Help adding more solar panels

[peterc10]

I am looking to add some more panels on my motorhome's roof, and yet again I am looking for some advice from the MHF experts please.

I understand that if I want to put the additional panels through the existing solar regulator, which has the capacity, I will need to match up the voltages of the panels to get optimal performance. Is that correct? If so should that be the Voc or Vmp matching the existing?

And how can I measure to find out what the existing panels voltages are? Is it as simple as just checking the voltage across the solar regulator inputs on a sunny day? If so will that give me the Voc or Vmp.

Finally, at the moment I am looking to buy the panels from either Renogy or Craigsolar. Has anybody used either of them and if so what was your experience like.

Many thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[Stealaway]

I suppose that matching panels would be the optimum but I have two different make/size panels and they produce loads of amps.
Measure the gap you have on the roof and buy a panel to fit.
I suspect you will need a bigger (20 amp) charge controller and buy a dual battery type.
I bought a secondhand 125W panel for £50 from eBay. Works a treat with my factory fitted 100W

 

[Just smiffy]

Hi Peter, I bought two 200w panels from Craig solar and they came within a couple of days, I haven’t put them up on the van yet but I have one working on a single 10yr old agm battery through a victron 100/30 controller… it’s leaning up against the house wall and I charge all my usb stuff on it every day and copes just fine.

The panel looks good quality and the connectors I ordered with the wiring are good quality too….