uk-solar-guy

Well I already have both of those isolators in place so just a case of going through the sequence. I don't see how separating old from new will be safer as the process for disconnecting and reconnecting will be the same won't it so the safety is the same? By mixing the panels it is only a question of whether they will work to an appreciable degree or not isn't it? I could just buy the panels and try them all through the same SCC and then if it didn't work well then I can always get the second SCC or do the separation. I am not aware that it will damage the panels by trying to route them all together since I am staying within the limits of the controller? Hmm well I just felt like getting more out of this controller if it has the headroom for it. As above I can try all on one and look at my options after if it didn't work well. A system isolated from ground can you explain what it means, as opposed to what? I am not too up on the nomenclature of grounding and certainly not for house electronics, though I have done my grounds as recommended. Yes, it is another option. As above I am thinking why not try rigging them all together first and then try other options if it doesn't work. One wants the max Wattage you can squeeze in that period so don't want to leave money on the table so to speak. Of course it is possible they perform so poorly that it would work better to have the ones on top disconnected but don't know til I try. In regards to the 300W, if I did try is the maximum fuse rating? Someone mentioned this could be a possible concern, elsewhere but did not explain. The max fuse rating for each 100W panel is 15A so is that a problem or not?

Maybe but all my electrics - cooker, lights, and so on - are in the van so whatever other source will have to be disconnected and reconnected somehow? so same issue no? albeit avoiding the related compatibility issues of mixing panels?

Also I agree I really dislike the adversarial nature of a lot of electronics forums. I have not been researching the field for long, relatively, the last few years, but was quite shocked at how confrontational many are in it. Seems electronics and lackluster social skills and classic male member measuring go hand in hand. I was reading a thread yesterday where an innocent question from OP ended up in a pissing match between 2 respondents about who knew more about electronics than the other and each one reeling off their purported expertise to try and trump the other. A pathetic display to any indifferent onlooker.

I was not being snarky I was stating that your above post the quote is empty. So I was asking what you were quoting so I could know what you were responding to:

What are you quoting? It is empty. What is the issue if there is a solar isolator? That is what they are for no? I have used the isolator I have already to isolate the solar circuit of my existing panels, so what is different?

Have you read the OP? I have written all this...I put that I will have a solar isolator to switch them off before doing that.

Hmm I have never heard of them before and thought it a strange for a plumbing company to be selling solar panels. Doesn't sound like good branding to me. The van is small and also packed with living stuff so very little room for large items. Doesn't matter anyway as the site states free delivery over 75. I wrote the full story in my OP. I want to ground mount them and have a quick connect/disconnect for when I drive off and back.

Yes I get that but the 300 are on my van so efficiency and cost are not the only factors when I made the van build. I got flexibles as I wanted it to be 'stealth' at the time and it looks like a bog standard panel van from the outside with these low profile flexibles which is a large plus. Now if I were making the build again today I would not be bothered about the stealth factor but it does have its benefits so don't wish to take these off. Also no matter the cheapness I would be limited by space anyway so probably won't get a large panel up there. I just looked and that would not fit on the van for even one so a moot point anyhow. There is an air vent in the middle of the roof anyway. Most of the year they are perfectly fine for my solar requirements it is just the shorter days and worse whether that I need a boost. Ye I know I can buy a generator but I chose this idea instead as it is still clean energy. When parked up on the field the above are not an issue and can go with large and efficient but I otherwise am happy with my compact setup when on the road with my van. I hate the obvious telltale vanlifer look that nearly all other converted vans have. Also the added bigger panels do not need to be optimal either, just push me over the bump enough to give me more than I use daily. Oh those are some nice priced panels you linked though. What I had noticed with most places was even if the price looked good you would then be looking at 100-150 for shipping but I see they even offer free shipping over 75. The ones I listed in OP were offering free shipping within the catchment area, which I happened to be in.

Now let me preface please do not just tell me to get another SCC. I am well aware there will be a performance hit for doing this but I want to do it anyway as it still give a large net gain and solar panels are cheap while a charge controller isn't and is just easier to add to existing SCC which has plenty more headroom. On the reckoning below it would be only a 12% hit. As this is a UK based forum I hopefully don't need to persuade as to the benefits of getting more solar, commonly referred to as overpanelling, for cloudy weather. I know that it is generally told as verboten to add parallel strings of different number on the same SCC but I also read a couple of posts here and there of users doing it successfully just that it was 'advanced' so discouraged in general. Through more research I have been informed that it is fine to do this so long as you aim to keep the Vmp and Imp the same. My charge controller has 150Voc with 138V for 25c. Here is the proposed setup: Existing 100W panels, currently in series: Vmp: 19.4 Imp: 5.2A = 58.1V x3 in series. Planned new panels: 430W rated each: Vmp: 32.9 Imp: 13.07 = 65.8 x2 in series. So that makes 3 series for 1 string, 2 series for another then both of them paralleled. The 430W panels, being the higher voltage figure would take the efficiency hit. The optimal output would be 860W. With the voltage drop would get 759. So 12% performance hit. 300 + 759 = 1059W (compared to 1160W full power). Do those calculations look correct and ok plus any other considerations to take into account? Would the additive current mean I had to change anything else in terms of wiring or fusing for the 300W string? As there is no more room up top I would plan to ground mount the 2x new ones. I actually reside in my van currently but am parked stationary in the same place week to week on a private piece of land. I plan to make the new panels quick connect/disconnect so I can do so easily when I want to drive off and back again. I am looking at using anderson connectors for this and I already have a Kraus and Naimer 2 pole isolator for the existing solar which I would use to switch off the solar when connecting/disconnecting. When the ground mounted panels were disconnected I was given the suggestion to get a masterseal socket, and remove the provided sockets, in order to stow away the connected shielded from the elements when not in use as there is no weatherproof storage on the field.