How To Connect Solar Panel Series vs Parallel Connection
“To make your system more efficient, it is essential to properly connect your solar panels. The wattage of your panels matters, but so does their VOC (Voltage Open Circuit) range. Your solar inverter and solar charge controller have limits to how much VOC they can support.
It’s not as simple as just connecting as many panels in series as you want to increase the VOC. Here, we’ll discuss where and why you might need parallel connections and the potential risks of incorrect connections.
Solar Panel Parallel Connection
First, let’s talk about parallel connections and where and why we might need them. When we connect multiple solar panels in parallel, the current from all these panels adds up. For example, if one solar panel produces a current of 10 amperes, and you connect 5 panels in parallel, the total current becomes 50 amperes.”
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So, you will get 50 amperes of current as the final output. However, the VOC (Voltage Open Circuit) range remains the same. If the VOC of a panel is 45 volts, even after connecting them in parallel, the final output will show 50 amperes of current and a VOC of 45 volts. Now, it is crucial to check whether your controller or inverter supports this 45-volt VOC range.
If you have PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology in your system, it does not support any VOC above 45 volts. In PWM technology, the inverter for a single battery typically supports a maximum VOC of 25 volts. This means you will need to use solar panels with 36 cells and connect them all in parallel. Parallel connections are mostly used with PWM technology.
For such systems, it is more beneficial because PWM technology cannot convert the high voltage from solar panels into current. So, if you use high VOC panels with PWM technology, you may experience power loss. Therefore, if you have a PWM technology controller or inverter, use solar panels with VOC within its supported range so that you can get the full output from your solar panels. This is why panel connections are made to increase the current output.
Solar Panel Series Connection
Now let’s talk about why connections are made in series. The most significant advantage of making connections in series is within the MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) technology.
In the case of our on-grid solar system, if we connect solar panels in series, their VOC (Voltage Open Circuit) will add up, while the current remains the same.
Let’s take an example: if you have panels that provide 10 amperes of current and 45 volts each, and you connect 10 panels in series.
So, your VOC (Voltage Open Circuit) will be 450 volts, and the current will remain at 10 amperes for the final output. Here, the current won’t increase; it will only be the VOC that increases when you connect panels in series. Therefore, check the final VOC of the panels you connect in series and compare it with the VOC supported by your inverter or controller.
See if your panel’s VOC is lower than or equal to the supported VOC of your inverter or controller. If the VOC is higher, your panel won’t be of any use, as the inverter or controller won’t support it.
If you want to connect your solar panels in series, you should have MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) technology for it to be beneficial. However, you can also make series connections within PWM technology, but if you are using a double battery inverter.
12V Solar Panels Connection
If your panels are 12 volts, you can connect them in series and use them on a double battery system. For triple or quadruple battery systems, you need to connect your panels in such a way in PWM technology that the inverter or controller receives the supported VOC.
The current remains the same. For example, if you have all 12-volt panels, connect them in series on top of the double battery. If you have two panels, connect them in series and the rest in parallel, so you get maximum current from your solar panels. This will ensure that your PWM solar charge controller or inverter performs optimally.
MPPT Solar panel connections
“In MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) technology, the solar charge controller or inverter should support the same VOC (Voltage Open Circuit) as the panels provide. If your inverter or charge controller has a VOC rating of 45 volts over single battery, with almost double VOC compared to PWM, then you can use solar panels with up to 72 cells within MPPT technology.
12v mppt solar inverter solar panel connection diagram
Here, you can use panels with any VOC rating within MPPT technology, as long as your inverter controller supports that VOC. Another advantage of MPPT is that if you provide a high VOC to your inverter or controller, it will only use the voltage it requires and convert the rest into current more efficiently to charge your battery. So, this covers when parallel connections are needed and when series connections are beneficial.
24v mppt solar inverter solar panel connection diagram
Now, let’s talk about what happens if you make a wrong connection. Making a wrong connection doesn’t mean reversing the wiring; it means that if you have, for example, a 100w panel and a 150w panel, and you connect them in parallel, you won’t face any loss, whether with PWM or MPPT technology.
36v mppt solar inverter solar panel connection diagram
However, if you connect them in series, the smaller panel will act as a resistor for the larger panel because its power output is lower. So, connecting them in series will result in a significant power loss, and you won’t get the expected power output. Instead, you should connect these two panels in parallel to avoid power loss.
48v mppt solar inverter solar panel connection diagram
If you can’t use them in parallel, consider selling the smaller panel and investing in a new panel that matches the VOC of the larger panel. Incorrectly connecting panels will only result in power loss.
If you have any small panels that you want to connect with larger panels, please comment below with their size and VOC. We will guide you on how to connect them. If you want to connect a small 12-volt panel with a 144-cell panel, match the VOC of the 12-volt panel with the 144-cell panel and connect them in parallel.
This way, you can easily use both small and large panels. Otherwise, you can’t use all of them in series. This concludes the discussion on how to connect solar panels, whether in parallel or in series, and why you should do it. If you liked this post, please share it as much as possible.