Hi Have been using a Mobi 200w solar blanket of about 85w output to my EB70, but want more efficient charge up to 200w from 2 X 100w fixed panels connected with anderson plugs splitter. With panel specs below, firstly will 2 connected panels work?
VOC 24.18V,
ISC 5.51A,
VMP 20.35V,
IMP 4.95A
Secondly, i they will work with my EB70, should I connect them in parallel or series please?
A very basic question I know, but I need to get it right for next time the slow cooker ((160w draw) empties the trusty EB70…
thank you in anticipation…
Hey @stormgrrl !
welcome to the forum 
You only can use one Panel or two in parallel. For the series connection, the voltage of both panels would be too high and damage the mppt.
Just be aware that you cant use the full power in parallel, since the EB70 only takes 8A at max.
greetings
Erik
Thanks kindly Erik. I have bought a parallel splitter with Anderson plugs, so I will connect the 2 panels to the EB70 via the splitter, and the internal MPPT will let EB70 take in as much it can absorb up to 8A max limit.
I will have some Bluetti practice days to prepare for next storm season. Getting fast recharge from solar is a challenge with these (fantastic) little kits. I have AC60 and B80 as well, and issues the same I think. Our chat has been very hellpful.
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Switching from a single 200W solar blanket laid flat to (2) 100 watt flat solar blankets will net the exact same output if you use them in the same configuration. You will still end up with around 85W + or - a few watts. You likely have the exact same surface area in both configurations. The reason you are only getting 85W is likely due to the panel laid flat and the angle of Sun is lower in your region. If you want to lay them flat, in order to get 165W maxed you need to run TWO 200 watt panels in parallel, not two 100 watt panels. Now if your two 100 watt panels can tilt, to match a perpincdular angle of 90 degrees to the Sun, you’ll max out your 200 watts. But at that point, just get a single 200 watt panel that tilts and carry around just 1 panel.
For your solar array of 400 watts (200 X2) laid flat you would need 41% of the available power to max out the EB70 at around 165 watts. You never get the full 200. I have an EB70 and I generally get about 165W MAX.
When you lay a panel flat the power output is essentially the SIN of the Sun’s altitude multiplied by your power output minus about 10% of that (give or take due to conversion loss). Here’s an example. Say the Sun is at 30 degrees altitude in the sky. SIN(30) is 0.5 or 50%. Take away another 10% for conversion loss. So you’ll get 40% of your available power on your panel. So if its a 100 watt panel, that’s 40W you’ll actually get back. Keep in mind the 10% number is just a rule of thumb and not a precise science.
TLDR - ask yourself do you want to lay the panels flat or do you want to have to tilt them up all the time and deal with anchoring them down all the time so they don’t blow away or fall on their face and get damaged.
Flat is nice for quicker deployment but if you are at a higher altitude like say Alaska or its winter time where angle of sun is low, flat panels can well let’s say “fall flat” lol. That is unless you can double their output to match the tilted equivalent.
Switching from a single 200W solar blanket laid flat to (2) 100 watt flat solar blankets will net the exact same output if you use them in the same configuration.
To simplify this to give a pretend scenario say your 200W blanket at 85W was outputting 20V@4.25A (20X4.25= 85W) if you laid two 100 panels flat the first 100 watt panel would be around 20V@2.125A and the second the exact same (20V@2.125A) so if you ran in parallel you’ll get 20V@4.25A or identical output. This is assuming of course the panels performance are identical as well and perform about the same. As someone who has cheaped out on poor quality panels, you pay the price.
TLDR - ask yourself do you want to lay the panels flat or do you want to have to tilt them up all the time and deal with anchoring them down all the time so they don’t blow away or fall on their face and get damaged.
To add on to this comment, from my personal experience I almost always prefer laying two panels flat in parallel because it is a PAIN in the butt to always have to stake panels down and readjust them to point toward the Sun. When you lay them flat you only have to account for shade. Whatever the Sun’s altitude is, is what you get. When you tilt the panel you now have to account for two variables. The angle of the Sun to the panel AS WELL AS whether the panel is pointed TOWARD the sun. Every hour the sun moves 15 degrees, so eventually you have to realign your panels or just stick them in the optimal alignment at solar noon and pray its not cloudy or gets shaded during that time. With a parallel configuration you will reek the benefits of a cloudy day because panels laid flat will absorb more energy since light is scattered.
Thank you sealy86 for your very helpful note. I am am working through the various issues and a bit disappointed that my little Bluetti boxes have the internal limit of 8.3amp built into the mppt. Even 10 would have been good. Anyway, I have figured out that i can get 91w per panel if one 100w fixed panel is charging up my AC60 and the other 100w fixed panel is charging up the EB70 quite separately. 
Not what i planned, but it will work - I’ll just have the input spread over two Bluetti boxes!
Thanks so much
A
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I believe they limited the EB70 to 8A not to make solar charging difficult, but as a compromise so the power station didn’t melt the 12V cigarette lighter plug. Apparently they get really hot above 8A and Bluetti maxed it out as a safety precaution. For power stations that support 10+ A the MPPT is throttled to 8A when the voltage is below 30-32V. This explains why it is the way it is.
Since your solar output is limited I imagine you’ll have to maximize it at the optimal times. For example if you wanted to run your slow cooker, take advantage when its sunny out ONLY. Likewise if you want to “break even” with power, you can connect both panels together in parallel so you are getting back as much as you can from the slow cooker burning 160 watts OUT. At the end of the day you’ll always need to consume less than what you get to sustain a net charge. It’s not so much about I “have to” refill my power bank to 100%, its more so about CAN YOU keep it topped off. If I consume 350Wh a day as a light consumer, but today its very cloudy out the 100 watt panel may only output 25% of its power or 25W. In 8 hours light that’s 200Wh regained. I lost 150Wh. But my EB70 has 714WH. If it was sunny the next day, I’m good because I can top it off when I regain Sun. If its cloudy for 4-5 days in a row, you have to find an alternative power source like charging from your vehicle and driving it, LP/Gas, etc. From my experience my #1 power hog has always been my 12V fridge. I dedicate a 350W panel and a Bluetti AC180 just to it! 