60cells poly solar panel manufacturer
60 cell vs 72 cell solar panels, which one is better
The GridFree.store stock two type of panels: The 60 Cell PERC monocrystalline and the 72 Cell Polycrystalline. In this blog, we will go in-depth and explain the difference between 60 cell and 72 cell solar panels to help you make a more informed decision on purchase.
Manufacture
Solar panels are made by using blocks of silicon ingots and cutting them into square cells. Each solar cell produces around 0.5 Volts and they become usable when wired together in series. The more cells that are wired together, the higher the voltage — 72 cells will produce 36 volts and the 60 cells will produce 30 volts. Because a higher voltage is needed to charge the batteries, the 72 cell are normally called ‘24V Nominal Solar panels’ and are used to charge 24V battery banks (Two 12V batteries wired in series).
Size
The 60 cell panels are usually 1.65m tall and weight around 20kg, while the 72 cell are much taller at 1.95m and weigh 28kg. This makes the 72 cell a little harder to be install on roofs and heavy duty racking is usually required. Hence, we don’t recommend RV/Campervan owners to get the larger panel as space is limited on the roof of their mobile home.
Panel Value
On most cases, the higher the panel rates output, the bigger the panel size. Panels that are rated over 330W are usually 72 Cells. So if you don’t have enough space on your roof for 72 Cell panels, you can always ’spec-down’ and opt for less panel outputs — such as the 310W 60 Cell PERC-monos.
Be aware: You cannot use a single 60 cell solar panel to charge a 24V battery bank, you will need two 60 cells to be connected in series or one 72 cell panel to have enough voltage.
60 cells & 72 cells
You are able to use 60 cells and 72 cells together in an off grid solar project. But keep in mind that the voltage might be different and it could cause trouble if your charge controller is not compatible. MPPT charge controllers are highly recommended for all off-grid solar installations. If you’re thinking of building your own kit using different equipments from the GridFree.store, We suggest you to contact one of our Solar expert for their advice.
Exception
If you’re using a micro-inverter, it might cap the amount of output from the panel. So consider using a smaller output panel to avoid wasting electricity.
What should you get?
Get the panels that fits your space and is suitable for your system (matches your battery), 60 cells are usually the much smaller option if you’re considering roof-mounts and RV mounts. If you’re planning to go off-grid with ground mounts, you shouldn’t worry about the size of the panel and focus on getting panels with the highest efficiency.