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Post by Jimmy B on May 8, 2019 6:19:25 GMT
A couple years ago I bought a 2 x 100 watt solar kit from Renogy, with a 40A controller so I could expand to four panels in the future. I am thinking that I would like to add 2 x 160 watt panels, bringing the array to 520 watts.
Would the Commander 40A controller still be suitable? Lots of conflicting info online.
Thanks
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Post by tattoo on May 8, 2019 15:52:35 GMT
It depends..... Are you thinking parallel or series? They say not to mix and match panels.... I don't know....
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Post by Jimmy B on May 13, 2019 15:29:58 GMT
It depends..... Are you thinking parallel or series? They say not to mix and match panels.... I don't know.... Parallel. On a sailboat with lots of shading. |
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Post by bupkis on May 13, 2019 16:02:47 GMT
the 40A is rated 520w, what is the issue.
The rover also has current limiting if it ever exceeds 40A battery charging.
another spec on the web site is Max. PV Input Short Current: 50A
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terracore
Solar Advocate
Chillin at EZwineKIT.com
Posts: 50
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Post by terracore on May 19, 2019 23:01:16 GMT
You didn't say if you have a 12 or 24v system but the max paneling for a 12v system should be 1,560 watts and 3,120 watts for a 24v system. The 40 amp (520 watts at 12v) rating is for the maximum amount the controller can put into the battery, not what it can take on the panel side. The 1,560 watt figure comes from the parameter that the controller can take about 3x the paneling wattage than what it can process and put into the battery. This is because the controller manufacturer understands that some people need arrays 3 times larger than their power needs because not everybody lives where there is full sun all the time. Any wattage above 520 produced by the panels is simply limited by the controller so it will not harm your batteries or your charger, but I wouldn't put more than the 1,560 watts it's rated for (12v) into a 40 amp controller. (This is for most MPPT controllers including your model, this is not the case for other types of controllers). Here's the link to the manual, the info you are seeking is on page 10:
As far as mixing your panel types, yes you can do this but unless you want significant degradation of the output of your highest rated panels, you'll want to wire them in parallel (which is what you would use in a shaded situation of a sailboat anyway) and only use a MPPT type controller which is what you have. This article explains panel mixing really well:
Another option if you are using mixed panel types is you can have separate arrays (one charge controller per array) all leading to the same battery bank. Because of my setup, my PV system has 3 different solar arrays and 3 chargers. One wired in series and two parallel.
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Post by Admin on May 21, 2019 19:19:15 GMT
A couple years ago I bought a 2 x 100 watt solar kit from Renogy, with a 40A controller so I could expand to four panels in the future. I am thinking that I would like to add 2 x 160 watt panels, bringing the array to 520 watts. Would the Commander 40A controller still be suitable? Lots of conflicting info online. Thanks There seems to be no issue with this. Put them in parallel and in 12V and you're fine. -Renogy Team |
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