Mixing different voltage panels

[EDh]

I have a present solar setup of 3 GE solar Panels  110 Watt 16.7 Volt @ 6.6 amps each.  In series I   run the wires directly to the battery buss bar.

I want to ADD 3 Kyocera   130 Watt 17.6 Volt @ 7.39 amps in series in a separate array & run wires direct to the same buss bar.

Will the voltage difference have any lopsided balancing to my battery bank.

Batteries are 3 Rolls/Surrette 4 volt 1350 amp hour batteries.

Can someone correct me if I am going in the wrong direction.

Regards

EDh

[kurt]

sounds like you wanna wire the 3 batteries in series +  -  +  -  + -  and the panels in paralel +++ together and --- together then hook all the panel +'s to the + end of your battery string and all the panel -'s to the - end of your battery string.

[AbyssUnderground]

Both types of panels are 12v panels, so their Open Circuit Voltage matters very little. As Kurt said, wire the batteries in series and the panels in parrallel.

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

Right.

The batteries drag down the panel voltages to match and only see the output current - which is properly combined by paralleling the panels.

At these voltages you shouldn't have a concern about the higher voltage panel driving a damaging current backward through the lower-voltage one if the battery comes unhooked.  (The 0.9v difference is trivial compared to the difference if one is shaded, anyhow.)

The overvoltage of the panels is partly to drive the available current through the panels' resistance and partly to precompensate for the voltage reduction that occurs when the panels get hot - so they will still provide usable power on hot, low-wind days when they don't get adequate cooling.  On a really hot day you might find that only the higher-voltage panels are delivering significant power.  That isn't really an issue (especially when compared to not having installed them and thus getting nearly nothing).

[Flux]

Yes all panels should be in parallel.

What you have with the 3 present ones in series is reducing your output to little more than one panel. Without a mppt controller this just doesn't work.

They are all 12v nominal panels as said by others. The three existing ones and all the new ones need connecting in parallel.

Surely you must have noticed it performing miserably, was that why you want extra panels.

Flux

[EDh]

I want to thank you ALL for taking the time to make comments & to set me straight on the proper way of handling the mixing of panels.  Certainly cleared up some confusion on my part.  Good lesson.

Also just ordered my MPPT contoller last nite to complete the correct installation.

Regards

EDh

[Flux]

If you have ordered a mppt controller then please ignore everything about connecting panels in parallel. To see any advantage from mppt you will need a higher input voltage.

With your mixture of panel types then 3 identical panels in series and parallel the different strings is probably the way to go. If there was any mention of an intention to buy a mppt controller then the advice on mixed panels may have been different.

Flux