If you are planning on building your own solar panel, then you should familiarize yourself about the proper solar panel wiring. By learning the basics of wiring, you can easily produce a homemade solar panel at an affordable cost. By giving you useful information on the three basic wiring configurations in solar panels, including the series, parallel and the combination of the two, this article will tackle how you can be an expert in solar panel wiring.
Series Wiring for Solar Panels
The series wiring for solar cells may actually be easily understood and performed.Here’s all you have to do: connect the negative terminals of one of your solar module to the positive terminals of the next solar panel. However, remembering that each voltage of every solar module you will use will add up to form the total voltage of your solar panel is a very important thing. For example, the total voltage for your solar panel is 51 volts if you have three solar modules and each module produces 17 voltages. When using a series wiring, remember that the current or the amperage remains constant no matter how many modules are used. To use the example above, your solar module produces 17 volts at 5 amps each, the total circuit value for your solar panel is 51 volts at 5 amps.
Solar Panel Wiring: Parallel Connection
Your panels may also be connected using a parallel solar panel wiring. Series wiring and parallel wiring are opposites . Parallel wiring requires you to connect one positive terminal of your first solar module to the positive terminal of the second solar module, unlike in a series wiring where you need to connect the negative to the positive terminals. Do the same for all the negative terminals. The opposite thing also happens for the total voltage and total current. If in series wiring, the current stays the same while the voltages are additive, in parallel circuit, the current adds ups while the voltages stays the same. If we were to take the example above, the resulting circuit value will be 17 volts at 15 amps if each of the solar modules produces 17 volts at 5 amps.
Series/Parallel Connection for Solar Panel Wiring
The third type is actually the combination of the first two solar panel wiring: the series/parallel wiring. Because it combines the configuration of series and parallel, this type of configuration is the trickiest among the three. You need more than two series connections of panels which you can connect using a panel configuration if you choose to make use of this type of wiring.
That completes the three basic configuration of solar panel wiring. Whether you want to increase the voltage or current of your solar panel should be the main consideration in choosing the type of configuration you will use. If you wish to increase both the voltage and the current, simply use the third type. You might want to contact a solar panel wiring expert if you want to be sure on which wiring you should use.