Solar Panel wire size and voltage drop calculations

Simple spreadsheet to help you optimize your solar PV system using the properly sized wires.

Spreadsheet is here: (Right click Save Target as)
http://www.oynot.com/media/Basic_Voltage_drop_calculator_.xls

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• wiring
• voltage loss
• voltage drop

[helloman1976]

I just used this spreadsheet, very cool man thanks a ton for finding this! I'll be using 160 feet of #6 and then about 2 feet of #4 so I'm at 1.04847V drop or 1.87308%. :) Need a higher resolution than that? LOL

[Fearlessthinker]

@helloman1976 Higher voltage from the panels definitely saved you a bunch of loss. Glad it worked for you. Make sure to use UL 4703 wire outside.

[butopiatoo]

with microinverters being used these days at 240v it would really be helpful to update this. I have a system that is producing .9*6=5.4amps 2 240v and it is so different I'm not even sure if i'm in the ballpark based on you example.

Gret video, but needs to be updated.

[helloman1976]

@Fearlessthinker Yes it did and I'm super happy I could go with a higher voltage, all compliments of my MPPT charge controller. With the MPPT controllers you always want to be above your battery bank voltage to take full advantage of the MPPT functions and in this setting I always will be. Now, I just have to run the rest of the wiring and mount the panels and we're all set.

[trailkeeper]

This is useful for people making homemade solar electric systems.