Planning to build an array of solar panels? Before you start soldering solar cells you need to determine how many panels you will need in order to meet your energy output goals. Of course, in order to do that, you’ll need to have an understanding of how to wire your panels together. This article will explain the difference between parallel solar panel installations and series solar panel installations, and it will give advice as to which you should use.
Wiring Solar Panels in Parallel
Imagine that you are looking at three solar panels lying next to each other on the ground. On the top of each panel is a positive terminal. On the bottom of each panel is a negative terminal. You are going to wire these panels together using the terminals. You have two options. Option one is to run wires along the top, connecting each positive terminal together and to run wires along the bottom, connecting each negative terminal together. This is a parallel solar installation. What happens when you wire your panels in this fashion?
When you wire your solar panels in parallel, the total voltage output remains the same as it is in a single panel. The amperage output becomes the sum of the output of each panel. For example, say each of your panels produces 12 volts and 3.5 amps. The total output of your panels, when wired in parallel, would be 12 volts and 10.5 amps. What would your total output be if you had six panels instead of three? Your voltage output would remain the same, 12 volts, but your amperage would increase to 21.
Wiring Solar Panels in Series
Now look back at those three unwired solar panels lying next to each other on the ground. This time we are going to wire them in series. Instead of wiring the positive terminal of one panel to the positive terminal of the panel next to it, we are going to wire the positive terminal of one panel to the negative terminal of the panel next to it. Do this for each panel, and your array will be wired in series. What is the result of this?
When you wire your solar panels in series, the amperage remains the same, and the total voltage output becomes the sum of the voltage output of each panel. Using the same three 12 volt, 3.5 amp panels as above, we can see the difference. Wired in series, they now produce 36 volts at 3.5 amps. What if we hook up our three other panels? Correct. Our amperage remains at 3.5 and our voltage output jumps to 72.
When to Use Each Respective Wiring Style
Which wiring style should you use? Well, that depends on the system that you want to charge. Let’s say, for example, that you want to use solar power to charge up your RV while camping. An RV, as you know, uses a 12-volt system; therefore, you would want your solar panel system outputting 12 volts. So, if you have two solar panels and each produces 12 volts at 3.5 amps, you would want to wire them in parallel, which would keep the volts at 12 and increase the amperage to 7.0. If, on the other hand, you have two solar panels and each produces 6 volts at 3.5 amps, you would want to wire them in series, which would increase the volts to 12 while keeping the amps at 3.5.
You may be wondering what the effects are, in regards to total power output, of wiring panels up one way or the other. The answer is that there are no effects at all. Total power is measured in watts. To figure out the total wattage of your charging system, simply multiply your amps times your volts. For example, say you have one system producing 12 volts at 10 amps and another producing 120 volts at 1 amp. Which produces more power? Neither.
12 volts X 10 amps = 120 watts
120 volts X 1 amp = 120 watts
For simple reference in regards to the difference between parallel and series wiring, just remember that parallel wiring = more amps, and series wiring = more volts. With a sound understanding of the differences between parallel and series solar installations, you are now ready to design and build your own solar panel system.