CHECK OUT THE TOPCON HERE: gohobo.io/topcon (18% discount on site) "Is this panel compatible with my power station / solar controller?" You can answer this and other solar questions by watching HOBO University. th-cam.com/play/PLHEFQDjiZC_d8b6b_9cNqTkbxnPHuAkzi.html
Ah new technology. Apples and oranges to older systems. Unless you have a controller that can handle the higher voltage. But then, you did , quickly say, not backwards compatible.
Thanks, Hobotech! Just ordered the panel via your link from BougeRV. Been eying the panel, but couldn’t justify it being so far over the $200 mark. Your promo code made it a great deal. Keep doing what you are doing!
I’ve been using bi-facial panels for a couple years now. Last December I purchased eight,115 watt bifacial panels from Renogy The power output on these are wonderful. I experimented and put mirrors and reflectics behind the panels, which makes a big difference.
The dual panel design is about 20 years old tbh. Other companies are splitting each cell up into its own thing, running them parallel with bigger busbars and different types of junction box on the back to really maximise it. Makes it really heavy but really efficient.
@@mattheword I honestly dont know the name, I saw a couple mentioned on youtube about a year ago. Might just be one smaller company. Instead of the usual junction box it had one about 6x12 inches on the back. You can also get water cooled panels now too. Linus did a video on that.
The prices on solar panels are plummeting throughout the industry, due to much higher financing costs for folks who might otherwise have installed residential panels on their home. This increased cost has created a huge glut of PV on the market, driving down prices as companies struggle to sell what they were producing. With that said, these panels are a much better technology and not subject to all of those same pressures on price, but they're still quite competitive. For anyone with limited square footage to work with, they're a great choice. For those building a larger, permanent array, brand new, name-brand residential panels can be had for $.40/watt or less. Apples and oranges, but important to understand as you look at each type of panel.
That 40c per watt doesn't include shipping. Pallet of 30 residential panels shipping is almost $800 for me. No one ever factors that in. Agreed, if you're doing a large build to get 450w or bigger panels.
It seems here in the UK solar panels are one of the things that are actually cheaper than in the USA!😮 Here a 400w (54 cell) residential panel costs from £60 ($75) or about half the price. Also for most cities you can just drive and collect panels locally for free. If you need 30 panels (not many people here have that many as we have small houses and yards) you might need to do three trips in the car.
@@HOBOTECH might want to check back into residential panels, 12X 370 watt (480 bifacial potential) comes out to $1,511.91 after shipping and tax. just under 41 Cents a watt. BUT i understand not everyone is looking for that many panels to deal with.
This looks like the perfect power dense panel to mount to the roof rack on Lexus 100 Series LX470. There's not a lot of space up there. I've only allocated the front 1/4 of the roof rack for a solar panel. This may fit. Thanks Hobo!
I recently saw an article on bifacial panels, and the bottom line was that they perform well vertical, and oriented east-west, perpendicular to the normal panel placement. It sacrifices high noon production, but does dramatically better morning and evening.
Morning and evening sun is the worst for output due to the sun going through more atmosphere. Pointing them south at the correct angle for your latitude will provide the most output over a solar day. Anyone saying otherwise is just pondering for clicks by trying to be controversial.
@@HOBOTECH Well, yes, and no. There's a good bit of research of vertically oriented bifacial panels vs. standard south-facing panels angled perpendicular to solar noon sun. The results are closer than you'd think in the summer. However, there's a larger difference in the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky.
@@unknownquantity4440 I'm sorry. Interested in your comment, but I didn't understand. In the winter, which is better, vertical bifacial panels or standard south-facing panels. Thanks.
@@annnonomys3132 Vertical bifacial pointing east-west instead of south are better in the winter. Where I live (55 degrees North) I suspect an east/west orientation is better in the summer too: since the sun rises in the North East, moves to the south, then finally sets in the North West.
Doggies - last year I put a pair of 200w panels on my TT. Paid a then reasonable 220/panel too. Oh well, tech keeps getting better so my next basic system will have more (less space/panel needed) and better (efficiency) panels. BougeRV is bringing good stuff to market! Thank you for the early look Prof Hobo.
About 8-12% smaller than a typical 200W panel. Not bad. The low-light performance is supposed to be quite decent due to the relatively low cell losses (that goes hand-in-hand with the temperature coefficient). Its a bit unclear what their degradation rate is going to be in the real world. Shading losses for single-panel configurations are strictly a function of the number of bypass diodes, which is why "half-cut" panels (which have double the number of bypass diodes) are considered. The cell type doesn't matter unless it has per-cell built-in bypass diodes (which none have these days). Partial shade doesn't stop my 100W Renogy's as long as I orient the panel so the shade only covers one sub-string at a time as it progresses, just reduces the output by 1/3, then 2/3, then 90% once fully shaded. Solar panels have dropped in price radically across the board. $1/watt isn't that special right now with 100W panels going for $65-$75 (amazon price, hard panels, fully delivered). 200W panels are fairly cheap too, definitely less than $1/W. In fact I even see a number of Bifacial 200W panels on Amazon sitting at $160. The lowest price I see is $140-ish for 200W "Alrska" panels. Hmm.. that's actually quite interesting. 43" x 35" which is just about exactly the same area as the TOPCon BougeRV panel. I dunno about the brand (never heard of them), but the cells kinda look like Maxeons with hidden busbars. In anycase, the price decrease seems to be universal. 300W panels running $250. Etc. -Matt
Was able to pull 420watts with 2x ntype 200w bifacial in series. Had white eflective material behind vertical mounted using pvc stand In a 24v system facing south
Is the 30”X50” the actual measurement of the panel? I have found some manufacturers will state the dimensions of only the glass collection area and not the total physical dimensions including the frame. Makes a difference when your working with a finite space.
For my RTT with load brackets over the panels the CIGS make more sense since I loose very little from shading. This looks like a great in place panel however. Maybe I will get some for the house.
I'm pretty sure that Standard Test Conditions concerning temperature coefficients are measured from the panel surface itself, not ambient air temperatures. My panels, not bifacial but monochrome, regularly run about 130 degrees Fahrenheit in 85F ambient air temps. on clear, sunny days ground mounted over grass. Even so the temp. coefficient you cite in you review is lower (better) than most panels. Love your work.
It is ambient temp but in a lab under artificial light. So you're right, the panel is tested not heat soaked. Mine was soaked in direct sun in all tests.
This could bump my theoretical roof wattage from 2200 to 2400w. But requires much more bracketing compared to 550w bifacials. I have an extension cord for now. But glad panels are getting better when I do finally switch to full off-grid.
These could be perfect on the solar arch of a sailboat. The waters reflection can give it a nice boost. I was thinking of installing solar on the south wall of a cabin in New England. This panel with its two zones installed in a high/low configuration would allow the top part to catch the light very early and late, the bottom when the sun is at its apex and the full panel the rest of the day. I’m thinking winter sun. As a bonus, the bi-facial properties still allow some light to make it thru the window which would be covered by these panels. The wall could host 4kw of solar panels. So we should be getting 5-20kw daily. How much sun would a cigs panel catch if you install it on the backside of a standard panel?
@@gregyohngy Yes, though to be fair it is fairly trivial for mount normal panels at a normal angle and just insulate the back for winter, they will auto-clear the snow on their own twice as fast as just leaving the back open to the elements. Vertical panels also potentially have more serious issues in high winds. I think the concept is sound as a fencing alternative, but maybe not so good for a main mount.
So if I’m wanting to build a large ground mount array, where size and space is not an issue, are these the best thing going, or are there better panels I should consider?
With the size so small, I could see getting multiple 100w panels and placing them in series for car camping. My folding solar panels have flexible legs unable to hold the panels during the wind. I just save the cardboard box and hold the panels there when taking in and out of my car.
Finding panels that are a best-fit for whatever form-factor you need has gotten a lot easier. I use a ton of 100W panels off a back railing simply because the form-factor is an almost perfect fit for a 3S configuration in between each post (charging a 48V battery system, so it needs roughly 65V VMP to work well). I've considered upping the dimensions numerous times to increase the power density but so far nothing has been able to fit that form factor better than the 100W panels I have sitting there now. I do have much larger panels on the roof, and two large residential panels on top of a Pergola. Fitting the form is the way to go!
New subscriber here. Love your videos. Question: I’m undecided between the Delta 2 max and a DIY with two batteries like the one on your video today. Can you shine some light on this? What suggestions would you give me for an emergency backup system. Fridge some lights and NO large appliances
I really like this panel ! I am not sure what you were talking about when you spoke of some incompatibility between the new versus old panels.Please expound further. Thanks.
@@HOBOTECH Thanks for the answer, I bought a 200 Watt bi-racial panel, I pray it works with my shootem up, bang bang CIGS panel, which I also bought on your recommendation. So just to be clear, one side is Chinese and the other side Utilitarian ?
I just ordered the Bluetti AC180P, I'm thinking about getting this panel for it. I just wonder how realistic it would be as far as portability. These glass panels are always better performance wise than the portable ones but they take up more room and I'd be nervous about transporting them around. I got the AC180P primarily for camping and the occasional power outages that seem to be occurring more frequently where I'm at.
Isn't that cheating by putting aluminum foil behind the "Bifacial" panel? Did the Bouge RV test lab recommend this idea or was it your idea? Did it help?
Kudos and a question. I've just subscribed. Thank you Professor Hobo for your outstanding reviews and all the work that goes into them! Even though the valuable "nerd speak" is beyond me, you make a comprehensive and understandable review. Thanks to you I plan to get this BougeRV N-Type Topcon 200w panel and one of the Ecoflow River models, undecided yet. But - what cables do I need, and do I need a controller? My usage would be small appliance/phone use during the occasional power outage or potential shtf. No refrigerator-level use. Thank you and all hail Odin.
My only problem is saying the battery is completely dead is misleading. It is not completely dead because the BMS prevent that from happening. If you were to open it up and test before the BMS you would find out that it is far from “completely dead”
Ive been living off my solar install 4 years now and love it but winter is a bit of a struggle so always looking at what is on the market that will meaningfully increase my gains of my little roof. Im waiting for some kind of thin film panels to come out that make financial sense so I can mount them under my existing panels that I can slide out to expose the thin films underneath. Another 1200w would make a meaningful difference to my life for the worst 3 months of winter.
You mentioned buying some for your greenhouse and installing a ground mount array. What are you using for your ground mount system? I want to make a smaller off grid ground mounted array as well.
I was considering leaning them against the side wall of the greenhouse but with the winds we get I need to reconsider. I have lots of pallets and those are what I used in the past as mounts.
Does the 100w version of this panel even have two zones for partial shading performance?? What else is different because obvious size and output? thanks.
It's not quite true to say that the panel has cells on the back, they didn't buy/manufacture an entire second set of cells to cover the other side of the panel. They've just engineered a cell that can absorb light from both sides and a panel and wiring arrangement that allows both sides to be exposed to light. It's the same number of cells, there's just a second chance for light to hit the panel bouncing back from the substrate. I saw an experiment on another channel where he used bifacial panels and set them up vertically like a fence, the idea being that it would give better performance in the beginning and end of the day and in winter because a vertical panel can't have any snow sitting on it.
Herr Professor Hobo: Could u give a little advice re safety for these panels: Im contemplating purchasing 12 of these panels after your review for my upcoming need. Their In Series voltage would be 436.8v. They would plug into my new Delta Pro Ultra, which as you kno has a HV Port that allows 450v input. My question to you is: is that 436.8v total a bit too close for comfort to the 450v limit, say in very cold winter conditions, or other conditions? Or do you believe that the 436.8v figure is just fine for the Ultra? Thanks for info and your videos.
@HOBOTECH “Professor Hobo” almost all RV’ers flat mount their panels only an inch or so above the roof surface. What kind of gains are possible from a bifacial panel under those conditions…even in bright sunlight? These panels would otherwise be perfect for my application to get maximum wattage on the rather small available space on my RV.
You'll still get some benefit (~5%) with only an inch gap on a white roof. The bigger the gap the better and the effect is higher in winter when the sun is lower. The main selling point is the 200w has diodes that split the panel in half, so shade tolerance is 50% better than other panels.
Newbie question.... if I had a couple of these 200w panels (oversized watts) and say I wanted to charge a EcoFlow River 2 pro that supports Solar input of "11-50V 13A, 220W Max". 2 panels in case of cloudy crappy days I can still get decent watts. But if a perfect day you could push 400 solar watts max will the River 2 pro solar charger only accept the 220W and disregard the rest?
There can be a benefit. Let’s imagine that the 100 watt panel is exactly half the size of the 200 watt panel. That means two 100 watt panels give you 4 zones instead of 2. In Hobos example when he covers the middle, affecting both zones, you would still have a working zone from each panel giving you 50% performance.
Another thing to consider... really the main thing to consider, is the form factor. You get panels that are best-fit for the form factor you want to mount them on. Be it a golf-cart roof, or a fence, or a railing, or the top of an RV, or house, or ground mount, or whatever. It is always possible to make just about any configuration work, really, so optimize for the form factor and the wiring first and worry about panel wattages later.
I bought 2 200w during Prime days. I have them installed now in series. It seems it takes long to charge my 2 100ah batteries. Before I had 2 100w solar panels in parallel. Does that sound right?
What model and brand of solar generator & panels would you recommend for a whole home generator application? The home was sized and currentLy has a 30Kw natural gas generator. Located in West Virginia. Please advise
@@HOBOTECH That has been my impression regarding flexible panels....until your video on CIGS. I guess I just need to figure out if I'm willing to paste the CIGS or make a structure for these new "shade" panels. How to attach seems to be the difference between them, yes?
Great evaluation of the BougeRV N-type TopCon panels. I'm looking at purchasing 2 of the N-Type TopCon 200W Bifacial panels for a sailboat. What is the best way to determine if I would benefit from the 12v vs 24v panel ? Ohms law would indicate that at the higher voltage (same watt) that I could use a smaller guage wire. That would be in parallel. With 2 panels, I could also run 2 x 12v panels in series to get a 24v at the same size wire. If I understand all of the calculations correctly, I would think 2 x 24v panels in parallel would be the better solution. Thoughts ?
Sir: I tried your link (to see the cost of the panels) several times and could not get it to respond. At my end all other tags have been working including some I tried to see if the problem was at my end or yours. Just thought you'd like to know. A T Burke
Hey @hobotech I have 6khwr of Delta 2 Max, I broke my portable Ecoflow solar panel. and am looking for something more portable and maximize my wattage, what can I use? I'm placing it on a 6x12 trailer, these solars look great. but since ther'es two inputs' and voltage limitations how do I go about this
How can 12 200W of these panels wired in series (6 per string) and parallel (2 strings) be 149V at 19amps if the open circuit is 36.4V for each panel with six of them being 218.4V ??? Am I missing something. Thinking of getting the new Pecron E3600 - two actually for 240V at 7200W - solar generator. That can in put 2400w max of solar (1200w each plug in) but the input voltage is maxed at 150V for each 1200w plug. So how are 12 panels having only 148v input and just under the 20amp max which is OK. Long time subscriber and congrads on your booming channel. God Bless:)
@@HOBOTECH Uhh, so what do you suggest for the PecronE3600 as far as getting the full 2400w charging capacity? Btw used to be "RVlegaleagle&paws" but decided to get a cabin in the White mountain region of New Hampshire so this will be a ground tilting situation. Thanks for the fast reply would really like to get your input from a trusted source. God Bless:)
100/30 means 100v at 30A. So you can do 2 panels in series, then as many as those pairs you want in parallel up to the cable amp limit (30A for 10awg cable). In your case, 8 panels total, or 4 pairs in series-parallel.
the 100v is max input voltage ( max input amps is 35) from the solar panels the 30 represents the max output amperage based on the battery voltage the victron spec sheet says with a 12v battery max is 440 watts and with a 24v battery it is 880 watts. 2 or 4 panels at 200 watts each is all the controller will handle.
I own 6 Victron controllers. I know how they work. What I said was THE CABLE is rated 30A. Put as many as you like in parallel until the cable melts is all good with me.
@@HOBOTECH but if you live south of the equator,which I believe you do, you should face them towards the equator/north, towards the equator. Am I wrong?
@@HOBOTECHI purchased the 100 watt version of this panel to charge my Jackery 1000 and tried connecting it with both 8mm and anderson connectors in full sun. Neither of them worked to charge the Jackery. I verified output was fine with a multimeter. I sought advice from Jackery and I checked everything they suggested. At this point I am just left hanging. Any suggestions or advice you can give me would be much appreciated.
So wait... with bi-facial panels, I thought you were supposed hang the STRAIGHT up and down and NOT at an angle AT ALL. What's the deal?!? Are the solar cells on the back different?? Is there a different kind of cell??? Different kind of backing material??? Help me understand!!
That's not correct. Vertical bifacial is a use case not a requirement. To properly use bifacial they are usually installed on ground mount arrays with the back exposed, correctly angled for their location.
Unless you live in the arctic circle, never install panels vertical. You angle the front south according to your latitude. The cells are two sided and the light coming through the back glass is muffled and won't provide as much as the front.
Bi facial panels seem to really shine on cloudy days. Like your test shows it almost produced the same wh on a cloudy day as a sunny day. It's be nice to see them in the rack on a sunny day. The smaller footprint is def a plus.
Telling people that you can put 4 of these in series for a DP with 150v limit is bad advice. Just a little cold will create black magic smoke. The right config is 3s3p for a DP, not 4s3p.
This company has one of the worst websites I've been on with all the pop-ups and having to close them and trying to look at stuff is almost impossible and then gives measurements in millimeters. I think both is a huge turn off for any customer especially American customers.
This video is sponsored and should be marked as such. You missed to state out that it did not outperform any ordinary Solar Solution. A buck per watt isn't a steal... love your content though....
Video is absolutely marked as sponsored and plays "paid promotion" at the beginning. It's enabled by default. I don't have to state anything, you make your own conclusions. I was not testing in perfect conditions and don't make claims without testing.
@@HOBOTECH I apologize! Well it isn't marked as "Ad" on my Fire Tab with cfw. My point was that, even if you are/were sponsored you would keep it real and are not influenced. In other videos you usually refer to a wattage per buck ratio. And compare it to other brands. You also stated that black panels absorb more heat and therefor perform less good than white and colder panels earlier. You skipped this part in this video despite knowing better and instead say you could get the nice looking black for the same price. Any Module is bifacial, if you do not sunproof the back. No word about this marketing trick. As an engineer i love your channel because of your objective and scientific approach. so i do not have to test things myself. Your honest and profounded opinion is what makes this channel trustworthy and sympathetic. After all you're Professor HoBo. Great Knowledge meeting not so great income. I tried to keep my critics based on facts and i still like to drink a beer with you any time! After all it's just my opinion. Cheers
2400Wh(12h charge) or 4800Wh(24h charge) battery + 400-800W solar (800W or more for low sun areas). You will potentially need a huge battery/grid/generator if you don't get sun for a few days.
You are better off building a greenhouse and using the spider farmer at night while the natural light in the daytime. You will need close to 10kwh of battery and 3000 watt of solar for that setup.
Like the other person said, only run the lights at night to save power. Take 200w X hrs needed, and that's the watt hour of the battery required. You'll need those watt hours divided by 5 (hours) watts of solar to recharge during the day.
And deal with winter, and have enough battery buffer and solar to deal with poor weather. It really depends on how reliably you want the solar system to operate. One thing to note here is that if you have access to the grid and you just want to use the solar/battery system to reduce your electricity costs, that's a much smaller system than if you were off-grid and needed to run the greenhouse / grow-light reliably 365 days a year. The smallest cheapest system you can get is basically just a beefy power station. If you are a rank beginner with solar power and batteries, a power station is really the safest and easiest and cheapest way to get started. Just start really small and run with it for a few months to get your feet wet and begin to understand all the issues. I would recommend something really simple and straight-forward: * Mid-range power station in the 500-600Wh storage range. Just to start. It won't be big enough but you don't want to spend a lot of money getting your feet wet. * Enough solar panels to max-out the power station's input. Typically 3 or 4 100W panels and typically in a 2-series configuration and two or three sets of those paralleled. * You still want a combiner box and probably a MC4 crimp kit. Its just safer all-around verses what most beginners do and buy those really horrible MC4 paralleling connectors (that are fire hazards). * And then the AC input to the power station from the grid can just be on a timer that charges the power station up to full from like midnight to 2am or so. * And another timer for the grow light as appropriate (though most grow-light operations run the lamp 24x7). Cheap, simple, easy to understand, and gets your feet wet. -- LEVEL 2 -- The next level up is to start working with discrete components. But there is an easy intermediate step and that is to us an all-in-one MPPT/Inverter/AC-interfacing/the-works box. These can be simple and small, but not necessarily well-rounded or efficient, or they can be large, expensive, and complex. Going really cheap and not worrying about quality so much, we're looking at, oh, a Renogy 48V all-in-one ($600), or a PowMr 24V all-in-one ($520). Or an Eco-Worthy 3000W 24V all-in-one ($490). Minimum system voltage 24V. 24V or 48V. Avoid 12V (it won't scale well). Then you basically wire everything into it, taking into account the voltage range supported by the solar input and so on and so forth. Requires a bit of electricial DIY vibes. Typical tools: * Wire stripper * Ferrule kit w/crimper * MC4 crimp kit w/crimper * 10 AWG and 2 AWG cable. 2 AWG for the battery cabling, 10 AWG for the solar panel cabling. * Insulated tools Klein is fairly good. * Batteries. Can be simple. 24V or 48V depending on the system voltage you chose. LiFePO4. 48V batteries are 51.2V nominal 16S LiFePO4 (don't get 48.0V nominal 15S LiFepO4 batteries). For example, you can buy discrete LiFePO4 battery about the size of a regular car battery 100Ah @ 25.6V or 50Ah @ 51.2V depending on the voltage you selected. You can buy larger rack-mount batteries that are typically 200Ah @ 25.6V or 100Ah @ 51.2V nominal. All LiFePO4. Etc. And you can parallel as many as you want (though the more you parallel, the more you have to deal with safety fusing and breakers). * Solar panels. Start with 3 x 100W panels and scale up from there. * Solar combiner box. Even if you are only starting with one string, buy a combiner box and use it. This gives you expandibility right off the bat for later on. Its worth the money and time to do this from the start. * Main battery fuse. MRBF (Marine Rated Battery Fuse) & appropriate mounting gear. * M8 bolt, washer, and lock-washer kit (M8 is the most common terminal type. Other common types are M6 and M10. But M8 is the most common). * Battery bus bars if needed. Typically 100A+ on Amazon, basically these are simple busses with additional terminals and plastic shields. One for positive (red), one for negative (black). * A backboard to mount everything on. * A DIN rail can be useful for mounting DIN-mounted fuse holders and MCBs (miniature circuit breakers) and other stuff you might want or need. If you do wind up thinking you need MCBs, get only 2-pole unpolarized DC MCBs. A good brand on the cheap would be CHTAIXI. Type B, (faster trip) not Type C.... Type B is safer for beginners and tends to be a bit higher quality. Note that you can always throw in additional charge controllers connected to the battery bus. You aren't dependent on just the one MPPT that all-in-one units have. -- LEVEL 3 -- Level 3 is going full-on discrete components for everything. This is already a long posting so I'm not going to cover it here. For more advanced DIYers who really need to scale-up.
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
CHECK OUT THE TOPCON HERE: gohobo.io/topcon (18% discount on site)
"Is this panel compatible with my power station / solar controller?" You can answer this and other solar questions by watching HOBO University. th-cam.com/play/PLHEFQDjiZC_d8b6b_9cNqTkbxnPHuAkzi.html
I would have liked to see the Wattage a little higher I guess the conditions were not ideal so the wattage could have been closer to 200 Watts?
Normally it would be, but I can't control the weather and I have deadlines.
@@HOBOTECH i ended up buying one you seem pretty impressed so. Plus I wanted a 200-watt panel with a smaller footprint
Ah new technology. Apples and oranges to older systems. Unless you have a controller that can handle the higher voltage. But then, you did , quickly say, not backwards compatible.
I don't suppose a step down, would be feasible.hmmm.
Thanks, Hobotech! Just ordered the panel via your link from BougeRV. Been eying the panel, but couldn’t justify it being so far over the $200 mark. Your promo code made it a great deal. Keep doing what you are doing!
I’ve been using bi-facial panels for a couple years now. Last December I purchased eight,115 watt bifacial panels from Renogy The power output on these are wonderful. I experimented and put mirrors and reflectics behind the panels, which makes a big difference.
Solar panels are getting good. The shade tolerance is an impressive feature of this TopCon panel. Everyone should have these on their roof.
The dual panel design is about 20 years old tbh. Other companies are splitting each cell up into its own thing, running them parallel with bigger busbars and different types of junction box on the back to really maximise it. Makes it really heavy but really efficient.
@@Fl4pperswhat are some panels with that tech?
@@mattheword I honestly dont know the name, I saw a couple mentioned on youtube about a year ago. Might just be one smaller company. Instead of the usual junction box it had one about 6x12 inches on the back. You can also get water cooled panels now too. Linus did a video on that.
The prices on solar panels are plummeting throughout the industry, due to much higher financing costs for folks who might otherwise have installed residential panels on their home. This increased cost has created a huge glut of PV on the market, driving down prices as companies struggle to sell what they were producing. With that said, these panels are a much better technology and not subject to all of those same pressures on price, but they're still quite competitive. For anyone with limited square footage to work with, they're a great choice. For those building a larger, permanent array, brand new, name-brand residential panels can be had for $.40/watt or less. Apples and oranges, but important to understand as you look at each type of panel.
That 40c per watt doesn't include shipping. Pallet of 30 residential panels shipping is almost $800 for me. No one ever factors that in. Agreed, if you're doing a large build to get 450w or bigger panels.
It seems here in the UK solar panels are one of the things that are actually cheaper than in the USA!😮 Here a 400w (54 cell) residential panel costs from £60 ($75) or about half the price. Also for most cities you can just drive and collect panels locally for free. If you need 30 panels (not many people here have that many as we have small houses and yards) you might need to do three trips in the car.
@@HOBOTECH might want to check back into residential panels, 12X 370 watt (480 bifacial potential) comes out to $1,511.91 after shipping and tax. just under 41 Cents a watt. BUT i understand not everyone is looking for that many panels to deal with.
This looks like the perfect power dense panel to mount to the roof rack on Lexus 100 Series LX470. There's not a lot of space up there. I've only allocated the front 1/4 of the roof rack for a solar panel. This may fit.
Thanks Hobo!
I recently saw an article on bifacial panels, and the bottom line was that they perform well vertical, and oriented east-west, perpendicular to the normal panel placement. It sacrifices high noon production, but does dramatically better morning and evening.
Morning and evening sun is the worst for output due to the sun going through more atmosphere. Pointing them south at the correct angle for your latitude will provide the most output over a solar day. Anyone saying otherwise is just pondering for clicks by trying to be controversial.
@@HOBOTECH Well, yes, and no. There's a good bit of research of vertically oriented bifacial panels vs. standard south-facing panels angled perpendicular to solar noon sun. The results are closer than you'd think in the summer. However, there's a larger difference in the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky.
@@unknownquantity4440 I'm sorry. Interested in your comment, but I didn't understand. In the winter, which is better, vertical bifacial panels or standard south-facing panels. Thanks.
@@annnonomys3132 Vertical bifacial pointing east-west instead of south are better in the winter.
Where I live (55 degrees North) I suspect an east/west orientation is better in the summer too: since the sun rises in the North East, moves to the south, then finally sets in the North West.
@@jamesphillips2285 Thanks.
Doggies - last year I put a pair of 200w panels on my TT. Paid a then reasonable 220/panel too. Oh well, tech keeps getting better so my next basic system will have more (less space/panel needed) and better (efficiency) panels. BougeRV is bringing good stuff to market! Thank you for the early look Prof Hobo.
About 8-12% smaller than a typical 200W panel. Not bad. The low-light performance is supposed to be quite decent due to the relatively low cell losses (that goes hand-in-hand with the temperature coefficient). Its a bit unclear what their degradation rate is going to be in the real world.
Shading losses for single-panel configurations are strictly a function of the number of bypass diodes, which is why "half-cut" panels (which have double the number of bypass diodes) are considered. The cell type doesn't matter unless it has per-cell built-in bypass diodes (which none have these days). Partial shade doesn't stop my 100W Renogy's as long as I orient the panel so the shade only covers one sub-string at a time as it progresses, just reduces the output by 1/3, then 2/3, then 90% once fully shaded.
Solar panels have dropped in price radically across the board. $1/watt isn't that special right now with 100W panels going for $65-$75 (amazon price, hard panels, fully delivered). 200W panels are fairly cheap too, definitely less than $1/W. In fact I even see a number of Bifacial 200W panels on Amazon sitting at $160.
The lowest price I see is $140-ish for 200W "Alrska" panels. Hmm.. that's actually quite interesting. 43" x 35" which is just about exactly the same area as the TOPCon BougeRV panel. I dunno about the brand (never heard of them), but the cells kinda look like Maxeons with hidden busbars.
In anycase, the price decrease seems to be universal. 300W panels running $250. Etc.
-Matt
I'll be buying one of those 200 watt versions! WOW, that price is awesome!
Your tilt kit is installed over the solar cells, impeding them with additional shading. The tilt kit should be installed over the side brackets only.
Was able to pull 420watts with 2x ntype 200w bifacial in series. Had white
eflective material behind vertical mounted using pvc stand In a 24v system facing south
I need to get some Archimedes mirrors to put behind these bad boys
Great at making panels, not so much making apps. Great review Hobo!
Thank god these panels aint app dependent.
Very cool, definitely a good time for DIY solar enthusiasts.
Great video! Can't wait to see what the future holds for solar technology!
Been thinking about ordering some 200 watt panels. Jumped on this deal.
Is the 30”X50” the actual measurement of the panel?
I have found some manufacturers will state the dimensions of only the glass collection area and not the total physical dimensions including the frame.
Makes a difference when your working with a finite space.
For my RTT with load brackets over the panels the CIGS make more sense since I loose very little from shading. This looks like a great in place panel however. Maybe I will get some for the house.
Lose
I'm pretty sure that Standard Test Conditions concerning temperature coefficients are measured from the panel surface itself, not ambient air temperatures. My panels, not bifacial but monochrome, regularly run about 130 degrees Fahrenheit in 85F ambient air temps. on clear, sunny days ground mounted over grass. Even so the temp. coefficient you cite in you review is lower (better) than most panels. Love your work.
It is ambient temp but in a lab under artificial light. So you're right, the panel is tested not heat soaked. Mine was soaked in direct sun in all tests.
Will the Bluetti be able to use 24volt panel? or just go with the 12 volts? Love your videos man, thank you for putting out quality info
You can answer your own question by watching HOBO University. I cover these topics in detail. th-cam.com/play/PLHEFQDjiZC_d8b6b_9cNqTkbxnPHuAkzi.html
This could bump my theoretical roof wattage from 2200 to 2400w. But requires much more bracketing compared to 550w bifacials. I have an extension cord for now. But glad panels are getting better when I do finally switch to full off-grid.
Utilize the south facing building wall if you can.
These could be perfect on the solar arch of a sailboat. The waters reflection can give it a nice boost.
I was thinking of installing solar on the south wall of a cabin in New England. This panel with its two zones installed in a high/low configuration would allow the top part to catch the light very early and late, the bottom when the sun is at its apex and the full panel the rest of the day. I’m thinking winter sun.
As a bonus, the bi-facial properties still allow some light to make it thru the window which would be covered by these panels.
The wall could host 4kw of solar panels. So we should be getting 5-20kw daily.
How much sun would a cigs panel catch if you install it on the backside of a standard panel?
And the price is sweet.
The snow melts on the top half, so you get power when others won't.
@@gregyohngy that one too. Partially back online faster.
@@gregyohngy Yes, though to be fair it is fairly trivial for mount normal panels at a normal angle and just insulate the back for winter, they will auto-clear the snow on their own twice as fast as just leaving the back open to the elements.
Vertical panels also potentially have more serious issues in high winds. I think the concept is sound as a fencing alternative, but maybe not so good for a main mount.
But how sturdy is it? I have the Ecoflow bifacial and its pretty flimsy and the wind already broke the rear.
That's Heavy annd Far Out there brother!😎👽🛸👍
Interesting as always.
So if I’m wanting to build a large ground mount array, where size and space is not an issue, are these the best thing going, or are there better panels I should consider?
WOW! I’m underwhelmed!! I just bought a Jinko 580 watt N type panel for $145US
Agreed. I'm looking at Canadian 400W panels right now for about $110 each
How much was shipping? No one ever factors that in.
With the size so small, I could see getting multiple 100w panels and placing them in series for car camping. My folding solar panels have flexible legs unable to hold the panels during the wind. I just save the cardboard box and hold the panels there when taking in and out of my car.
Finding panels that are a best-fit for whatever form-factor you need has gotten a lot easier. I use a ton of 100W panels off a back railing simply because the form-factor is an almost perfect fit for a 3S configuration in between each post (charging a 48V battery system, so it needs roughly 65V VMP to work well).
I've considered upping the dimensions numerous times to increase the power density but so far nothing has been able to fit that form factor better than the 100W panels I have sitting there now.
I do have much larger panels on the roof, and two large residential panels on top of a Pergola. Fitting the form is the way to go!
New subscriber here. Love your videos. Question: I’m undecided between the Delta 2 max and a DIY with two batteries like the one on your video today. Can you shine some light on this? What suggestions would you give me for an emergency backup system. Fridge some lights and NO large appliances
I really like this panel ! I am not sure what you were talking about when you spoke of some incompatibility between the new versus old panels.Please expound further. Thanks.
The old 200w BougeRV panel shouldn't be mixed with this one.
@@HOBOTECH Thanks for the answer, I bought a 200 Watt bi-racial panel, I pray it works with my shootem up, bang bang CIGS panel, which I also bought on your recommendation. So just to be clear, one side is Chinese and the other side Utilitarian ?
I think the 200W will work well with my Bluetti AC180
I just ordered the Bluetti AC180P, I'm thinking about getting this panel for it. I just wonder how realistic it would be as far as portability. These glass panels are always better performance wise than the portable ones but they take up more room and I'd be nervous about transporting them around. I got the AC180P primarily for camping and the occasional power outages that seem to be occurring more frequently where I'm at.
why would anybody not want to be a subscriber?
60% aren't subscribed yet!
Excellent video !
Isn't that cheating by putting aluminum foil behind the "Bifacial" panel? Did the Bouge RV test lab recommend this idea or was it your idea? Did it help?
It wasn't aluminum foil, it was board insulation. The panel was half on concrete half on dirt. Wanted a consistent reading.
Hailing from Canada. Sadly it looks like the BougeRV panels are not available in the great white north ...
Kudos and a question. I've just subscribed. Thank you Professor Hobo for your outstanding reviews and all the work that goes into them! Even though the valuable "nerd speak" is beyond me, you make a comprehensive and understandable review. Thanks to you I plan to get this BougeRV N-Type Topcon 200w panel and one of the Ecoflow River models, undecided yet. But - what cables do I need, and do I need a controller? My usage would be small appliance/phone use during the occasional power outage or potential shtf. No refrigerator-level use. Thank you and all hail Odin.
You need nothing. Solar plugs into the solar generator. I have reviews on all their models.
Great, thank you!
Great intro sfx!
I was just getting ready to pull the trigger on two cigs. For the money theses seem like a better deal?
My only problem is saying the battery is completely dead is misleading. It is not completely dead because the BMS prevent that from happening. If you were to open it up and test before the BMS you would find out that it is far from “completely dead”
“There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. Miracle Max
Since making this video did you ever get this panel to hit it's rated capacity?
Ive been living off my solar install 4 years now and love it but winter is a bit of a struggle so always looking at what is on the market that will meaningfully increase my gains of my little roof. Im waiting for some kind of thin film panels to come out that make financial sense so I can mount them under my existing panels that I can slide out to expose the thin films underneath. Another 1200w would make a meaningful difference to my life for the worst 3 months of winter.
Can I use this with my AC180 Power Station?
You mentioned buying some for your greenhouse and installing a ground mount array. What are you using for your ground mount system? I want to make a smaller off grid ground mounted array as well.
I was considering leaning them against the side wall of the greenhouse but with the winds we get I need to reconsider. I have lots of pallets and those are what I used in the past as mounts.
Do you know of a reflective panel that is sold that would mount beneath the bifacial panels?
Need a review on the ecoflow alternator chargers and hooking the delta max up to the charger. So we can see the output and input please
Does the 100w version of this panel even have two zones for partial shading performance?? What else is different because obvious size and output? thanks.
Odin commands!!
It's not quite true to say that the panel has cells on the back, they didn't buy/manufacture an entire second set of cells to cover the other side of the panel. They've just engineered a cell that can absorb light from both sides and a panel and wiring arrangement that allows both sides to be exposed to light. It's the same number of cells, there's just a second chance for light to hit the panel bouncing back from the substrate. I saw an experiment on another channel where he used bifacial panels and set them up vertically like a fence, the idea being that it would give better performance in the beginning and end of the day and in winter because a vertical panel can't have any snow sitting on it.
Herr Professor Hobo: Could u give a little advice re safety for these panels: Im contemplating purchasing 12 of these panels after your review for my upcoming need. Their In Series voltage would be 436.8v. They would plug into my new Delta Pro Ultra, which as you kno has a HV Port that allows 450v input. My question to you is: is that 436.8v total a bit too close for comfort to the 450v limit, say in very cold winter conditions, or other conditions? Or do you believe that the 436.8v figure is just fine for the Ultra? Thanks for info and your videos.
It should be fine. You could also put them in 2 pairs of 6 series-parallel to cut the volts in half. Be very careful working with such high voltages.
so two of these would be what's needed for the eco flow wave2 right ? 400 watts ,would these run in parallel or seires for that application ? thanks
So is the 100 watt version good also? On sale on Amazon right now.
@HOBOTECH “Professor Hobo” almost all RV’ers flat mount their panels only an inch or so above the roof surface. What kind of gains are possible from a bifacial panel under those conditions…even in bright sunlight?
These panels would otherwise be perfect for my application to get maximum wattage on the rather small available space on my RV.
You'll still get some benefit (~5%) with only an inch gap on a white roof. The bigger the gap the better and the effect is higher in winter when the sun is lower. The main selling point is the 200w has diodes that split the panel in half, so shade tolerance is 50% better than other panels.
Just bought 8 panels through your link!
Newbie question.... if I had a couple of these 200w panels (oversized watts) and say I wanted to charge a EcoFlow River 2 pro that supports Solar input of "11-50V 13A, 220W Max". 2 panels in case of cloudy crappy days I can still get decent watts. But if a perfect day you could push 400 solar watts max will the River 2 pro solar charger only accept the 220W and disregard the rest?
Yep
Could you put together a removable solar setup to recharge a 1500 to 5000 watt solar generator. That goes on top of a car or truck cab.?
Would there be benefits to use 2x100w topcon vs the 200w topcon? TIA
There can be a benefit. Let’s imagine that the 100 watt panel is exactly half the size of the 200 watt panel. That means two 100 watt panels give you 4 zones instead of 2. In Hobos example when he covers the middle, affecting both zones, you would still have a working zone from each panel giving you 50% performance.
Another thing to consider... really the main thing to consider, is the form factor. You get panels that are best-fit for the form factor you want to mount them on. Be it a golf-cart roof, or a fence, or a railing, or the top of an RV, or house, or ground mount, or whatever.
It is always possible to make just about any configuration work, really, so optimize for the form factor and the wiring first and worry about panel wattages later.
@@TheCornucopiaProject-bd5jk Does the 100w topcon panel have 2 zones? I don't see it.
@@rgraz4929 he did not mention it in the video. My research does not indicate that the 100watt panel has two zones.
@@TheCornucopiaProject-bd5jk Thanks. I didn't think so. Thanks for confirming!
I bought 2 200w during Prime days. I have them installed now in series. It seems it takes long to charge my 2 100ah batteries. Before I had 2 100w solar panels in parallel. Does that sound right?
200Ah of batteries is 2560Wh. Take 2560Wh/360w effective solar = 8 hours under perfect conditions.
Is the mounting frame for sale? Need one per panel? Where/ how to acquire?
Yes, they sell mounts on BougeRv site. Use code HOBOTECH.
What model and brand of solar generator & panels would you recommend for a whole home generator application?
The home was sized and currentLy has a 30Kw natural gas generator.
Located in West Virginia.
Please advise
th-cam.com/video/KzCoMNjNGw0/w-d-xo.html
Would you be able to tell me if these panels would work with a jackery 1000 pro?
Professor hobo I would like to see you review the Bougerv 200w 12v 9bb portable solar panel. Please
The one I reviewed a year or two ago?
basically two 100 w panels
I have a victron 100/30 can I hook 3 of these in parallel?
For the top of a van, would you recommend the flexible panel or this bifacial panel?
Flex panels (besides CIGS) are trash.
@@HOBOTECH That has been my impression regarding flexible panels....until your video on CIGS. I guess I just need to figure out if I'm willing to paste the CIGS or make a structure for these new "shade" panels. How to attach seems to be the difference between them, yes?
Could you test and review bugs?Appers need to find the best one
Will these work with my 12volt 100/30 mppt ?
It's been windy every day up here in Eagar. Can that bracket keep them from taking off in the wind?
Yes, but you still need to bolt them down or use weights as they will still take off over 50 mph.
@@HOBOTECH Thanks.
Will this panel work with the Victron 75/15 charge controller?
Any panel works with any controller as long as you meet the voltage requirements.
Can you use one of these solar panels by itself with a blue Eddie AC 200
“ blue Eddie” 😂😂😂😂😂
Surely
Or should I say Shirley…
It will work on ANY power station that can handle 35v or more solar input.
Great evaluation of the BougeRV N-type TopCon panels. I'm looking at purchasing 2 of the N-Type TopCon 200W Bifacial panels for a sailboat. What is the best way to determine if I would benefit from the 12v vs 24v panel ? Ohms law would indicate that at the higher voltage (same watt) that I could use a smaller guage wire. That would be in parallel. With 2 panels, I could also run 2 x 12v panels in series to get a 24v at the same size wire. If I understand all of the calculations correctly, I would think 2 x 24v panels in parallel would be the better solution. Thoughts ?
what is the output sitting on the bench under the lights?
I was going to buy 2 200w panels. Then it ask 12v or 24v ? Now I'm confused. I have a 100/30 mppt with 2 100ah lithium batteries
You have a 100v controller so you can buy either and put them in series.
Sir: I tried your link (to see the cost of the panels) several times and could not get it to respond. At my end all other tags have been working including some I tried to see if the problem was at my end or yours. Just thought you'd like to know.
A T Burke
Links works fine. Just tested it. Try a different browser or disable your VPN.
Clean My Litter box!
Hey @hobotech I have 6khwr of Delta 2 Max, I broke my portable Ecoflow solar panel. and am looking for something more portable and maximize my wattage, what can I use? I'm placing it on a 6x12 trailer, these solars look great. but since ther'es two inputs' and voltage limitations how do I go about this
You could use these or the Yuma CIGS I reviewed a few months ago.
@@HOBOTECHHow many of these 200W bifacial panels can I connect to the two solar inputs of my Delta 2 max?
How can 12 200W of these panels wired in series (6 per string) and parallel (2 strings) be 149V at 19amps if the open circuit is 36.4V for each panel with six of them being 218.4V ??? Am I missing something. Thinking of getting the new Pecron E3600 - two actually for 240V at 7200W - solar generator. That can in put 2400w max of solar (1200w each plug in) but the input voltage is maxed at 150V for each 1200w plug. So how are 12 panels having only 148v input and just under the 20amp max which is OK. Long time subscriber and congrads on your booming channel. God Bless:)
Would I be better off getting their 300w bi-racial instead to get to the 2400w?
You're looking at the 24v version of the panel, not the 12v that I reviewed.
@@HOBOTECH Uhh, so what do you suggest for the PecronE3600 as far as getting the full 2400w charging capacity? Btw used to be "RVlegaleagle&paws" but decided to get a cabin in the White mountain region of New Hampshire so this will be a ground tilting situation. Thanks for the fast reply would really like to get your input from a trusted source. God Bless:)
Ok I'm not a nerd HoBotech. Lol So if I have a Victron mppt 100/30 how many panels can I use. Series or parallel? Like I said I'm new to this stuff.
100/30 means 100v at 30A. So you can do 2 panels in series, then as many as those pairs you want in parallel up to the cable amp limit (30A for 10awg cable). In your case, 8 panels total, or 4 pairs in series-parallel.
the 100v is max input voltage ( max input amps is 35) from the solar panels the 30 represents the max output amperage based on the battery voltage the victron spec sheet says with a 12v battery max is 440 watts and with a 24v battery it is 880 watts. 2 or 4 panels at 200 watts each is all the controller will handle.
I own 6 Victron controllers. I know how they work. What I said was THE CABLE is rated 30A. Put as many as you like in parallel until the cable melts is all good with me.
Could I use 3 panels in series with my 100/30 victron mppt? @@HOBOTECH
How long would a panel like this last?
It has a 10 year warranty so at least that long.
According to my research, you are supposed to be facing it true north if you are in the southern hemisphere, and the opposite for northern hemisphere.
Obviously, my reviews are based in America, so I said to face panels south.
@@HOBOTECH but if you live south of the equator,which I believe you do, you should face them towards the equator/north, towards the equator. Am I wrong?
What would I need to connect this 200w panel directly to my Jackery 1000?
Probably just the jackery adapter. The panel comes with mc4
8mm female to MC4 on gohobo.io/adapters
@@HOBOTECH Thank you sir.
@@HOBOTECHI purchased the 100 watt version of this panel to charge my Jackery 1000 and tried connecting it with both 8mm and anderson connectors in full sun. Neither of them worked to charge the Jackery. I verified output was fine with a multimeter. I sought advice from Jackery and I checked everything they suggested. At this point I am just left hanging. Any suggestions or advice you can give me would be much appreciated.
So wait... with bi-facial panels, I thought you were supposed hang the STRAIGHT up and down and NOT at an angle AT ALL. What's the deal?!? Are the solar cells on the back different?? Is there a different kind of cell??? Different kind of backing material??? Help me understand!!
That's not correct. Vertical bifacial is a use case not a requirement. To properly use bifacial they are usually installed on ground mount arrays with the back exposed, correctly angled for their location.
Unless you live in the arctic circle, never install panels vertical. You angle the front south according to your latitude. The cells are two sided and the light coming through the back glass is muffled and won't provide as much as the front.
Bi facial panels seem to really shine on cloudy days. Like your test shows it almost produced the same wh on a cloudy day as a sunny day.
It's be nice to see them in the rack on a sunny day.
The smaller footprint is def a plus.
You the man
Sooo long till 6am...
Really buddy tell me about that other solar panels that get 400 or 450 watts. 200 watts is diddly.
Set up the panel and then lay a sheet of aluminum behind the panel to see if it can grab enough sunlight from both sides
Telling people that you can put 4 of these in series for a DP with 150v limit is bad advice. Just a little cold will create black magic smoke. The right config is 3s3p for a DP, not 4s3p.
Thumbs up 👍
This company has one of the worst websites I've been on with all the pop-ups and having to close them and trying to look at stuff is almost impossible and then gives measurements in millimeters. I think both is a huge turn off for any customer especially American customers.
This video is sponsored and should be marked as such. You missed to state out that it did not outperform any ordinary Solar Solution. A buck per watt isn't a steal... love your content though....
Video is absolutely marked as sponsored and plays "paid promotion" at the beginning. It's enabled by default. I don't have to state anything, you make your own conclusions. I was not testing in perfect conditions and don't make claims without testing.
@@HOBOTECH I apologize! Well it isn't marked as "Ad" on my Fire Tab with cfw.
My point was that, even if you are/were sponsored you would keep it real and are not influenced. In other videos you usually refer to a wattage per buck ratio. And compare it to other brands. You also stated that black panels absorb more heat and therefor perform less good than white and colder panels earlier. You skipped this part in this video despite knowing better and instead say you could get the nice looking black for the same price. Any Module is bifacial, if you do not sunproof the back. No word about this marketing trick. As an engineer i love your channel because of your objective and scientific approach. so i do not have to test things myself. Your honest and profounded opinion is what makes this channel trustworthy and sympathetic. After all you're Professor HoBo. Great Knowledge meeting not so great income.
I tried to keep my critics based on facts and i still like to drink a beer with you any time! After all it's just my opinion. Cheers
Any body know how I can use solar to power a spider farmer 200w grow light 24hr????,😶🤔plz it would be big help
2400Wh(12h charge) or 4800Wh(24h charge) battery + 400-800W solar (800W or more for low sun areas). You will potentially need a huge battery/grid/generator if you don't get sun for a few days.
You are better off building a greenhouse and using the spider farmer at night while the natural light in the daytime. You will need close to 10kwh of battery and 3000 watt of solar for that setup.
Thanks Pro Hobo.
Still tinkering with my dinky system. All your info helps.
Gett'n smarter n big'r.
Like the other person said, only run the lights at night to save power. Take 200w X hrs needed, and that's the watt hour of the battery required. You'll need those watt hours divided by 5 (hours) watts of solar to recharge during the day.
And deal with winter, and have enough battery buffer and solar to deal with poor weather. It really depends on how reliably you want the solar system to operate.
One thing to note here is that if you have access to the grid and you just want to use the solar/battery system to reduce your electricity costs, that's a much smaller system than if you were off-grid and needed to run the greenhouse / grow-light reliably 365 days a year.
The smallest cheapest system you can get is basically just a beefy power station. If you are a rank beginner with solar power and batteries, a power station is really the safest and easiest and cheapest way to get started. Just start really small and run with it for a few months to get your feet wet and begin to understand all the issues.
I would recommend something really simple and straight-forward:
* Mid-range power station in the 500-600Wh storage range. Just to start. It won't be big enough but you don't want to spend a lot of money getting your feet wet.
* Enough solar panels to max-out the power station's input. Typically 3 or 4 100W panels and typically in a 2-series configuration and two or three sets of those paralleled.
* You still want a combiner box and probably a MC4 crimp kit. Its just safer all-around verses what most beginners do and buy those really horrible MC4 paralleling connectors (that are fire hazards).
* And then the AC input to the power station from the grid can just be on a timer that charges the power station up to full from like midnight to 2am or so.
* And another timer for the grow light as appropriate (though most grow-light operations run the lamp 24x7).
Cheap, simple, easy to understand, and gets your feet wet.
--
LEVEL 2
--
The next level up is to start working with discrete components. But there is an easy intermediate step and that is to us an all-in-one MPPT/Inverter/AC-interfacing/the-works box. These can be simple and small, but not necessarily well-rounded or efficient, or they can be large, expensive, and complex.
Going really cheap and not worrying about quality so much, we're looking at, oh, a Renogy 48V all-in-one ($600), or a PowMr 24V all-in-one ($520). Or an Eco-Worthy 3000W 24V all-in-one ($490).
Minimum system voltage 24V. 24V or 48V. Avoid 12V (it won't scale well).
Then you basically wire everything into it, taking into account the voltage range supported by the solar input and so on and so forth. Requires a bit of electricial DIY vibes. Typical tools:
* Wire stripper
* Ferrule kit w/crimper
* MC4 crimp kit w/crimper
* 10 AWG and 2 AWG cable. 2 AWG for the battery cabling, 10 AWG for the solar panel cabling.
* Insulated tools Klein is fairly good.
* Batteries. Can be simple. 24V or 48V depending on the system voltage you chose. LiFePO4. 48V batteries are 51.2V nominal 16S LiFePO4 (don't get 48.0V nominal 15S LiFepO4 batteries).
For example, you can buy discrete LiFePO4 battery about the size of a regular car battery 100Ah @ 25.6V or 50Ah @ 51.2V depending on the voltage you selected. You can buy larger rack-mount batteries that are typically 200Ah @ 25.6V or 100Ah @ 51.2V nominal. All LiFePO4. Etc. And you can parallel as many as you want (though the more you parallel, the more you have to deal with safety fusing and breakers).
* Solar panels. Start with 3 x 100W panels and scale up from there.
* Solar combiner box. Even if you are only starting with one string, buy a combiner box and use it. This gives you expandibility right off the bat for later on. Its worth the money and time to do this from the start.
* Main battery fuse. MRBF (Marine Rated Battery Fuse) & appropriate mounting gear.
* M8 bolt, washer, and lock-washer kit (M8 is the most common terminal type. Other common types are M6 and M10. But M8 is the most common).
* Battery bus bars if needed. Typically 100A+ on Amazon, basically these are simple busses with additional terminals and plastic shields. One for positive (red), one for negative (black).
* A backboard to mount everything on.
* A DIN rail can be useful for mounting DIN-mounted fuse holders and MCBs (miniature circuit breakers) and other stuff you might want or need. If you do wind up thinking you need MCBs, get only 2-pole unpolarized DC MCBs. A good brand on the cheap would be CHTAIXI. Type B, (faster trip) not Type C.... Type B is safer for beginners and tends to be a bit higher quality.
Note that you can always throw in additional charge controllers connected to the battery bus. You aren't dependent on just the one MPPT that all-in-one units have.
--
LEVEL 3
--
Level 3 is going full-on discrete components for everything. This is already a long posting so I'm not going to cover it here. For more advanced DIYers who really need to scale-up.
Your videos are not being recommend to me anymore
Unsub and resub. It's a bug with TH-cam.
Half your panels will come in damaged
These were well packaged, no issues and my FedEx driver sucks.