Renogy RipOff - please tell me otherwise

My Newbie Solar Mistake

Actually, it wasn't totally my fault. I just didn't know any better.

I bought a Renogy Eclipse 200 Watt suitcase last year w/Voyager 20A PWM controller. I had some solar cash burning my pocket.

I should have studied more.

Recently, I finally had time to study and play with the system. It is an attractive package, albeit, not the most efficient use of two 100 Watt panels - at least not the way Renogy designed them. I have learned that now.

Take the panels out of the suitcase, point them at the sun and, sure enough, they will pump a respectable amount of amps into you battery bank. I have seen 10 amps in full sun and a battery that needed that much. That's the selling point. But could be so much better if they only were truly two 100 Watt 12 volt panels as advertised. They are not! I wish I would have educated myself before I spent over $500.00 for 6 volt panels!

OK, here's the deal.

I wanted options.

One option was just as shipped. PWM controller on panels and short 10 AWG run to battery bank. That works. One would assume the two panels were connected parallel to controller and short run to battery bank. Longer run, heavier gauge wire.

Option two, which I like better is controller closer to battery bank and take advantage of higher output voltage of series connected 100 watt 12 volt panels to use smaller gauge extension from panels to controller. Would swap out PVM controller w/MPPT controller. Easy to do with any two 100 watt panels. I know now that this is solar 101. Problem is...you can't do this with expensive Renogy 200 watt solar suitcase because it is made with 50 watt 6 volt panels in parallel/series. Sounds weird, doesn't it? That's what I thought!!

First clue should have been label on one of the panels. See below. Label still doesn't make sense to me. Renogy offers no explanation so far.

Second clue was what sure looks like series connection between panels. This was a mystery. 2 100 Watt panels which look to be hooked in series, but deliver ~20v open circuit voltage. That didn't make sense. I opened the PV junction box thinking maybe there was some kind of shunting going on to make parallel connection. Nope. Straight series and voltage output at each junction box measured ~10 volts! 32 cell, 100 watt 6 volt panels. Seems very, very, strange!!

I went back and read the advertising literature - "Two 100 watt Eclipse panels" Hmmmm, would you say two 50 watt 6 volt panels wired in parallel = "100 Watt Eclipse panel" I wouldn't. I guess lawyers would.

It seems now that Renogy has changed the design and is using two 100 watt 12v Eclipse panels. I wonder how many were shipped like the one I got.

Besides the deceptive advertising and the circuit disadvantage of two 6 volt panels in series, if one panel breaks, the system is useless.

If you have purchased a 200 Watt Eclipse Monocrystalline Solar Suitcase w/o Controller: RNG-KIT-STCS200MB-NC-BC, please check the sticker(s) on the back and let me know.

If you think I'm making too much out of this let me know. I'm just bummed that I didn't get what I thought I was getting and pissed at myself for not knowing!!

fred

The panel dimension on the label does not match the actual panel dimension?

Mi biggest beef is that any educated buyer would assume they were buying two 100 Watt 12v panels with all the inherent options. I wasn't educated and that's my fault. I think Renogy took advantage of that.

Is the output of the PWM controller 12V? If so, then you did get what you paid for as did I. Why it would be labeled that way is up to Renogy to explain. You are getting the watts you paid for.

These are the specifications I found on Amazon for the panel: