Questions

[KAM]

I am just fitting some semi flexible solar panels to a flat area. I am looking for a simple fixing method without drilling. Can anyone recommend a suitable adhesive. I want to avoid contact adhesive as I would like to be able to remove in the future without destroying the panel or the surface. Blobs of silicone or double sided foam tape seem to be the favourite candidates at the moment.

Second question. I have an MPPT controller. This has outputs for battery and load. I currently have it wired just to battery. Is there any benefit in using the load output for anything.

 

[noelex]

The load outputs are not very useful on a yacht and frequently are not used at all. The maximium current is usually limited to the rating of the controller although this can be increased with the use of relays.

The load terminals can do some different functions depending on the controller.

Low voltage cut off or a night switch are the most common. The former can be used to turn off the fridge if the battery voltage drops. The latter will automatically turn on the anchor light.The better controllers have sophisticated load circuits that can be programmed to do quite detailed tasks. For example turn on a pump for 20 mins at night, but only when the battery voltage is above 12.2v. Even with such versatility the load terminals are of limited use.

 

[Cardo]

We use ours for turning on the anchor light at night. No more forgetting!