Connecting Multiple Solar Panels To One Battery

The wedgetail camper has two solar inputs via red anderson plugs.

Connecting multiple solar panels to one battery.

Following this example where there are two 12v 200ah batteries connected in parallel we will therefore have a voltage of 12v volts and a total capacity of 400ah ampere hour. How to connect two solar panels to one battery it s all in the wiring. The connection of multiple solar panels in parallel arises from the need to reach certain current values at the output without changing the voltage. With the recent release of the electricity anniversary update our partner malonik has released the first of a series of video guides covering rust s electricity.

I spoke to the people at wedgetail campers about how the two solar inputs were wired. The parallel connection of two identical batteries allows to get twice the capacity of the individual batteries keeping the same rated voltage. Notice the two discrete battery connection points on both sides of the solar array connection on the back of the above controller. Electricity guide solar panels small batteries.

Disconnect everything reconnect both regulators to the battery on their own no solar panels connected leave for 15 minutes reconnect solar panels to regulators. Ptot p1 p2 p3 p4 9v 3a 3a 3a 1a 90w. The rule of thumb when connecting solar panels directly to a battery is never connect more than c 10 watts where c is the capacity of your battery. In fact by wiring several solar panels in series we increase the voltage keeping the same current while wiring them in parallel we increase the current keeping the same voltage.

Three panels of 12v and 3a and one panel of 9v and 1a. You can easily start with one battery and add a second bank later. If you connect these four panels in parallel all of them must have the same voltage and therefore will generate at the maximum possible voltage for one of the panels which means 9v. In this particular video malonik walks over some basics techniques to use with the new solar panels and small batteries that will help you get acquainted with the new.

Connecting in series means joining the positive terminal of a solar panel to the negative terminal of the next solar panel until eventually you are left with one free positive and one free negative terminal of the array which are to be connected to the input either of the inverter in case of a grid tied system without a battery backup or the charge controller in case of a grid tied system with a battery backup or off grid solar panel system. Consider having a set of four solar panels. For example a 110ah battery should never be connected to a panel more than 11w without a solar controller and if you are using a solar controller you do not need a blocking diode.