80W 12V Reinforced narrow semi-flexible solar charging kit

This high efficiency, semi-flexible 80Wsolar panel kit is perfect for permanent outdoor use to provide free electricity for charging 12V batteries to power various applications, such as in a motorhome, caravan, camper, boat, or for solar lighting systems, off-grid and back up solar power systems.

Solar kit includes:

• 80W reinforced narrow semi-flexible solar panel with a durable ETFE coating
• 10A automatic solar charge controller with advanced connectivity options
• A pair of 5m 4mm single core solar extension cables with MC4 connectors
• 5m of 4mm dual core battery cable

80W Reinforced narrow semi-flexible solar panel:

This reinforced semi-flexible solar panel has a unique 7-layer construction, featuring an embedded sheet of anodised aluminium fully encapsulated within the solar panel. This additional reinforcementoffers greater strength and resilience, making this one of the most robust semi-flexible solar panels available on the market.

In addition to the aluminium reinforcement, the surface of this 80W semi-flexible solar panelis made of strong ETFEmaterial which hasa longer service life compared to standard semi-flexible solar panels. As a result, these particular semi-flexible solar panels are extremely hard-wearing and less prone to cracking , delamination and corrosion. The lightly texturedcoating of this panel creates an anti-reflective surfacewhich allows the panel to absorb a far greater amount of light, thereby increasing efficiency. ETFE material has long been used in applications where durability and high-temperature resistance is required, such as in the Eden Project, Cornwall. You can read more about ETFE and its benefits here.

This panel also features innovative 5 busbar solar cells, which are more efficient than the2, 3 or 4busbar solar cells used in most other solar panels, and are able to extract more power from the same surface area.

The semi-flexible design of this panel makes it ideal for curved roofs and surfaces where bonding is preferable (though the panel can also be fixed by bolts or screws). The panel is alsoincredibly light (only 3.05kg) which makes it an ideal option for all vehicle applications. The unique narrow design of this panel also makes it ideal for applications where space is restricted, or wherethere are obstructions on the roof. This panel is also highly resistant to salt water environments andit is also possibleto walk on the panel, making it theperfect choicefor boats and yachts.

The panel is fitted with 2 x 1m of cable with MC4 connectors at the end which simply plug into the 5m extension solar cable supplied with the kit, to join the solar panel and the charge controller.

10A Solar charge controller:

The kit includes a 10A 12V/24V Photonic Universe solar charge controller designed to protect batteries whilst charging them,with automatic cut off to prevent over-charging and deep discharge. The controller uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology which increases charge acceptance and prolongs the life of your battery. Often PWM technology can recover some lost battery capacity.

This controller stops reverse current at night (from the battery back to the solar panel) so your battery won't lose any charge. It has many other protection functions such as over charge / discharge, over load, short circuit, overheating etc. Other features of this controller include LED indicators, temperature sensor, and aload "on/off" button. One of the greatest benefits of this powerful 10A controller is the small size - only 14x7cm.

This controller can work with sealed, gel and flooded batteries (the default is sealed) or a user-defined battery type (please note battery type can only be changed from default using one of the communication methods listed below).The controller canaccept up to 160W (12V battery) / 320W (24V battery)of solar power input, which makes it a perfect choice for small or medium solar PV systems with a battery and load such as in a campervan or boat.

Thesolar charge controlleralso features advanced communication technology, whichoffers the user the opportunityto monitor and program parameters for the solar charge controller through various methods:

1) The controller can be connected to a remote meter MT50 with an LCD screen, which displays system performance information, and allows the user to manually adjust parameters and load settings

2) The controller can be connected to a Wi-Fi module to create a Wi-Fi network, to which your mobile phone or tablet can connect, in order to monitor or adjustchargingparameters and controller settingsthrough a free mobile app - Solar StationMonitor(available for Android and iOS users).

3) An RJ45 to USB cablecan be used to connect the controller directly to your PC / laptop, where parameters and settings can be monitored and adjusted via a free computer program - Solar Station Monitor(Windows-based PCs and laptops only).

Using one of these communication methods,the user will gain access to various charging parameters such as voltage, current (separately for solar panel / load), battery state of charge, accumulatedcharge anddischarge energy,min/max voltage and other information.If required the user will also be abletoamend the battery type and capacity, set charging volts for different charging stages, specify the duration of each charging stage,create a user-defined battery type with charging parameters specific totheir battery (if the pre-existing options are unsuitable), personalise the 'load' settings (e.g. set timers for lighting, fans, pumps) and more.

In addition to the built-in temperature sensor, the controller has a pair of terminals for connecting a remote temperature sensor, which can be attached directly to the battery to measure the battery temperature more precisely and optimise the charging process.

Additional items:

The kit also includes a pair of 5m positive and negative solar extension leads (4mm cross section) and 5m of 4mm dual core battery cable for use between the solar charge controller and your battery, making the total cable length between the solar panel and the battery 1m + 5m + 5m = 11m.