CAN YOU MIX DIFFERENT WATTAGE SOLAR PANELS?

Today’s blog will be a discussion about mixing different wattage solar panels in the same solar system. This is an often-asked question regarding setting up solar systems. We’ll cover why people sometimes go this route as well as why we advise them not to. We’ll then dive into how mixing different wattage panels can hurt your system. Lastly, you’ll learn how to plan properly for setting up your solar system.

Mixing different wattage panels is a cost-effective way to achieve a “higher-watt” solar setup. However, when you mix different wattage panels, a multitude of different things will happen. For starters, you will see a reduction in efficiency and power output since these different wattage panels operate under different amps and voltage outputs. In this case, the lower voltage/amperage panel will be chosen first, making your high-wattage panel useless.

Now, let’s talk about the wiring. When it comes to figuring out how to wire your panels together, you have two types of wiring choices: series and parallel. While both are viable for similar panel wattage systems, once you mix wattages, the way you wire doesn’t matter since you’ll be losing efficiency and power output anyways.

The very first thing you should do before going solar is figuring out and determine what your needs and requirements are, as well as how much space you have to work with. By doing so, you understand what is needed given what you need to work with, and whether it will fit or not. Try to future-proof your solar setup, it will save you in the long run.

As we close out this blog, while we advise against mixing different wattage panels, we are not saying it can’t be done. We realize that power requirement and sizing change over time, even to the point you might not have foreseen. We recommend that since you will be losing out on a lot of power and efficiency for your overall system, mixing different wattage panels isn’t a smart choice. However, the ultimate choice is yours. We hope this blog helped answer the question “Can You Mix Different Wattage Solar Panels?”.