vw solar panels in parallel

[drone]

I want to run nine old VW solar panels in parallel to create a 29 watt total.  Can I do this with standard "Y" (car cigarette lighter)style DC splitters?  Here's a sketch of my plan.  Comments encouraged.  Thanks.

[drone]

Sketch is found here.

[whatsnext]

Instead of buying a bunch of adapters I think I would hardwire them together. You might as well buy a bunch of alligator clip leads and hook them together that way. Those cigerette adaptors are very unreliable but in this low amp use they could be OK.

John..

[VisualMonster]

Wow, 9 of them... =)   I bought one of those VW panels from ebay a couple years ago... is that where you got all of yours from?

And yes, I would consider using aligator clips instead of the Y shapped adapters due to cost...  Radio Shack sells the clips if you need any.

[VisualMonster]

I also wanted to mention that if you use a Y adapter to do this, make sure to test out the voltage running through (after you connect the VW panels).  Reason I say this is because I bought a car adapter splitter that gave 3 plugs (from Radio Shack), but for some reason current will only flow out of the battery with that splitter (not into the battery).  This splitter also has an LED light that is lit when connected to a power source too which I didnt like because it was a constant drain on the battery and also added to the price of the splitter.

Another idea is rather than branch off all your splitters on one side, maybe you can have an equal number of panels on the left and right side of the splitters.

Good luck!

[AbyssUnderground]

You could always make one big panel by disecting them like I did. That way you can get some plywood and mount them all on that. It would make it less of an eye-sore and also easier to move if you needed. The wiring would also be neater.

You can see how Im getting on with mine with the url in my profile.

[drone]

I got mine from a VW dealer... you'd be surprised how many dealers have them just sitting around, and just want to be rid of them... ha!

[ghurd]

Shouldn't be any problem. It works for me.

Except... check the solder connections in the 'Y'. Most are crappy, some are worse than that.

G-

[dinges]

It would work, but you'll spend quite some money on the adapters/plugs.

Is it because you don't want to modify the panels? Or because you can't solder?

If it's a more or less permanent situation that you're building, why not solder them, or even use 'choc blocks' (terminal blocks, usually white, with lots of screws in them, to connect 220V wiring).

You setup looks unreliable and expensive to me. But it should work. Reminds me a bit of a Christmas tree though.

[drone]

Unmodified panels can be easily re-sold. Splitters 2.95 each. Panels $10.00 each. This is a test project with the panels affixed to an old window with their attached suction cups;  running into two re-cycled 12v gel cel deep cycle wheelchair batteries; with a modified sine wave 1250w inverter at the other end. I got a high wattage inverter to be able to run a coffee maker, because, although heat generation is the most inefficient way to use electricity, I sure like a good cup of strong coffee.  

[ghurd]

If the panels are the kind with the built in charge controller, I could argue hard wiring will need a controller, complicating the matter.

But the connections will be a lot more reliable hard wired.

G-

[asheets]

I tried using y connectors but found that the losses were greater.

Also, some of the non VW types of these panels (like the cheap one at Harbor Freight) have some sort of LED in the cig plug that messed things up when I tried to parallel them.  I just cut the cig plugs off and wired my own diodes into the circuit.,

[ElSenator]

I've done a bit of that myself... Check my diary.

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/5/29/73951/9989

8-9 straight days of good sun. It is holdin up well. I've cut the plugs off the end, and affixed them to ground bars. Works well, and no diode, except for the charge controller, which was about US$7.

[drone]

Up and running yesterday, charging a battery from 11.88V to 12.73V in half an hour under partially cloudy skies.  Attached photo of obverse, back (with Y connectors and battery clamps) and unit at work.  All elements can be dis-assembled an resold, if required.  Thanks to one and all.