Why Would You Wire Solar Panels In Series

In a solar power system the higher the voltage and the lower the energy losses along the cables.

Why would you wire solar panels in series.

When stringing in series the wire from the positive terminal of one solar panel is connected to the negative terminal of the next panel and so on. By connecting multiple solar panels in series we increase the system voltage. Firstly lets take a look at connecting solar panels in series. The reason why series connections are utilized with mppt controllers is that mppt controllers actually are able to accept a higher voltage input and still be able to charge your 12v or more batteries.

For example if you installed 5 solar panels in series with each solar panel rated at 12 volts and 5 amps you d still have 5 amps but a full 60 volts. To know the maximum system voltage we usually just need to turn the panel and read the label where the value is reported. Solar panels are usually connected in series to obtain higher output voltage. Putting panels in series makes it so the voltage of the array increases.

Connecting your panels in series will increase the voltage level and keep the amperage the same. When your panels are connected in series the operational voltage of the panels is added together. There are two ways to wire up solar panels. This means that through the power of the mpptcontroller each panel only needs to be able to muster up 25 of its voltage capacity before it can start making amps in a 3 panel series.

So you connect your solar panels in series to meet the operating voltage window requirements of your inverter. When a solar installer wires your solar panels in a series each panel is connected to the next in a string the total voltage of each solar panel is summed together but the amps of electrical current stay the same. When you wire in series there is just a single wire leading from the roof for each string of solar panels. When installing solar panels in series the voltage adds up but the current stays the same for all of the elements.

If you are connecting two 100 watt panels in series and each panel has an output of 18 9 volts you will end up with 200w 37 8 volts and 5 29 amps under optimum conditions. When stringing panels in series each panel additional adds to the total voltage v of the string but the current i in the string remains the same. This is important because a solar power system needs to operate at a certain voltage in order for the inverter to work properly. Both have their own purpose and applications and both have different outcomes when hooking up solar panels of different wattage together.