Mixing Old And New Solar Panels

Westbranch s suggestion of the a b switch is the most practical way of keeping the old one around til there s no more life in it but you will have to remember to monitor both batteries and make sure each gets regular charging.

Mixing old and new solar panels.

When connecting modules of dissimilar electrical characteristics in series it is each module s current that plays a heavy role in how the string is going to perform. And with good reason. Since 2006 the cost of solar energy has fallen more than 73 making it a wise investment both economically and environmentally. When you intend to wire two panels produced by different vendors the vendors are not the problem.

The only way to accomplish this is to use one or more additional charge controllers and combiner boxes where appropriate with the new panels. However those years old components might be listed on energybin. There is an application process and fee to join the energybin community. Though mixing different solar panels is not recommended it s not forbidden and things would be ok as long as each panel s electrical parameters voltage wattage amps are carefully considered.

When most people hear the words solar power they instantly think of good ole solar panels on rooftops or in a solar farm in the desert. Mixing solar panels in parallel total connected power 150w 150w 150w 150w 600w unlike connection in series if among modules connected in parallel there is a module of power output lower than the output of the other modules this might not affect seriously the total power output of the array provided that this module has equal to the other modules rated voltage. You can mix old with new but know in advance that there will be a potential for trouble as i mentioned before. Installers seeking older replacement panels to match the panels in existing solar arrays might be hard pressed to find them with distributors.

Though mixing different solar panels is not recommended it s not forbidden and things would be ok as long as each panel s electrical parameters voltage wattage amps are carefully considered. So the best approach is to combine the output of the new panels with that of the old panels at the battery bank. Traditional utility scale and rooftop solar panels have dominated the solar market until this point.