solar panel wiring

1611

New member
Joined
20 Feb 2006
Messages
73
Location
Liveaboard
Visit site
I have installed 3 solar panels on my boat . 2 X 30 watt and a 60 watt. they feed into a 8amp rectifier. It was sugested that I may have them wired wrong. They are connected in parrallel before they go into the rectifier. It has been sugested that they should be wired in series.
can anyone enlighten me.
Can any members enlighten me as to the
 

andy01842

Member
Joined
7 Jun 2003
Messages
374
Location
Norfolk
Visit site
So since when has solar panels produced AC and needed a rectifier? A single diode is all that is needed to prevent the battery discharging back through the panel at night. With 10amps a regulator might be a good idea. Parallel is correct if all is 12 volt.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Parallel. All blacks to blacks and reds to reds. Then the diode pointing to the battery side.

By the sound of it they are the unregulated type so they need to get up to a voltage of the batteries plus the diode drop. I suggest you use your batteries down to 50% before testing. What are the models of the panels?

The other problem might be location. It was 3 days before I was able to check my original 30W panel worked. It was February! On the other hand we now have 1/3KW.
 
G

Guest

Guest
tangofour:

That is why I asked: "What are the models of the panels?"

Should they even have diodes? Should they be regulated? Have they already got the diode inside?
 
Top