Top Solar 140W Solar Panel Review
140 Watt Solar Panel
The Top Solar 140W Solar Panel is an excellent panel for people looking for a cheap and simple way to enter the world of solar power. This 18 volt, 140 watt flexible monocrystalline solar panel comes complete with 5 meters of 4mm2 solar cable.
The panel is water resistant and sealed against the elements making it ideal for use on a roof or in the garden to provide free solar power for powering the home or as part of an “off-grid” solar system not connected directly to the utility grid.
TS-FS140W Solar Panel Rating
- 1. Cost per Watt:
- 2. Quality of Construction:
- 3. Weight of Panel:
- 4. Rated Lifetime:
- 5. Value for Money:
Overall Rating Score: 22/25
What makes Top Solar’s TS-FS140W monocrystaline flexible photovoltaic solar panel perfect for home use is that it is made using 72 long-lasting, high-efficiency, 125mm x 125mm monocrystalline photovoltaic cells arranged into a 12×3 + 12×3 configuration designed to give free solar power over a 25 year period.
This 140W Solar Panel has a higher-than-average 23% to 25% efficiency rating and is designed for charging 12 or 24 volt battery systems without disrupting your existing power supply. Also an internal blocking diode which prevents reverse current drain at night.
The panel also comes complete with 4mm2 of high-current solar cable and fully waterproof junction box allowing you to connect it with other solar panels to create higher voltage solar arrays. On it own, this complete kit is all you need to fit solar power to your caravan or motorhome.
The solar panel is one of Top Solar’s range of top-quality panels currently available which guarantees over 90% of full power after 10 years of continuous use, and over 80% of full power after 20 years of continuous use with some of the highest solar panel efficiencies in the marketplace, all at affordable prices.
Solar Panel Characteristics:
- 44 (11×4) Monocrystalline Solar Cells
- Peak Power (Wp): 140W
- Voltage at maximum power (Vmp): 24.5V
- Current at maximum power (Imp): 5.72A
- Open circuit voltage (Voc): 29.4V
- Short circuit current (Isc): 6.28A
- Power allowance range: ± 5%
- Dimensions: 56.9 x 21.3 x 0.07 inches
- Weight: 5.33 pounds
This voltage optimised 140 watt solar photovoltaic panel is ideal for use in powering ON or OFF grid solar power systems and for charging 12V batteries. This flexible SunPower solar panel can be curved and shaped to a maximum 30o arc, making it ideal for use in tight spaces or crowded areas that are typically off limits for traditional glass and aluminum models.
The easy-to-wire 10A charge controller has built-in protection functions to prevent damage from incorrect wiring and uses MCU and SCM technology to maximise your batteries capacity and life providing more than enough power for powering a fridge, television or laptop, perfect for caravans, boats and off-grid houses and many other such Off-Grid Applications.
The TS-FS140W is designed for ease of use and is widely compatible for use in a 12V battery system such as used in Boats/Sailboats, Yachts, Marine applications, RVs, Expedition Vehicles, Caravan or Motor Homes. Built-in bypass diodes minimise the impact of shading while its simple components and clear instructions make it a doddle to wire up.
Top Solar 140W Solar Panel Main Features
Let’s take a look at some of this 140 Watt solar panels features:
The Panels Good Points:
- Top of the range 140 Watt Solar Panel with excellent performance even in low-light conditions.
- Sunpower cells are made in the US, with upto 23%-25% efficiency.
- Made from 44 (125×125) high performance, high efficiency monocrystalline solar cells.
- Flexible panel which can be flexed upto a maximum of 30 degrees without damage.
- Voltage optimised for use in 12V systems and charging 12V batteries.
- Weatherproof and durable, perfect for permanent outdoor use on a house roof or in solar gardens.
- Complete with 5 meters of flexible cable and MC4 connectors.
The Panels Bad Points:
- Flexibility and laminations may not last 10 years.
- High cost per watt compared to others.
- Requires additional mounting holes and/or brackets.
This high quality waterproof TS-FS140W panel is ideal for people who want to save money on their electricity bills and the environment, or were it would cost too much to install electrical cables to a shed or outhouse. This 140 watt panel is powerful and enough to be used to power hundreds of devices that you may use in a shed, boat or caravan such as lights and pumps and is capable of generating free renewable solar power even on a dull or cloudy day.
Due to its rigid anodised aluminium alloy frame and 3.2mm thick tempered glass giving it exceptional strength, it is perfect for permanent outdoor use on roof or in the garden to provide free solar power. This low-iron tempered anti-reflecting glass has a Back Surface Field (BSF) silicon nitride anti-reflective cell coating helping to increase the solar conversion efficiency of the panel and reduce overheating by the suns rays.
Connecting Top Solar 140W Solar Panel Together
For off-grid charging of batteries as in a caravan, camper van, boat or remote house type applications, why not connect the 140W Solar Panel together with other Top Solar solar panels to form larger arrays of many kilo-watts producing a higher voltage or greater battery charging current. The following table gives you an idea of what is possible with this versatile 140W panel.
Note that this 140W solar photovoltaic panel can be connected together in either a series, parallel or a combination of both to give a higher output voltage or charging current from the array than a single panel.
For example, connecting together four TS-FS140W solar panels panels connected in series would give maximum operating voltage 98 volts (4 x 24.5) at 5.72 amps ( Vmp x Imp = 98 x 5.72 = 560W ). Likewise, four TS-FS140W solar panels connected together in parallel would give 24.5 volts at 22.8 amps ( Vmp x Imp = 24.5 x 22.8 = 560W ).
It is always better for circuit design and installation to connect together high wattage solar panels such as this TS-FS140W to give a higher voltage and lower current configuration as you can use smaller diameter cables.
Solar charge controllers allow the configuration of solar arrays with high open circuit voltages (Voc) and may thousands of watts. The Outback Flexmax FM80 is a powerful charge controller capable of operating at its full maximum current rating of 80 Amps.
This 80A charge controller uses Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology with adjustable current limiting to extend the life of the connected batteries.
This 80 Ampere Charge Controller can work with sealed, gel and lead-acid battery banks. The controller supports a wide range of nominal battery voltages from 12V to 60VDC and has the ability to step-down a higher voltage solar array to recharge a lower voltage battery bank. A built-in, backlit 80 character display shows the current status and logged system performance data for the last 128 days at the touch of a button.
The Top Solar and CE logos assures the build and quality of the panel, so for more information, customer reviews about this high quality 140W monocrystaline solar panel, Click Here to visit Amazon, you won’t find it cheaper anywhere else. Free shipping is also included.
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