Hello! Hopefully this is the right community for this question.
I’ve started small with solar by getting a 100W panel that connects to a battery that I charge daily and use it to charge things like my laptops or other devices.
I want to start adding additional panels and sending that solar power into our home to use throughout.
As I vaguely understand it, I can get a grid-tie microinverter and then plug panels into that? Will this work? Do I need different type of panels? Do all the panels need to match in specs/watts? It has XLPE (I think?) cables and bullet output.
How are yall sending solar to your home without getting a full on roof mounted solar system?
Thanks!
I’m in a shared living situation where I only control my bedroom, but there I have a pair of 100W panels outside my window that I just pass the cables through inside via that selfsame window, a shelf next to it with a solar controller and battery, and then run DC to all the lights in my room and my corsi-rosenthal box (which was built with 12V PC fans), plus whatever devices I want to charge like phones and flashlights and stuff. Basically the low-tech magazine approach.
If you’re starting small scale anyways I don’t think it makes sense to set it up as though it were large scale, and if you evaluate what your actual energy needs are you might find that you don’t even ever need to go big.
Just to add another side to this - check if you need an LVD - low voltage disconnect. It cuts the connection to the power grid when power goes out.
Thanks! The inverters I have been looking at apparently turn off if no power being pulled. That the same?
That should be it, yes
With the existing 100W panel you have it isn’t really worth it, but there are relatively cheap mini systems these days that are sold under the term “balcony solar” that can plug into a regular outlet and feed power into your home network.
For sure. At least it’s something for now. Easier than the battery system I got going on. I was planning on adding more panels anyways. Probably like the ones you’re talking about. Do they all have to be the same or I can mix and match panels on the microinverter?
Panels can have different voltages, so you can’t just randomly mix them. And those mini-inverters have maximum capacity you can’t exceed (typically 800W).
Ah so they can have different wattages but voltage has to match?
If you exceed capacity it doesn’t just cap?
If you wire the panels in series then the total voltage will be the sum of all the panels’ voltages. The final amps will be the amps of the weakest panel.
If you wire the panels in parallel then the max voltage will be the voltage of the weakest panel but the amps will be the sum of all the panels’ amps.
So it depends what your charge controller can handle. High volts or high amps. Also series and parallel react differently to partial shade. I can’t remember the details, only that parallel seems to cope much better.
High voltage (24v or higher, ideally 48v) is good for longer distances as transmitting electricity at 12v suffers losses after a few meters unless you have extremely thick wires. If your panels are < 4 meters from your plug/controller then parallel panels (with it’s lower voltage) will be ok.
Don’t skimp on fuses. If anything goes wrong you want the panels to be cut off, not pumping electrons into the fire.
It depends if they are linked in series or in row, but yes, typically it is better to have them all with the same open-circut voltage.
I guess most will have an overload protection, but with these cheap ones I would stay on the safe side and not add so many panels that an overload can easily happen.
It may depend on where you live. I have an inverter that maxes out at 600W and two panels with 400W each connected to it. The inverter is plugged into a regular socket.
Thanks! I’m in California. I’m gonna hit you with a bunch of questions. No need to answer them all.
So you’re getting 600W instead of 800?
You can mix and match panels on the inverter?
What brand you get/where you get it?
Did you work with electric company or city to get reimbursed for overage?
