400 watt solar panel

Plucka
Plucka Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭
In Western Australia I tired to buy a 12 volt 400 watt solar panel.All the retailers I spoke to said they are fake and not 400 watt and tried to sell me a lesser wattage.Who is the con artist?. 
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Comments

  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's unlikely to be a 12 volt nominal, 400 watt panel. Not sure how practical it would be as it would require multiple strings of cells running in parallel within the panels. I suspect they are correct. Any reason you don't want to run more than one panel in parallel?
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • Plucka
    Plucka Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭
    I have 4  panels of 200 watts paralleled and set up as 2 x 400 watts  each on the caravan roof but I need some extra charge but have no more room so I thought I'd put a 400 watt to swing out one on the side of the van  [making it 3 solar controllers ].I would then have all inputs equal.
  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    The included area of 2 × 200W or a 400w single if available, would still be the same, using smaller is often easier to handle, just a thought.
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
  • terracore
    terracore Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭✭
    You indicated this would be a third solar array/controller, then the panel voltage is irrelevant with the right solar controller.  Get a MPPT 12/24 CC and it will automatically take the 24V panel voltage and convert it to your 12v system but at a higher amperage so that no energy is wasted.
  • Plucka
    Plucka Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭
    That's the answer I was looking for .Thanks