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Kevin Repass
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2011
Cloudy Day Follow-up to the Harbor Freight 100 Watt Solar Panel Comparison.
Comparing the current output of the 100 Watt Amorphous Solar Kit, and the 100 Watt Mono-crystalline Solar Panel from Harbor Freight, under cloudy conditions.
Here is the link to the original video under full sun conditions:
th-cam.com/video/T3x_UKhhZQQ/w-d-xo.html
Here is the link to the original video under full sun conditions:
th-cam.com/video/T3x_UKhhZQQ/w-d-xo.html
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Harbor Freight 100 Watt Solar Panel Comparison
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I wanted to give a comparison of the Harbor Freight, older Amorphous 100 watt solar kit, and the new 100 watt monocrystalline solar panel, using both a PWM charge controller and a MPPT charge controller. The location was in humid, Northeast TN during the first week of September. It was around 5:30 in the afternoon so the sun was starting to get lower in the sky. Here is a the link to the follow...
Can you connect xtra 100w panel to same controller for 200w total???
@@eddielane9781 , that is currently what I am doing. I have a Victron MPPT 75/15 charge controller. It will accept 75 volts in and output up to 15 amps. I series connect two of the 100 watt panels which creates 36-40 volts at around 6-7 amps in full sun. The controller converts it to 14 volts out at around 12-14 amps.
Panel is more then 100 watts.
Bonjour si vous souhaitez avoir des panneaux solaires pliable acheter de 2 a autant que vous voulez des panneaux solaires de 50w et fête en une valise pliable cordialement
Any one use a dc to dc buck booster converter?
Just what I wanted to know. I plan on buying the 100 Watt Amorphous Solar Panel Kit, and the 100 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel. Can the kit controller handle the combined panel outputs? Thanks.
I no longer have the amorphous kit, but if I remember correctly, that controller is rated for 10 amps. Theoretically, you could get a little over 12 amps from all of them combined, but it would be rare. I tried paralleling them all at one time, but the total current was a little less than it should have been, based on hooking up the 100 watt kit, and the 100 watt panel separately, and adding the results. I feel like there is a slight voltage difference between the two panel types that's causing the inefficiency. I don't think the included controller would handle the voltage of connecting the panels in series.
This panel can put out close to 100 watts th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
Okay I have the same panels but to be able to get anywhere between 7 to 8 amps out of them you need to take each panel and split it in the way of positive to negative type conversion Yes you'll have more voltage but I've learned that the amperage goes up but if you try to connect more than two it won't work so you split the two and then connect them up as one thing
Thank you. I recently bought a kit and a couple more panels during the annual sale, and this is helpful in setting expectations.
Thanks for doing this comparison!! ;-)
Thank you for this comparison video , you provided me with the exact information that I was looking for, very well done also
yes... it is seriously on
Thanks for this comparison. Very good representation of not only the panels but what you can expect using the two different types of charge controllers. I use a similar MPPT EPEver. I think I’ll get a couple hundred watts of amorphous panels to supplement my system now during overcast winter months and also in the rainy season. May just switch solar rays as needed. Thanks for the great review short and concise yet very informative. Harbor freight seems to raise their prices on a lot of panels the folding one is just about $200 and about $130 for the mono🎉 cheers
Does anyone know if it’s possible to connect both the 4 panel 100w and 1 panel 100w together?
I have parralled them before, but the total current supplied was slightly lower than what it should have been, based on the total of correcting them separately. I believe it was due to the voltage being slightly lower on the 4 panel set, and it was pulling the total down. Connecting them in series would have exceeded the allowed input voltage of my charge controller. I feel like it would work better if each panel type had their own charge controller, then you can parallel their output at the battery.
@@kevinrepass4210 thanks for replying. I am an electrical dummy. I have 2 of the 4 panel kits that I set aside for emergency purposes. Figured I’d scrounge batteries in an emergency situation. Lithium batteries have changed my mind some what. I know I would need charge controllers for lifepo4 batteries. Was just wondering if the ne’er 100 w panels would enhance my setup.
Thank you for telling us both the amps and the volts ...I can't tell you how annoying it is to be watching a video and only be told one ...god bless man
Good review thank you!!
The amorphous panels appear to be using a thinner gauge wire than the monocrystalline panel. That right there would affect the current output.
I'm using 18 gauge wire at a distance of around 10 feet. If you check the charts, you will see that for a copper wire, that only has .0638 ohms of total resistance. That low of a resistance is totally negligible. A bigger wire would be overkill.
@@kevinrepass4210I'm referring to the wires that came with the amorphous panels. They appear to be much thinner than the wire that the monocrystalline panel is using. If that is the case then that is why they are not doing as well. It is acting as a choke point for the current. The wiring gauge from the rest of the system won't make much of a difference in this case. Although the monocrystalline panel will be able to take full advantage of the 18 gauge wiring. The amorphous panels won't if the gauge of wire it is using is smaller. I have the older amorphous panels from Harbor Freights that are 15 watts each. They use the O ring terminals. I hooked up my own wiring to them. These newer 25 watt ones appear to be using the newer mc4 connectors. Either get 18 gauge mc4 wiring with the appropriate connector on the other end or cut the wiring on the panels and crimp on some O ring terminals. Then get wiring with O rings on one end and the appropriate connector on the other end.
@@emuhill , if you look back at the video carefully, you'll see a connector inline with cable to the monocrystaline panel. I'm using an extension cable that is a bigger gauge than the factory cable attached to the panel, which is also 18 gauge. Both panels use SAE connectors, which are satisfactory for this application. As an Industrial Electrician and Electronics Technician for over 30 years, with an education in Electronics, trust me. The cable size for these lengths and current ratings is sufficient.
@@kevinrepass4210 Ok so it has been established that everything you used and had the panels plugged into was 18 gauge. So what is the gauge of both the monocrystalline and the amorphous panels?
@@emuhill all panels came with 18 gauge wire attached.
Thank you for this! I was worried I wouldn’t find a comparison of these 2 panels when I searched, and you provided just the information I was looking for
Perfect timing I was considering picking up the new panel. Nice to see it is slightly better than the older model which I have. Can you use the controller from the old model in the new model?
Yes. You can use the old controller. The new panel uses the same SAE connector.
Thanks ! Really helpful
i sent back a newpowa 200w panel.. and replaced it with 2x 100w thunderbolt panels.. i am getting 105% out of the 100w pair .. vs the 200w newpowa (150-158w) vs 203-208w those harbor freight panels have got to be the best bang for the buck on the market for solar panels 99.99 on sale 107.41 after tax in here in eastern NC
Thanks for doing this.
For both your battery is almost full. It would be a better test if the battery was below 13 volts.
The battery in the camper is lithium so full would be between 13.6 and 14.6 volts. I've loaded the battery by running several items inside the camper. For these conditions, it's doubtful that the MPPT charge controller and panels would produce more current, given that it's set for charging lithium. The PWM controller might produce a little more current since it doesn't have a lithium setting. But it was close to what the MPPT controller was producing anyway.
@@kevinrepass4210 cool.
beginner. I have 4, 100 watt panals, only getting 200 watts in mid day coming in. Is this normal?
Depending on the panel, tilt toward the sun, and how clear the air is, it could be normal. I don't think most of us will ever have perfect enough conditions to get the full tested wattage from a panel. So far, the best I've been able to do with the 100 watt mono-crystaline panel is around 80 watts with the PWM controller. Maybe around 70 watts with the amorphous panels when they were new. A lot of factors can hurt performance. A little haze in the air, panel tilt toward the sun, cable length and heat. The hotter they get, the less efficient they get. It's best to mount them with some air flow around the back side.
@@kevinrepass4210 Thanks.I run a 10awg,10ft extention.Gana add 10 more feet.Is it safe running 20 feet of 10awg,or do I truly need a 6awg?
@@richardjones7882 , 10 AWG is plenty big enough. On average, 10 AWG is good for 30 amps, and the resistance is way low at those lengths.
@@kevinrepass4210 ok,It looks like it will be 5 ft 10 awg I will add,and is it ok to mix up different name brands extension cables from Amazon?
@@richardjones7882 , that should be fine.
What is the amp rating on your new controller!
10 amps.
@@kevinrepass4210 I have 200 watts going to a 10 amp Harbor Freight controller and didn't know if I needed to upgrade to 30 amp. I have (6) 35 amp batteries. 2000 watt inverter.
200 watts may be pushing a 10 amp controller past it's limits, under ideal conditions. Theoretically, 200 watts divided by 13 volts gives you around 15.4 amps. You'll never get that much out of them but I can see you getting 13 - 14 amps out of a pair of the HF mono-crystaline panels, based on what I've gotten out of my single 100 watt panel, on a very clear day. I have 10 amp inline fuses in the wiring to protect everything.
Back in the day the Harbor Freight four panel kit was their first attempt and was a good, cheap idea for anyone who wanted to learn how it all works. Today, H.F.’s products have improved not surprisingly, but that doesn’t mean their older items are not good anymore. If you’re new to solar power, the kit is a good place to start, it has everything you need in one box (excluding battery) to get started, but if you need something that is expandable, I would recommend the single panel option and a powerful controller that can grow as your system increases with additional panels and batteries.
Great comparison. I'm wondering if all that extra cable and connections on the 4 amorphous panels has something to do with the output difference in the two types of panels. I noticed the connection to the mono panel was much shorter with one connection. Also the wire gauge was different I'm guessing. Thanks for posting.
While wire length can have an effect, it doesn't really apply to lengths this short. According to a copper wire resistance chart, my 18 gauge wire only has.0651 ohms of resistance for every 10 feet of cable. That's low enough to ignore.
@@kevinrepass4210 I agree... I'd be interested in the individual panel output at the first connection as compared to the final output with all the wire, connections, and junctions. Perhaps I'll check on it myself. I was always taught that the cleanest shortest connection of a properly sized wire gave you the best result on flow. Thanks again for posting. I very much enjoy your content!
Solar Tip. You can steplessly dim down a bulge and all other hungry electricity consumers with a 5000W dimmer (7, EUR). I run 5 dimmers in parallel on an 850W inverter. Kettle 2.2KW at 150W runs 12 hours a day, so the water is always hot. The room is also nicely heated. 2.5KW washing machine runs in parallel with dimmed to 200...400W. Iron, dishwasher, oven, electric heater, coffee machine, all internal heating are throttled with me. Videos about it on my channel th-cam.com/video/eC2olbCBhh0/w-d-xo.html The inverter stays cool, quiet and the MOSFETs remain intact because extreme current peaks no longer arrive at the inverter. Now every Mini PV Inverter is enough to sell large devices...
Comparing the two can you tell me witch one starts producing power in the morning and witch one stops producing power in the evening? Thanks.
Hello, an under-table dent and all other hungry electricity consumers can be dimmed steplessly with the 5000W dimmer (7, EUR). I run 5 dimmers in parallel on an 850W inverter. Kettle 2.2KW at 150W runs for 12 hours at a time, so the water is always hot. The room is also nicely heated. 2.5KW washing machine runs in parallel with dimmed to 200...400W. Iron, dishwasher, oven, electric heater, coffee machine, all internal heating are throttled with me. Videos on my channel th-cam.com/video/eC2olbCBhh0/w-d-xo.html The inverter stays cool, quiet and the MOSFETs remain intact because extreme current peaks no longer arrive at the inverter...
I have very strong mono panels, and they only produce decent current on sunny days. When it rains, they produce next to nothing. The amorphous panels produce the same current on cloudy days as they do on sunny days. Around 3.5 amps. It's not enough to run the inverter but it's enough to get a charge when nothing else seems to be working.
Your wires are to thin. So wil loose power into your wires. Try it with 4 or 6mm² wire and you wil see a beter result
I'm using 18 gauge wire at a distance of around 10 feet. If you check the charts, you will see that for a copper wire, that only has .0638 ohms of total resistance. That low of a resistance is totally negligible. A bigger wire would be overkill.
Thank you
I have the 4x25 100-watt HF panels as well. Had them for over four-years now, & I have nothing but praise for them! I’ll probably purchase the single, 100-watt panel soon! Just a tip though…don’t set your battery directly on the ground. I’m not an electrician, but I was told to put a piece of wood under it, because the ground will “ground-it-out!” Thanks!
Thanks for the tip Ambrose. I actually am an electrician. Sitting the battery on the ground will not ground it out. Sitting short term on the ground has no negative effects. You do want to sit it on wood if storing during the winter. It will keep a charge longer that way.
just so you know the volt reding on the charge controller is the voltage of your battery not volts coming in from your solar panels
So the 157 volts displayed on my control panel is the battery voltage 🤔 I assumed it was the three 400 watt 50 volts my solar panels are rated at 🤔
Newbie Question , just received my first solar panel Briefcase style (Richsolar)100w with PWM controller to use while camping to help keep batteries up. do i need to disconnect it if i am going to run my Generator for the whole Travel trailer ? will it case damage to the system. thanks
There should be no need to disconnect. The controller will prevent current backflow.
@@kevinrepass4210 Thank you
I have had my HF kit for 4 years. Gonna go check the out the 100 W panel.
Try the same test on a cloudy day and see what happens
I was actually planning on that when I got a chance. I know amorphous panels are supposed to work better in low light so that should be an interesting matchup.
Can you please tell me where you got that Controller kit and did it come with the plug for the solar panel mounted on the exterior of the camper. Thank you
The PWM controller laying on the ground came with 4 panel kit. I bought the EP Ever MPPT controller, and the remote display from Amazon. All panels came with the SAE connector that mated to the one that was mounted from the factory on the side of the camper. That one went straight to the battery so I had to drill a hole in the interior wall to access the wiring in order to install the charger controller inline.
I got two of those monocryslalline 100 watt panels on sale at Harbor Freight for 89.99. Just need a good controller for them. Can't wait to test them out. 15 pounds a piece. They are slightly heavy but for the price point there worth it. Thanks for sharing. Take care. 😊
I bought each one of these a couple of weeks ago. I don’t have an rv but I just wanted to get my feet wet in the world of solar. I have a small 100w Go Pro Power plus charging station right now. And a 1500w solar generator on the way. Thanks for the video!
2 fans blowing on the newer panel may alter comparison results.
How would it alter results? The fans weren't blowing on the panel. They were only there to put a load on the battery. There should be zero current flow from the panels to the battery if it had a full charge and no load.
Thanks this really helped me out with making my decision I went to harbor freight last night and they had the older panel kits that you have one was on clearance for a hundred bucks someone returned it without the charger in it but I own a charger already but after watching this video im going to buy the monocrystalline panel it cost about the same as the other panel thanks for taking the time and posting the video much appreciated
The state of charge of your battery will also determine the amount of current coming from your panels. If you shorted the cables for the solar panels you would get max current flow and you would probably get closer to the 6-7 amps you were expecting.
The amount of charge on the battery will determine the amount of current the panels will supply. That's why I had the inverter and fans pulling the lead acid battery down, and had all of the lights and fans running in the camper to pull the lithium battery down. As an electrician, I never like shorting any wires together. Even though it might have given a different reading,, it wouldn't have been a real world useable reading of what to expect from the panels in normal use.
Mppt controllers allow you to put solar panels in series and get the same amount of power without increasing the current going thru the wires... Allowing you to use smaller wires and less losses due to current flow. By putting panels in series, you double the voltage and therefore double the power while keeping the current the same.
That is true. If you're working with some high currents, it would be an advantage. With the smaller current I'm working with, the main advantage is that it's converting any panel voltage, that's higher than the batteries charge voltage, to extra current, instead of wasting it like the PWM controller. No high power setup here. Just keeping a single battery topped up while boondocking.
@@kevinrepass4210 : I think you would be surprised at how much difference a mppt controller would make. It also gives you versatility. You can use solar panels that have output voltages anywhere from 12 to 100 vdc and the mppt controller will transform it to the appropriate battery voltage with the highest possible current going to the battery. I use a mppt controller with my 100 watt panel and it charges my 12v 100 a-h lithium battery very quickly. I usually use about 30 A-h per day.
@@chronobot2001 , no surprise here. As shown in the video, I am already using a MPPT controller in my camper.
Only thing you left out is what battery you use
It's a 100 AH LiFePO4 battery. It's one of the cheaper ones branded as ToBattery. I've had it a year now and it worked great during the last camping season. The only drawback is that it didn't have the low temperature charging cutoff built in. But that doesn't matter to me since I don't camp in cold weather.
@@kevinrepass4210 Thanks for response! Good video by the way keep it up
Thank you. I have some ideas for a few more videos, when the weather warms up.
Its been my experience that the Harbor Freight 25W panels are really only 17W. They must use some New Math to get to 25W.
Sounds right solar only get about 75% efficiency to your batteries after the power loss from wires and controllers
I'm trying to exchange the set of four unused and Harbor Freight isn't having it without at least a lot of add on warranty fees. That tells you what you need to know. It's more like a 60w system.
still testing the 100 Watt harbor freight kit built a container for the charge controller recharging a 300 watt lithium generator takes about 7 hours in Nov it seems
Those new HF monos seem to be worth every penny. Renogy (a very reputable solar entity) also has an awesome deal on a 100watt mono bundle kit with charge controller for around $115
Had the 3 panel system. Rtnd it to Harbor freight n bought the Renogy single panel kit with chg controller included for less $ than the big flimsy Harbor freight 3 panel one that didn't work well at all and with lil cust support.
Exactly! 👏 Harbor Freight is garbage 🗑️