Specifications for the Sun Flare PV panel

CatDaddy

Does anyone have detailed information regarding the Sun Flare solar panels used on the Boondock versions of the Tab series? I specifically interested in the panel used on the 2022 320S Boondock. I can’t even find the power or open-circuit voltage ratings for it. 

I’m asking because the previous owner of my 2022 320S just wired a Harbor Freight mono-crystalline panel in parallel with the Sun Flare panel. I’m surprised that it seems to work, after a fashion. I highly doubt it’s optimal. 

skibug

I know you asked for 320 S but this is the spec sheet for what we have on our 2023 320 CSS. 

CatDaddy

Well, that's interesting! Now I'm wondering if the panel on my 2022 320S BD is Sun Flare or Xantrex!

rfuss928

This is the spec sheet for the Sunflare 162 watt solar panel added to our UT by NuCamp Service Center in Aug 23

CatDaddy

rfuss928 said:

This is the spec sheet for the Sunflare 162 watt solar panel added to our UT by NuCamp Service Center in Aug 23

Thanks! That's very helpful! I will attempt to see if the dimensions shown match my panel.

pthomas745

The question about Xantrex panels came up a couple of years ago.  It may have been a very short term solution.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/17692/0/#Form_Comment

CatDaddy

That's helpful as well.  My panel does not have grommets so it's probably a Sunflare panel.

rfuss928

This is a link to pretty complete specs on a Sunflare Flex35 105 watt panel.
https://shop.waypointvehicles.com/products/sunflare-xplor-105w-weekend-panel?srsltid=AfmBOoouMGP0TSTtCtqXq3zY7jHceaMFPKTCDG1PcCXqGy9Y-B-kaSJ1

CatDaddy

In any case, putting either panel in parallel with the Harbor Freight 100W Thunderbolt panel seems like a poor idea. Harbor Freight says the voltage is 18V.  Don't know if that's the open-circuit voltage or the maximum power voltage, but either way, it's not 25-32V of the Sunflare panel.  I'm really surprised that adding the HF panel helped at all. 

ckjs

If the low voltage panel is in the sun (e.g., as with the Harbor Freight one in a portable frame) while the Sunflare is shaded on the roof, the HF panel could help some. If both are in equivalent sun then the lower voltage panel probably doesn’t help at all. 

Horigan

You may want to consider putting the panels in series, assuming your controller can handle the voltage.

CatDaddy

Horigan said:

You may want to consider putting the panels in series, assuming your controller can handle the voltage.

Putting panels in series without their own MPPT hardware results in the string current being the same for both modules, which is almost never optimal. It does solve the problem of two chargers fighting each other over what state the battery is in and therefore what state the charging should be in.

Horigan

I was thinking both in series through a single controller, assuming that's possible with the HF panel.  However, that wouldn't be practical with the HF panel being portable.

ckjs

CatDaddy said:

Horigan said:

You may want to consider putting the panels in series, assuming your controller can handle the voltage.

Putting panels in series without their own MPPT hardware results in the string current being the same for both modules, which is almost never optimal. It does solve the problem of two chargers fighting each other over what state the battery is in and therefore what state the charging should be in.

Two MPPT chargers in parallel don’t “fight each other”; it’s more like they cooperate as best they can. If they have different charging schemes, then one is likely to read the voltage provided by the other as a sign to stop charging, and subsequently it will go idle. 

It would “waste” some solar energy, but that isn’t going to be a big deal. 

Mixing different PWM chargers, or an MPPT and a PWM, would probably also be “wasteful”.