A few weeks ago, I bought a Bluetti APEX 300, which I’ve barely used so far, but it seems to work very well and I’m really happy with the unit. So far, I’ve only used it by charging the station from a regular outlet.
This weekend, I bought a solar panel to test charging through the solar inputs. My intention was to test the performance of just one panel, but with the idea of eventually connecting two in parallel to each solar input. (According to the specifications I’ve read: Max 1200 W, 60 V, and 20 A per solar input.)
The panel I bought is a JA Solar JAM72D40-MB 600W (Rated Power (Pmax): 600 W / Open Circuit Voltage (Voc): 52.79 V / Voltage at Maximum Power (Vmp): 44.85 V / Short Circuit Current (Isc): 14.04 A / Current at Maximum Power (Imp): 13.38 A).
I connected it with a 1.5-meter MC4-to-XT60 cable, so the distance between the panel and the station was very short.
I ran the tests on a partly cloudy day, and the performance was very good (300–400 W…), but I was surprised when the sky cleared a bit and the Bluetti app started showing 620 W of charging…
I’ve read that on cold, sunny days, some panels can deliver slightly more than their rated power, but honestly, I was surprised because I expected worse performance.
Here’s my question: If I connect two identical panels in parallel to the same solar input and this situation happens again, do I risk damaging the unit, or will the unit cut off any excess current once it reaches the 20 A limit?
The Apex 300 has two MPPTs, and each can be connected in series with the quantity of solar panels shown in the attached diagram. If connected in parallel, the number of solar panels indicated on the right of the diagram can be doubled.
Solar panels can be connected in either series or parallel, as the Apex 300 has a PV input voltage range of 12V to 60V and a maximum input current of 20A. When connected in series, the voltage increases while maintaining the same current. However, please ensure that you do not mix different types of solar panels, as this can affect efficiency and potentially damage the panels over time.
If the solar input current exceeds 20A, our device will limit the current. However, exceeding this limit will result in wasted capacity. [You can exceed the current, but the voltage should not exceed the limits].
The solar input power can exceed 2400 watts, as long as the total VOC of each MPPT does not exceed 60V.
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask! Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry about the Apex 300.
The Apex 300 has two MPPTs, and each can be connected in series with the quantity of solar panels shown in the attached diagram. If connected in parallel, the number of solar panels indicated on the right of the diagram can be doubled.
Solar panels can be connected in either series or parallel, as the Apex 300 has a PV input voltage range of 12V to 60V and a maximum input current of 20A. When connected in series, the voltage increases while maintaining the same current. However, please ensure that you do not mix different types of solar panels, as this can affect efficiency and potentially damage the panels over time.
If the solar input current exceeds 20A, our device will limit the current. However, exceeding this limit will result in wasted capacity. [You can exceed the current, but the voltage should not exceed the limits].
The solar input power can exceed 2400 watts, as long as the total VOC of each MPPT does not exceed 60V.
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!
Can you please tell us the max connected amps (ISC) that the Apex can handle? I work with many inverter brands, and they usually list the useable amps (20 amps in your case) but also the max connected amps. For example, Sol-Ark 15k can use 26 amps, but can be over-paneled to 44 amps.
I ask because the current generation of panels are producing 16+ amps ISC, which in parallel is over 32 amps connected. Is this still acceptable?
Yes, you can use both PV1 and PV2 to charge your Apex 300 units while also connecting the Solar X. This setup will allow you to effectively utilize the solar input to charge your batteries.
If you have any further questions or need assistance, feel free to ask!
