2 x 50W Reinforced narrow semi-flexible solar panels:
These reinforced semi-flexible solar panels have a unique 7-layer construction, featuring an embedded sheet of anodised aluminium fully encapsulated within each solar panel. This additional reinforcement offers greater strength and resilience, making them amongst the most robust semi-flexible solar panels available on the market.
In addition to the aluminium reinforcement, the surface of these 50W semi-flexible solar panels is made of strong ETFE material which has a longer service life compared to standard semi-flexible solar panels. As a result, these particular semi-flexible solar panels are extremely hard-wearing and less prone to cracking, delamination and corrosion. The lightly textured coating of these panels creates an anti-reflective surface which allows the panels to absorb a far greater amount of light, thereby increasing efficiency. ETFE material has long been used in applications where durability and high-temperature resistance is required, such as in the Eden Project, Cornwall. You can read more about ETFE and its benefits here.
These panels also feature innovative 5 busbar solar cells, which are more efficient than the 2, 3 or 4 busbar solar cells used in most other solar panels, and are able to extract more power from the same surface area.
The semi-flexible design of these panels makes them ideal for curved roofs and surfaces where bonding is preferable (though the panels can also be fixed by bolts or screws). The panels are also incredibly light (only 2kg each) which makes them an ideal option for all vehicle applications. The unique narrow design also make them ideal for applications where space is restricted, or where there are obstructions on the roof. The panels are also highly resistant to salt water environments and it is also possible to walk on the panels, making them the perfect choice for boats and yachts.
The panels are fitted with 2 x 90cm of cable with MC4 connectors on the end.
10A Solar charge controller:
The kit includes a 10A 12V/24V Photonic Universe solar charge controller designed to protect batteries whilst charging them, with automatic cut off to prevent over-charging and deep discharge. The controller uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology which increases charge acceptance and prolongs the life of your battery. Often PWM technology can recover some lost battery capacity.
This controller stops reverse current at night (from the battery back to the solar panels) so your battery won't lose any charge. It has many other protection functions such as over charge / discharge, over load, short circuit, overheating etc.
The LCD display shows information regarding real time solar panel and battery performance, including: voltage, current, battery state of charge, and battery temperature. An energy statistics counter also displays the accumulated daily and monthly charge values (useful for comparing solar panel performance between different periods).
This solar charge controller also offers the rare and highly sought-after feature of a dual USB charging output. These 5V USB ports have a total combined output of 2.4A, offering fast and powerful charging of USB compatible devices such as mobile phones, tablets, mp3 players etc.
An optional 12V load (e.g. 12V lighting / fans) may also be connected directly to the solar charge controller, with various settings for night time lighting applications. In addition, this controller also offers various charging programs for different battery types, which can be easily selected by the user. In addition to the built-in temperature sensor, the controller has a pair of terminals for connecting a remote temperature sensor, which can be attached directly to the battery to measure the battery temperature more precisely and optimise the charging process.
Additional items:
The kit includes 5m positive and negative 4.0mm solar extension leads for connecting the solar panels to the solar charge controller, and a 5m 4.0mm dual core battery cable fitted with a 15A fuse, fuse holder and 8mm ring terminals for use between the solar charge controller and your battery, making the total cable length between the solar panels and the battery 1m + 5m + 5m = 11m.
A pair of T-branch MC4 connectors is also provided, in order to connect these panels in parallel (Click on the Installation tab for further details).