A PV panel with 12V@6A output will be about 1m x 500cm no smaller. And the rating will only be in ideal circumstances.

But 6v solar panel smaller.isn't it?

 

But 6v solar panel smaller.isn't it?

The voltage of a PV panel is directly propoptional to the number of cells in it, the current capacity is directly proportional to the area of the cells.

So a 6V@6A panel would be half the size, probably about 500x500cm.

It would also be half the power.

 

A PV panel with 12V@6A output will be about 1m x 500cm no smaller

Are you sure? The ones I have seen are 1m by about 72 cm. 500 cm is over 16 feet.

 

Are you sure? The ones I have seen are 1m by about 72 cm.

With 6A output? I haven’t seen anything that small. Happy to be corrected though. I will go have a look and see what I am missing.

 

The sun shines at a convenient 1kW per square metre, and panels are about 20% efficient, therefore 200W per square metre output.
There are a lot of fake panels on ebay, claiming all sorts of ridiculous output powers.

 

Are you sure? The ones I have seen are 1m by about 72 cm. 500 cm is over 16 feet.

Well, I just did a look around and everything I can find for 12V at that current capacity hovers at 1m x 500cm.

Do you have any examples?

 

This panel from Amazon rated 120 watt.
BougeRV 120 Watts Monocrystalline Solar Panel with Mounting Z Brackets, 12 Volts Mono Solar Cell Charger High Efficiency Module for RV Trailer Boat Off Grid

 

That‘s .98m tall…

 

That‘s .98m tall…

Yes but it's not 500cm wide only appx 67cm.

 

Yes but it's not 500cm wide only appx 72cm

Ah, yes. You are right. I may have misspoken based on having to convert units. Let me check that it is certainly possible.

in any case, either way it is no where near 15cm.

 

This panel from Amazon rated 120 watt.
BougeRV 120 Watts Monocrystalline Solar Panel with Mounting Z Brackets, 12 Volts Mono Solar Cell Charger High Efficiency Module for RV Trailer Boat Off Grid



View attachment 259283

I don’t know if this panel is specified properly, but pretty much all the panels I can find from high reputation manufacturers rated with this current capacity hover right around 1m x 500cm.

It’s been quite a while since I needed to buy PV panels, though, so it is possible that some are better. Still, that seems to imply a much higher efficiency than seems reasonable.

I really don’t know. I guess I just don’t have enough up to date information to counter my experience, but I don’t have it so I leave it to the reader to work out what’s correct.

Thanks for pointing it out though.

 

hover right around 1m x 500cm.

Are you saying 1 meter tall by 500 centimeters wide? That's appx 3 ft by 16ft
Can you post the link to one you are referencing at 1m x 500cm ?

 

Are you saying 1 meter tall by 500 centimeters wide? That's appx 3 ft by 16ft
Can you post the link to one you are referencing at 1m x 500cm ?

Ha! I kept typing the same error! 50cm not 500cm. Wow. Doing too many things at once, maybe? I apologize.
Maybe I am just a physicist at heart, order of magnitude and all that,

Wow. No wonder you were so confused. I need to pay more attention to zeroes, I think.

Thanks for pointing that out. 1m x .5m not 1m x 5m.

I think I was converting to mm and typing in cm.

 

I think I was converting to mm and typing in cm.

Only schoolchildren use centimetres. Engineers use metres and millimetres! (And any other prefix with a power divisible by 3; and deciBels)

 

Only schoolchildren use centimetres. Engineers use metres and millimetres! (And any other prefix with a power divisible by 3; and deciBels)

Noted, from now on it's millimetres unless I am using chains and furlongs.

 

Noted, from now on it's millimetres unless I am using chains and furlongs.

Do you buy your electricity in foot-pounds?

 

Do you buy your electricity in foot-pounds?

No, that would be silly.

I use angstrom-slugs, of course.

 

Hi Guys,
Topic please.
Mod

 

The main reason that solar charge controllers provide an output terminal is for automatic lighting. Mine has the settings: a) always on, b) "load on after sunset and closed after setting hours", c) "dusk to dawn".

 

Ha! I kept typing the same error! 50cm not 500cm. Wow. Doing too many things at once, maybe? I apologize.
Maybe I am just a physicist at heart, order of magnitude and all that,

Wow. No wonder you were so confused. I need to pay more attention to zeroes, I think.

Thanks for pointing that out. 1m x .5m not 1m x 5m.

I think I was converting to mm and typing in cm.

Actually, it's 50cm?