1. Introduction
Solar panels convert light energy to electricity, or specifically to direct current. The direct current
produced is used to provide power to a system and to charge storage batteries. Solar panels
operate in both direct and diffuse light, but not at night.
Each solar panel includes a 2-wire cable to attach the panel to a voltage regulator. The regulator
and a rechargeable battery are purchased separately from the solar panel.
The Campbell Scientific CH201 and CH200 12V charging regulators are recommended for use
with 12V sealed rechargeable batteries (BP12, BP24, and BP84). The CH201 or CH200 can easily
be used with the BP84/PS84 battery when configured through Device Configuration Utility.
Update the charging regulator operating system (OS) and Device Configuration Utility to the
latest version at
.
The SP305-L requires the increased charging capacity of the CH201 or SunSaver MPPT™ to take
full advantage of the higher power output from the solar panel.
The SunSaver™ SS-10-12V and SunSaver MPPT voltage regulators are also an option for these
solar panels, and can be purchased from Campbell Scientific.
2. Specifications
The SP50-L, SP90-L, and SP305-L work with user-supplied deep cycle marine batteries, 12V sealed
rechargeable batteries (BP12, BP24, or BP84), 12V rechargeable power supplies (PS84), and
external voltage regulators (CH201, CH200, and MorningStar SunSaver regulators).
Table 2-1: Specifications
SP50-L
SP90-L
SP305-L
Maximum peak power (Pp):
50 W
90 W
305 W
Voltage at peak power (Vpp) (voltage from solar
panel before regulator):
17.5 V
17.9 V
32.7 V
Current at peak power (Ipp):
2.9 A
5.0 A
9.33 A
Temperature coefficent (Voc):
–0.45% / °C
–0.36% / °C
–0.28%/°C
Solar panel wire gauge:
16 AWG
16 AWG
10 AWG
SP50-L, SP90-L, and SP305-L Solar Panels
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