Aiming to construct an array of solar panels? Before you begin soldering solar cells you ought to determine how many panels you should have so as to satisfy your energy output targets. Needless to say, to do that, you'll need to have an understanding of ways to wire the panels together. This informative article will show you the difference between parallel solar panel installations and series solar panel installations, plus it will offer information concerning which you should make use of.
Wiring Solar panel systems in Parallel
Imagine that viewing several solar panels lying down beside each other on the ground. At the top of every panel is a positive terminal. On the bottom of each panel is a negative terminal. You intend to wire all of these panels together using the terminals. You have got two alternatives. Choice one is to run wires along the top, hooking up every single positive terminal together and to run electrical wires across the lower part, linking each and every negative terminal with each other. This is a parallel solar installation. if you wire your panels in such a fashion?
If you wire your solar panels in parallel, the total voltage production is exactly like it is in a single panel. The amperage output will become the sum of the output of each panel. As an example, say each of the panels makes 12 volts and 3.5 amps. The total production of your panels, if wired in parallel, would be 12 volts and 10.5 amps. Exactly what would your total production be when you had six panels instead of three? Your voltage production would be the same, 12 volts, but your amperage would increase to 21.
Wiring Solar Panels in Series
At this moment look back at those three unwired solar panels lying next to one another on the floor. This time around we will wire all of them in series. Instead of wiring the positive terminal of a single panel to the positive terminal of the panel adjacent to it, we are going to wire the positive terminal of a single panel to the negative terminal belonging to the panel alongside it. Do that for every panel, and your array is going to be wired in series. Exactly what is the end result of this?
Any time you wire your solar panels in series, the amperage continues to be exactly the same, and the total voltage output becomes the sum of the voltage production of every panel. Using the same three 12 volt, 3.5 amp panels as previously mentioned, we are able to see the main difference. Wired in series, they now generate 36 volts at 3.5 amps. What if we attach the three other panels? Right. Our amperage continues to be at 3.5 and our voltage production leaps to 72.
When to make use of Each Respective Wiring Design
Which electrical wiring style should you use? Well, that is dependent upon the system that you'll want to charge. Let's say, as an example, you want to make use of sunlight to charge up your RV whilst camping. An RV, as you know, relies on a 12-volt system; for that reason, you will want the solar power system outputting 12 volts. Consequently, if you have a pair of solar panels and each one produces 12 volts at 3.5 amps, you would need to wire them in parallel, which would keep your volts at 12 and increase the amperage to 7.0. If, however, you've got two solar panels and each one provides 6 volts at 3.5 amps, you'd choose to wire them in series, which would increase the volts to 12 whilst keeping the amps at 3.5.
You may be asking yourself what precisely the end results are, in regards to total energy production, of wiring panels up one way or the other. The answer is actually that there are zero effects at all. Overall power is measured in watts. Figure out the total wattage of your charging system, just multiply the amps times your volts. For example, say you have got one system making 12 volts at 10 amps and one more making 120 volts at 1 amp. Which generates more power? Neither.
12 volts X 10 amps = 120 watts
120 volts X 1 amp = 120 watts
For effortless reference regarding the big difference between parallel and series wiring, just remember that parallel wiring = more amps, and series wiring = more volts. Having a sound comprehension of the differences between parallel and series solar installations, you are at this moment prepared to layout and even build your own solar panel system.
Stop by http://www.makeenergynow.com/how-to-install-solar-panels and check out some of our videos. And while you're there, download a FREE copy of my professionally written e-book "Renewable Energy and Other Money Saving Secrets for Your Home."
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