160W 12V semi-flexible dual battery solar charging kit
Includes a 160W black semi-flexible fibreglass solar panel with a strong ETFE coating, a 20A dual battery solar charge controller, a pair of 5m solar extension cables with MC4 connectors and a 5m dual core battery cable.
This high-efficiency semi-flexible 160W dual battery solar charging kit is perfect for permanent outdoor use to provide free electricity for charging 12V batteries to power various applications, such as in a motorhome, caravan, camper, boat, or for solar lighting systems, off-grid and back up solar power systems.
Solar kit includes:
- 160W black semi-flexible fibreglass solar panel with a durable ETFE coating
- 20A 12V dual battery solar charge controller for independent charging of 2 batteries or battery banks (can work with a single battery too)
- A pair of 5m 4.0mm² single core extension cables with MC4 connectors
- 5m of 4.0mm² dual core battery cable
160W Black semi-flexible fibreglass solar panel:
This highly durable black semi-flexible solar panel reinforced with fibreglass plastic has a surafce made of strong ETFE material which has a longer service life compared to standard semi-flexible solar panels. As a result, these particular semi-flexible solar panels are extremely hard-wearing and less prone to cracking, delamination and corrosion. The lightly textured coating of this panel creates an anti-reflective surface which allows the panel to absorb a far greater amount of light, thereby increasing efficiency. ETFE material has long been used in applications where durability and high-temperature resistance is required, such as in the Eden Project, Cornwall. You can read more about ETFE and its benefits here.
This panel also features new generation 5-busbar solar cells, which are more efficient than the 2, 3 or 4 busbar solar cells used in most other solar panels, and are able to extract more power from the same surface area. This results in a smaller overall solar panel, which is ideal for applications where space is limited.
This solar panel has a unique black backing, making it ideal for discreet and aesthetically pleasing installation on dark coloured roofs, vehicles or mounting surfaces. Please note that this solar panel is not 'ultra jet-black' - the exact hue may vary marginally from panel to panel, depending on the batch of solar cells.
The semi-flexible design of this panel makes it ideal for curved roofs and surfaces where bonding is preferable (though the panel can also be fixed by bolts or screws). The panel is also incredibly light (only 2.96kg) which makes it an ideal option for all vehicle applications. This panel is also highly resistant to salt water environments and it is also possible to walk on the panel, making it the perfect choice for boats and yachts.
The panel is fitted with 2 x 1m of cable (4mm² cross section) with MC4 connectors on the end which simply plug into the 5m extension solar cable supplied with the kit, to join the solar panel and the charge controller.
20A Dual battery controller:
The kit includes a 20A 12V/24V dual battery solar charge controller designed to charge and protect two batteries independently, with automatic cut off to prevent over-charging. The controller uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology which increases charge acceptance and prolongs the life of your batteries. PWM technology can also recover some lost battery capacity
This is a perfect solar controller for a caravan / camper van / boat or another system with two batteries (e.g. engine and leisure battery) or battery banks. You can set the initial charging priority e.g. 80% power to go to the engine battery and 20% to leisure battery. When one of the batteries is fully charged the controller will automatically divert all power to the other battery.
Can the unit work with only one battery? Yes, absolutely! The controller will determine automatically if there's only one battery connected and will pass 100% of charging current to this battery. You can add a second battery later.
The unit has numerous safety functions, including protection against reverse current at night (from the battery back to the solar panel), over charge, short circuit, reverse polarity etc. Other features include various LED indicators, battery type selection (sealed, gel, flooded) and an RJ-45 socket for an optional remote LCD meter with 10m cable.
A built-in temperature sensor allows the controller to optimise the charging process depending on the ambient temperature. If you are planning to position the controller far away from the battery, or if the battery and the controller are exposed to different ambient temperatures, an external remote temperature sensor with 3m cable is recommended for this dual battery solar charge controller. To enable connection to the screw terminals of the controller, the green connector block on the end of the remote temperature sensor cable should be cut off.
The solar charge controller is compatible with sealed, gel and flooded lead acid batteries.
Additional items:
The kit also includes a pair of 5m positive and negative solar extension leads (4.0mm² cross section) and 5m of 4.0mm² dual core battery cable for use between the solar charge controller and your battery, making the total cable length between the solar panel and the battery 1m + 5m + 5m = 11m.
Click on the Details and Specifications tab for more information
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- Solar panel specifications:
-- Peak power: 160W
- Maximum power voltage: 20.5V
- Maximum power current: 7.81A
- Open circuit voltage: 24.0V
- Short circuit current: 8.20A
- Solar Panel Dimensions:
- 1380 x 665 x 3 mm - Weight: 2.96 kg
- 2 x 1m of high quality single core solar cable (4mm²
- cross section) - Male and female MC4 connectors
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-Charge controller specifications:
-- Rated charging current 20A
- Fully automated operation and auto 12/24V selection
- 3 pairs of terminals (input
- battery 1
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Electrical connection: the solar charge controller included in this kit comes with a detailed user manual which contains a wiring diagram and explains installation / operations (see Documents tab). Please ensure that you read the full user manual before starting the installation.
It's very easy to wire this kit up: simply connect the first battery to the "Battery 1" terminals of the solar charge controller (battery "+" to the "+" Battery 1 terminal of the solar controller, battery "-" to the "-" Battery 1 terminal of the solar controller), then connect the second battery to the "Battery 2" terminals of the solar controller (skip this step if you only have one battery). Finally, connect the solar panel to the solar terminals of the controller (solar panel "+" to the "+" solar terminal, solar panel "-" to the "-" solar terminal). The kit is now ready and will start charging immediately! Disconnection should follow the reverse order.
Fitting: before installing this solar panel, please read the handling and fitting guidelines, available to download in the 'Documents' tab.
The solar charge controller in this kit is not waterproof and should be mounted indoors.
If you need help with installation or have any technical questions we can provide FREE support - please contact us by email or phone (see Contact Us page for more information).
The following documents are available to download:
Technical drawing of black 160W fibreglass semi-flexible solar panel FLAXB-160M
Handling and installation manual for Photonic Universe FLAX semi-flexible solar panels
User manual for DB2024 Photonic Universe 20A 12V/24V automatic solar charge controller