Ok, brand new to here, and Bluetti. I’ll be getting my 200L tomorrow. Never had anything like this before, and there’s so much to know, I was hoping this would be simple.
Sorry if this has been asked a zillion times, but I’m old, and not real good with reading a lot.
Anyway- I’d like to get 2 of the Renogy 200 watt panels to use with this.
Are there adaptors that I need? Will this work well? I wanted to buy panels , but realized that I’m not well versed with ANY of this.
Thanks for any help!
@BlueJabski Please make sure that the open circuit voltage of the solar panels in series is in the AC200L range and the interface is MC4. Then they can PV charge your AC200L.
Thanks for the quick reply.
So would a call to the panel mfg. tell me the open circuit voltage, and will the AC200L documentation show that open circuit V. Range?
Again, I’m as new to this as can be.
Looking forward to having this!
Thanks
The 200L has a 150 volt limit and the 200 watt panels will be well within that limit. You do not need any other adapters to make this work as long as you connect the wiring in “Series” configuration. The only thing I would suggest is to get an MC4 extension cable (search amazon with those exact words) if you need to have the panels located further than the included cables.
Scott-Benson, thanks for this information.
The Renogy 200 watt suitcase panels,( was going to paste a link, but wasn’t sure if that was allowed), come with the charge controller, which I wouldn’t need. This seems good.
Then the E-flex 200 watt is cheaper, but also foldable, which I like too.
Lower longer panels vs taller. Both foldable…
Both of those would be ok to use? 2 of either?
What really ticks me off, is in my youth, I had some DC circuit theory classes and knew my stuff with this. Back in the days of Fortran and what not.
Now I’m old, and it all seems to escape me.
Which is why your help is so much appreciated.
2 of either panels will work fine. To connect the panels in series start with one output connector on either solar panel and connect it to the only connector it will mate with on the second pane. This leaves you with two wires not connected, one on each panel. Connect those two connectors with the two connectors on the solar charging cable (supplied with your bluetti) and connect the other end to your power station. All there is to it. As said earlier, you may want to get some extension cables in order to have the bluetti farther away from your panels. MX4 extension cables can be found in a variety of lengths and you won’t need any thicker wire than 12 ga. when you connect in series with the higher voltage. When you connect the wires in series, you add the max voltage of all the panels connected and that is your maximum voltage.
Many thanks. I really do appreciate the information and tips.
Take care
I also got two 200 watt Renogy panels plus two 100 watt for a total of 600 watts, I have the MC4 extension cable and AC200L. So do I connect the solar panels in series? Please explain if that is positive to negative or? I don’t want to mess it up. I believe the open circuit voltage for mine is 24.3V, please let me know if that is fine.
It’s normaly best not to mix panels.
Assuming the 100W panels are 5+ amps (Imp) and the 200W panels are 10+ amps, if you put all the panels in series, they will all be treated as if they are 5+ amps, basically turning the two 200W panels into 100W panels.
However, I’d recommend hooking the two 100W panels in parallel, then treating them like a 200W, and putting them in series with the two 200W panels.
To hook them in parallel, you’ll need a set of MC4 Y branch connectors.
Once you’ve hooked the two 100W panels in parallel, simply hook the panels in series by connecting all the panels in line with each other.
Here’s a couple of examples, though you might want to shop around for the best price:
Here’s some simple tips on mixing panels:
Mixed Solar Panels
When wired in series, add volts, lowest amp used for all.
If shade covers a single panel, will bring amps down for all.
Lower amps/loss in cable.
Maybe works better morning/evening.
When wired in parallel, add amps, lowest voltage used for all.
Best for mixed light/shade.
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Thanks! That information helps me a lot! I did initially get three 200 W panels but the third one would not fit with my second fan.