I'm putting together a solar power setup for my off-grid plot and have already estimated my power needs. I'm considering wiring my batteries in parallel to maximize available amp-hours (Ah). However, I'm curious if I can wire my solar panels in series instead of parallel. I'm worried about the high current that comes with connecting multiple panels in parallel, as it can make finding a proper charge controller really expensive. Additionally, I wonder if it's wise to have oversized batteries compared to my solar panels, with the idea that it's easier to add panels later on. If you need technical specs for my setup, just let me know!
2 Answers
You should aim for maximum watt-hours (Wh) in your batteries rather than just focusing on amp-hours (Ah). Remember, the energy capacity of your batteries remains the same whether they're in series or parallel. The important thing for the solar panels is wattage too—it's all about balancing voltage (V) and current (A). I recommend checking out the Wiki on this subject for more in-depth info!
Using MPPT charge controllers typically requires you to have your solar panels wired in series to achieve a higher voltage than that of your batteries. Just keep in mind that the number of panels you connect in series should depend on the VOC (open circuit voltage) of the panels and the maximum input voltage of your controller. It's fine to go over the max current of your controller, but definitely stay under the max voltage!
Thanks for the tip! I'll make sure to check panel voltage limits.