DIY Solar – Wiring Different Solar Panels w/ Same Watts, Different Volts & Amps

We are here with another DIY solar demo to see what happens when you have mismatched solar panels and what approach makes the most sense for wiring them – in series, in parallel, or not even at all. We will be using the same watts, with different volts and amps. Check out our first demo here, in which we use same amps, with different volts & watts.

What we have are two 100W solar panels – a 24V nominal and a 12V nominal – both will be going through an MPPT charge controller. Going into the battery, we’re going to measure each solar panel individually, so we can confirm what we are getting individually. Then, we are going to wire them in series. Finally, we’re going to wire them in parallel to see which approach provides the best performance.

Let’s get started…

DIY Solar – Wiring Mismatched Solar Panels


 

About Author

Amy Beaudet
Amy Beaudet was in the solar industry at the altE Store from 2007 until her untimely passing in 2021. She was a sales rep, instructor, and an all-around solar evangelist, sharing her passion for solar around the world. When whe wasn't at work, she enjoyed sailing and skiing - but odds were good she was still talking about solar on the boat or on the slopes. See more of Amy Beaudet's blog posts.

2 Comments

  1. Commercial Solar Panels

    Great information. How much do they cost?

    1. Amy Beaudet (Post author)

      You can see price and availability here, https://www.altestore.com/store/solar-panels-c541/

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