Connecting solar panels in series.
Connecting 3 solar panels in series.
There are 3 ways to connect solar panels.
The connecting solar panels in series is very easy just like connecting battery cell with one anther however lets get a review on.
This kind of a lowering of current would of course cause a loss of power output and eventually loss in equipment efficiency.
The capacity of a solar panel to produce energy is measured in watts which is calculated by multiplying a solar panel s voltage by the amps of current it produces when a solar installer builds a solar energy system they need to find the right balance of voltage and amps to ensure that the system performs well.
By connecting multiple solar panels in series we increase the system voltage.
Parallel series and a combination of parallel and series.
The first way i am going to talk about is parallel because this is probably the most common way that panels will be connected.
Comparing solar panels in series vs.
For this example i am showing you connecting panels that are for a 12 volt system.
Solar panels are wired in series when you connect the positive terminal of one panel to the negative terminal of another.
When solar panels are wired in series the voltage of the panels adds together but the amperage remains the same.
When you connect two or more solar panels like this it becomes a pv source circuit.
So when connecting solar panels in series always try to keep the electrical properties of the solar panels identical to get the full benefit of the solar array.
Typically solar panels of specific or matching current needs to be connected with each other in series.
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.
The 140w panel actually drags the 3 other 160w panel s wattage down to 140w as well meaning we effectively have 4 x 140w solar panels.
The connection of multiple solar panels in parallel arises from the need to reach certain current values at the output without changing the voltage.
Should you connect a 3a solar panel to a 3 5a solar panel the all round current will probably be pulled down to 3a.
In the below solar series wiring diagram i shown 4 solar panels which is 12 volts and 8 amperes when we connect these panel in series with one another the complete output of our panel come 48 volts and 8 amperes.