I installed a 200 watt solar panel in my home in May 2016. Since then I have been researching solar panels. I think I am becoming a solar energy enthusiast to say the least. This a Renogy Solar Panel Review. I believe that solar energy is the way to go when it comes to being energy efficient. After installing my first Solar Panel and reading a few solar panel reviews, there are a few things that I look for. I believe anyone who is interested in buying a solar panel and is not a solar panel “expert” will benefit from this review of the Renogy 100W Monocrystalline Solar Panel. In this article I also have a review of the Renogy 100W Monocrystalline Solar Panel Starter Kit.
The 100 Watt rating on the solar panel refers to the peak power that the panels can out put when placed under direct sunlight. It is the ideal case. In reality you will not get this peak power all through the day. If you have direct sunlight for 5 hours, then the solar panels will ideally output 500 Wh of power.
This means you can use the solar panels to ideally supply 500 Watt hour of power to your battery or to any direct current load that may be connected to the panels. In my own case I bought my solar panels to charge my 200Ah battery. It is more realistic to assume that the panels will only supply 80% of the max power rating even when you have an almost ideal situation. If however there is some shade, some cloud or your placement does not allow for adequate sunlight to your panels the amount of power outputted will be affected.
Full 100 Watts
From my research I discovered the the 100 Watt Renogy Solar Panels is known for its high efficiency. Several satisfied customers claim that they have been able to measure between 98 and 120 Watts output!. You will need a solar charge controller that measures power outputs to get the reading from your panels or learn how to do it with a digital multi-meter. Here is a good tutorial on How to measure the power output of your solar panels. These Solar Charger Tutorials are quite helpful for anyone who is new to the solar energy world!
Here is a video that will show you how to test the outputs of your solar panel.
What can it do? How long will it take to charge my battery?
The 100 watt Monocrystalline Renogy solar panel like most is shipped ready to charge a 12 volt battery. If you have a 24 or 48 volt battery array, then you will need to buy 2 solar panels for a 24v battery array and 4 panels for a 48V array. You will also need a solar charge controller to protect your batteries against over charging, depletion at night and terminal reversal (that is when you connect the battery terminal wrongly). The Solar Charge controller does not come with the panels. However, if you choose to purchase the Renogy Solar Panel Starter kit, the Solar Charger is included!
The panel has diodes pre-installed in its junction box that also protect your batteries from being discharged when the sun goes down. This means that even without a solar charge controller, the Renogy Solar panels will never discharge your batteries.
So how long will this 100 Watt Panel take to charge your 100Ah Deep Cycle batteries? Here is how to calculate the duration.
