All the great information without the fluff. No annoying intro, no self-promotion, just good information explained in a way anyone could understand it. Thank you I know this video is 5 years old and it's the first of yours I found. But I'm going to look and see what else you've produced because I have not been able to find any good educational videos online for the last 2 years.

@AltEStore

2 жыл бұрын

Definitely check out our Resources page too! www.altestore.com/diy-solar-resources/

Amy, what is really great about your channel, is how you present the information. Simple and right to the point. No sifting through unnecessary information. Moreover, all your videos are this way. This type of channel will help us DIY PEOPLE be successful! Keep up the great job.

It’s sort of unbelievable that out of all the different videos about this subject, they fail to demonstrate this. Great video.

This information is actually difficult to find on the internet. Thanks so much for putting this together. Well done...

After many reasearch, this was the most practical and informative video I have watched about shading effects on both sistems, congratulations good job...

@kennethschultz6465

5 жыл бұрын

If you research is KZread !!! Then you are a IDIOT Lern electronic!!! Look Up BY PASS DIODE !!!! IN THIS VIDEO THEY DELIBERET CHOSE NOT TO USE PANELS WITH BY PASS DIODS .. BECAUS THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE THIS DEWESTATING !!! WITH BY PASS DIODES !!!! SO MORAL IS ... D O N T.. BUY ... CHEAP .. PV PANELS .. WITH OUT BY PASS DIODES

@Todestelzer

4 жыл бұрын

Kenneth Schultz that’s true. I have 2 12v panels with 2 bypass diode in series. But I think I will try it in parallel to test it when I got a 12v inverter.

@respecttime4197

4 жыл бұрын

@@kennethschultz6465 Nice piece of advice, but I was just wondering that this nice piece of advice would have earned way more respect if you had just avoided the foul language you used in the beginning. By the way, I just took a risk of being bombarded with more indecent words, but let's hope for the best.

@JithinJose2

3 жыл бұрын

I agree

@JithinJose2

3 жыл бұрын

@@respecttime4197 Exactly

This is best channel for anyone interested in solar. Information presented in a simple manner. Great channel

I was looking forward to this episode - and it did not disappoint! All the combinations, expertly demonstrated and explained. Perfect! Thank you Amy!

I have watched so many of your videos and I have to say you are a world class teacher. Keep it very simple and to the point

WONDERFUL Teacher Amy! It's one thing to talk solar, it's all together meaningful when you combine that with practical applications! Thank you for your invaluable insight! Blessings 👍😇

Super informative demo, Ms. Beaudet. Very comprehensive! Thank you.

I love watching your demos. They certainly make sense. I hope I can retain the info when I start building my own system. Cheers!

Very well thought out and presented clearly. Easy to understand.Thank you Amy!

Good description but I wonder why a bypass diode was never mentioned as part of this video. They are pretty important when wiring in series.

Amy you are good at what you do. Very well explained. Always!

Very nice demo of what I was otherwise just reading about. Really helps to see it. Thank you.

wow one of the best explanation for solar panels in youtube. thanks a lot

Good work on your videos, very informative, and easy to understand. Makes me want to sell my camper so I can buy another and build another solar system!

@AltEStore

7 жыл бұрын

I warn people that solar is addicting. Just one more thing...

Good tutorial on the effects of various degrees of shade on panels. Thumb up.

WOW !!! WOW !!! WOW !!! Amy you go girl !!! that is fantastic information who would have thought?! really good info! now we know what's happening with the shading?! great ! Really good video thanks for posting

Excellent videos Amy! You're like a "MythBuster" for the solar community... Keep up the good work!

@kennethschultz6465

5 жыл бұрын

Just sad .. when u lern the word's BY PASS DIODES Then you realy Know you got played .. zuker

@fratermus5502

5 жыл бұрын

@@kennethschultz6465 Illiterate much?

Answered my query exactly, thank you. On my setup, each panel is wired in parallel, with its own wire going to the controller. I was considering changing it to the series wiring to cut down on wiring but I can see now that this would reduce performance significantly if shade touched one of the panels.

Great video. Best explanation and demonstration I've seen yet. Thank you for the information.

Finally, the test I wanted to see.

Thanks for the teaching. Appreciate it.

A solid presentation on shading.

Answered exactly my question with a practical appraoach

this is the perfect way to set this demo up. Thank you!!

You just answered my query from the last vid I watched :) thanks again

As always,, very helpful and Informative video..thanks for this..

Excellent presentation. Thank you!

Again thank you very interesting numbers...staying in parallel

Great information, exactly what I was looking for

Excellent video, learned a lot!

Great video.

thanks for the explanation, amy

Nice Information, it helped me in designing the efficient solar energy system in home. Thanks a lot...

@kennethschultz6465

5 жыл бұрын

Sad you just got played .. ther was No BY PASS DIODES on these panels so there for the whole system get drawn down

Since it's been awhile since anyone added a new comment, and since I'm learning a lot now about residential solar energy, I can update people on this topic. Enphase microinverters and SolarEdge inverter with optimizers essentially provide parallel wiring of your panels, which is what Amy is showing the advantages of. Pretty much all residential systems use microinverters or optimizers these days, and therefore use parallel panel wiring. Shading is indeed a problem for my house. But of the panels that are out there, I found one that takes this goal of localized partitioning for minimizing shade induced production loss a step further. Solaria (based in Fremont, CA) wires their cells into 4 quadrants on their panels, essentially turning their panel into 4 mini-panels. Within each quadrant the cells are, as normal, wired in series. But the quadrant's outputs are run in parallel. This means that when a tree branch casts a shadow across the corner of a panel only that corner quadrant drops down in output, while the other 3 quadrants maintain the full output. So, summarizing: in the old days panels were wired in series. When shade was cast on part of one panel all panel's outputs dropped down to the lowest performing shade-effected panel. Today, with panels wired in parallel, when shade is cast on part of one panel, typically that whole panel, but only that one panel, drops down in power output. But with the Solaria panels, when shade is cast on part of one panel, that panel drops down only on the quadrant(s) affected so that the affected panel has minimized the affect from the shading. I haven't heard of any other panel manufacturer doing this, but maybe they're out there. Maybe someday they'll engineer panels so that all cells will be wired in parallel for optimal (minimal) shade effect. No, I don't work for Solaria. But since I have shade problems this is the panel I'm selecting, after a lot of panel shopping, for my new rooftop residential system.

Top notch presentation.

Thanks for this. Seemed the logical way and now I know for sure without having to do the test myself. And yes, more controllers equal added efficiency. But, if you need to save money and don't have shading issues one may not even need the added expense of a MPPT over a PWM controller. Unless of course your system needs to run at maximum capacity.

@AltEStore

7 жыл бұрын

You are right. I needed to use an MPPT charge controller for the demonstration because I was wiring in series, and needed to drop the 24V down to 12V. But as we showed, since wiring in parallel was the better method, this can be done with a PWM or MPPT.

@vincentrobinette1507

5 жыл бұрын

The only thing you really need, is some kind of regulator, to protect the batteries from over charging. As cheap as panels are now days, it's not ultra critical, that you glean every possible watt. It might be cheaper, to just add a couple of panels, to get the current you need.

you did many research for us. Tks.

Great video! Thank you!

That a very good video, thank you so much!

Thank you, very informative

Great information!

Very helpful. Thank you very much.

Awesome! This helped a lot!

I'm installing solar panels on my RV and you helped me determine that: I will install a greater number of smaller panels in Parallel, as opposed to a fewer amount of larger panels in Series. And how to maximize panel orientation if possible...Thanks!

Great video,Pro explanation !

Such a great video

Great Vid

Perfect we love it

Very helpful.

Good video!

Always informative, thank you!

very good show as always, i learn every time i watch and i save these to watch over and over. i like the fan on the left that it moves pans and tilts, would you say where or a link to a place that sells them, have not seen them up here, eh

@AltEStore

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks George. I bought the fan a while back online. I think it is Peak PKC0JH. You should be able to Google it for your area. I've beat it up pretty bad over the years with demos (including running it directly off a 32Vmp solar panel), it still hangs in there.

Very helpful Thank you

Good job👍😊

When in parallel ,if one panel has shade. Do the voltage from one panel give back feed to other panel due to voltage difference?

Very good video

thanks very helpful!

I was worried about overloading my mppt solar controller but after watching this I got an idea of how to fix that problem, Just put a sheet of cardboard over part of one of the panels to reduce the watt flow.

It appears that the most efficient system will be wired with panels in parallel pairs, then in series (I guess you said that). I'm busy watching all your videos because despite the sales pitch for your products, you're sharing facts that will help us all to do solar the best way.

@AltEStore

7 жыл бұрын

That's the plan, man.

@kennethschultz6465

5 жыл бұрын

Hmm look Up BY PASS DIODE's ..and see why this shade shait and seriell is bad Why IT is aculey not?. Unless you ofcorse think that All cheap must be best And solar PV are fuking Solar PV What can go wrong Then eat this shait i fore one know the word's and the MEANING ogBY PASS DIODE'S

Thanks a lot for the content)

Here is an Idea I had... Why don't solar panel manufacturers have some type of internal switching device so that if a particular cell is low on output (indicating it is likely shaded), that it just acts as a passthru, supplying 0 volts for that cell, but very little resistance to the rest of the panel. For example, if the entire panel lit up well is 18.0V, then you cover just 1 of the cells, that cell would switch to "passthru" mode and the entire panel would then be 17.5V but with the same current as with 18V. Thus you may only see about a 3% loss in total power, rather than about 30% or so that you were seeing. It might be more expensive to make them this way but that sure would be slick. That way, if up to 25% of the panel is shaded, it can still make enough voltage to charge a 12V battery bank (25% down from 18V leaves 13.5V). This would probably solve the series partially shaded issue.

@user-pz6cx8zf2y

5 жыл бұрын

Your idea is absolutely correct. To achieve this goal, manufacturers of solar panels used to install plenty of the so called "bypass" diodes. It was that time, in the past, where quality was the first characteristic of any product....So each panel had very effective protection against shading (: the more bypass diodes within the panel, the less power loss of the panel due to shading). Nowadays, cheapness is governing the market. Therefore...two bypass diodes in the best case, or none at all for the most of them...Competition makes this situation worst than ever before as regards quality. I wonder if there are panels out there using, say, six or eight bypass diodes any longer...And I finally don't think that there are...These things were happening at the time when the individual cells were circular in shape. So there was plenty of space available for installing these diodes. The rectangular shape of the modern cells makes things difficult for placing bypass diodes in the panels, but still the main factor for their disappearance is the cost they add. Quality does not matter any longer...

Good video, glad to know a midnight solar charge controller sucks at 90% efficiency when a victron is 98-99% efficient at comparable costs.

Hi Amy. Firstly thanks a lot for your interesting videos. I have a question for you! What if I have one of the solar panels placed outside that is affected by the shadow of a neighboring wall. Can I place and use a common mirror to redirect the solar light to the panel? Can you show us how (in)effective this would be? thanks a lot. :)

Thanks that was useful.

Wondering if mounting a diffuser lens above or white reflector beside the panel would be useful by spreading the light out and overcoming shade problem. Or heck amorphous silicon cells have much less problem w shading so just use them (or maybe instead as a translucent diffusing layer over each mono-/poly-si cell with each pair being in parallel to reduce resistance during shade events).

Very good

Good. W When distance between solar panels and battery is long, then solar panels in series are better to reduce transmission losses.

brillant. so I have 1x200w 12v panel facing East, and a 40amp MPPT controller. was thinking of a adding a WEST facing 200W panel. So using your shading example and using only the one MPPT, seems going parallel is the way to go, to get that bit extra out of them. thank you.

@AltEStore

7 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a good plan. Since current is more affected in that case than voltage, planning for different amps is the way to go. Parallel would be best.

@kennethschultz6465

5 жыл бұрын

i got 24 250watt set Up East 45°in this way 4 panels in series 3 times 140v @ 27A on one EPever 60A@48v 4 panels in series 3 times 140v @ 27A on one EPever 60A@48v West 45° 4 panels in series 3 times 140v @ 27A on one EPever 60A@48v 4 panels in series 3 times 140v @ 27A on one EPever 60A@48v I use RECOM 250+5WATT GOLD PANELS with BY PASS DIODES So this shearing nonsens is just What IT is .. Every seriel set have IT's own 10mm² whole down to the MPPT SO THE 27A don't get lost in oh say """ 4mm²"" is way good enough Yes if you like loss and PWM IT SERTENLEY IS BUT!!! I don't build shait .. with loss as a factor .. Remember!! If IT is just .. good enough .. IT is Half BAD!!!

thanks 👍

you are the best

Hello hello Amy and AltE...I really apreciate your "Hands On" series on top of your theoretical series...! Learning a lot. I have an old Japanese saying I use: "Function over Form". I believe you know this, but, just to be sure: In the beginning of this video, you mention the individual solar cells of 0,5V being connected in series, to obtain 18V. Pointing out the series along the top and showing it again in the diagram, is not a correct electrical "Series": The cells have a negative pad on the top and a positive pad on the bottom side. They are wired in series: From one Top(neg) to the next Bottom(plus), to ad up the voltages. PS: I know this video is: How to Wire Panels and I am murking around down in the machine room. Anyway...Spring Greetings to all from Denmark...Jakob

That is very nice

Super ... Mam

Great demo. I didn't realize there was a difference between partial shading when panels were wired in parallel versus wired in series. Your demo really makes this clear and understandable.

@kennethschultz6465

5 жыл бұрын

Onley when you use cheap skate PV .. Real PV has BY PASS DIODES .. SO SHADING GET BYPASSED AND SERIEL WINS !! But well i am from Denmark and we know this hmm 30 yers now By PASS DIODE's ain't a new thing .. on deasent PV panels But there is No need or use fore Them in these small setup.. But when you got 48 panels like i do .. you know a misleading story This don't appley to big deasent PV ..

I'd like to comment in here with something. First off, I love your videos. I came back to this one video specifically, but have watched many others experiment with the same thing. The reason I want to clarify something here, is because we actually have what equates to four power sources, or four solar panels. You began explaining that each of YOUR panels has twice as many cells as standard, and that's because you have the panel broken into two sets of smaller cells. By doing this you have altered the shading experiment, which can be observed in your first reading. The current dropped nearly in half, with voltage being consistent. This is because your one panel that's hooked up is actually two separate power sources that are wired in parallel. One has some shading, but the other is still completely exposed to sunlight and is producing its original voltage. This is different than what other panels will do, because per your original statement, most panels are made with a single string of solar cells, meaning there is not a second power source made into the panel and therefor your results are specific to your product (or another product that is made the same way).

@AltEStore

3 жыл бұрын

Perfect timing. I just grabbed two 36 cell panels from the office the other day and was going to do a new video soon showing shading with them. But the result will still be the same, wiring them in parallel will be better.

@oldlee2706

2 жыл бұрын

@@AltEStore provided you are always getting above 12v from the sun.

Thank you for this. If I have 2 strings of 4 panels, 1 set faces east, and the other west. If I wire them in parallel, will the loss be minimal as well? So 4S (east) & 4S (west) combined to give me a 4S2P setup into a single MPPT controller. Hope that makes sense.

Nice presentation but you mentioned a few things and didn't elaborate on them. One is that for those 2 panels, you recommend using separate charge controllers to get maximum power. Regarding that, I have 2 main questions: 1) Assuming both charge controllers are for 12V battery bank, is it ok to connect them both to the same battery bank at the same time without causing any issues? 2) Is it better than #1 if you have a 24V series connected battery bank and instead connect one 12V controller to one 12V "leg" and the other 12V controller to the other "leg"?

a question. , in my 8 panels setup one panel face the shade , all are connected in series, obviously they have built-in bypass diodes, may I know what would be your expert advice, should I install another bypass diode on that PANEL although it has built-in internal diodes present? or the blocking diode with that panel would be good? plz advice.

I think there is something wrong with your charge controller. With an AGM solar battery you should be charging at above 14.4V. I have a CTek D250SA and that outputs 14.65V typically to the AGM battery. 12.65V is less than float charge.

Nice packaging

I so miss her very sweet lady 👸 of solar 👼

Good video's

for compact installations it might be great the parallel setup, but this methode requires bigger wiring, low voltage high current is more difficult to transport (more loss) than higher voltage systems (series) in some situations it could be good to mix series and parallel

@AltEStore

6 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. A larger system is best with an MPPT charge controller that can allow you to wire panels in series for higher voltage and lower current.

THANKS 😊 4 INFO... PARALLEL SHADING 😎 IT IS! WHAT IS BETTER, ROOFTOP OR TEMP SET UP AS U HAVE IT?

Quick question, if I have 2 12v panels in series, can I add a 12v panel in parallel to that initial string, for the morning side of my roof

I've got 3 x 100 watt, 2 x 150 watt & 1 - 120 watt panels all 12V with partial shade how should I wire this system and should I use a mmpt charge controller

Very nice presentation. Did You notice that WATS on input like on out-up get this same? Yes, converter also is consuming some WATS, thats why there is difference in 5-8 WATS. But nice in that presentation is that voltage is changed when amps stays this same, and You get this same watts like with higher voltage and lower amps. On Your presentation that was difficult to see, because of outside sun and clouds and Your body, but in ideal room with this same light, You will get watts at this same level. But voltage will differ and amps also. PS, I have question, did You not over power Your converter? Because I see that panels in series get higher voltage but Watts stop at 50 watts.

Amy is the best.

What type of charge controller are you using in this video that has a digital display output?

@AltEStore

7 жыл бұрын

Those are actually separate power meters that we bought to make it easier to view what's going on for these tests.

Great Content. Subbed :)

for 5w 9v solar panel, is it need to put bypass diode?

If you fit a bypass capacitor on each panel when connected in series, does this reduce the problem, and if not, why not?

Can you please tell me the exact model of your controllers?

I have 3 x 40v panels in parallel connected to a 24v system and today its a bit cloudy and the panels make less than 24v only 6v aswell. so of course it cant charge , but why? shouldnt only the amps drop with shade, why the voltage? if i connect them in series i am not sure if i solve the problem because if 1 makes only 5-8v i am still not reaching more than 24, so whats the problem? always when i measure the output voltage directly from the panels, its always about 37v with strong sun and when its cloudy aswell, but as soon as i attach them to the mppt the voltage drops to 6v or less

Hi Amy, nice video, can you illustrate the wiring of the mutli meters (into the charge controller, and the out of the out from the ct, thanks

@AltEStore

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the request. I'm not able to edit existing videos, I'll make sure to add those details to my next demo videos. I'm outgrowing the existing system, so am building a better, bigger one for the spring. I'll make sure to have good closeups and schematics for them.

I hope you wouldn't mind helping me out a little bit and checking my math for me. I've been trying to find someone with an accurate answer.... I recently purchased 4 lightly used 270 watt, 35.5 volt pmax, 7.60amp pmax / 15amp fuse rating solar panels. So, if I connect them up in series I would get 1080watts with 142 volts at 7.6 amps. Correct? I also purchased a DC pool pump rated at 72vdc that comes with a 72v Controller Box. The Controller parameters are as follows: Rated current=12A, max solar input volts=150, current overload=15A, pump=1000W @ 72v, best working volts=88v. Would you agree that my 4 panels in series is best and most efficient? Or do you recommend another configuration???

today i learned accidently that covering the bottom 4 inches of a panel completly took almost all its amperage output away for the entire panel. they are flexible mono panels that seem to only have a 3 x 6 cell config for a total of 18 cells.