I'm planning to set up my solar system with four 100W panels. My idea is to connect two pairs of panels in parallel and then wire those pairs in series, which would give me a total of 200W at 10A. I want to use my 20A Renogy MPPT charge controller with this setup. I'm using a 300Ah LiFePO4 battery and will be operating in New England, where shading could be an issue. I think connecting in parallel will help with shading, while the series connection could potentially boost my output. Is this a solid plan, or am I missing something?
1 Answer
It's important to check if all your panels are the same model first. If they are, then just follow what your MPPT can handle. Remember though, the combined open-circuit voltage (Voc) from your panels should never exceed what your MPPT can handle. It's a good idea to leave a 10% buffer for those chilly days when voltages might be higher than expected.