Can I connect 2 solar panels in parallel if they have different Open Circuit voltage ( e.g 22V and 14V)?
Question:
One panel rated at 5W the other at 10W.
Answer:
Likely you can not connect them in parallel and may risk damage if you do. Consider the analogy between electric current and water flow. Voltage is equivalent to water pressure and electric current is equivalent to water flow rate. If you connect two tall water towers in parallel, water will flow from the taller tower (higher voltage) into the lower tower (lower voltage). You will likely drive electric current the wrong way through the 14V unit perhaps causing resistance heating and damage.
I think you need to equalize the voltage
To obtain enhanced current or voltage from power generators/sources, it is ideal if both have same power rating and voltage. In case of inequalities, the stronger generator or power source tends to get overloaded and this leads to premature failure of the total system.
If you must use the panels you have, i suggest a Resistance in series on the higher voltage panel or stepping down of the voltage electronically. Electronic regulation will prove to be costlier than purchasing a new panel.
No.
Doing so would mean that the higher voltage one would drive a high current through the lower one and not provide much, if any, for your load.
Dropping the higher voltage resistively is not only wasteful, but wouldn't be successful except under one specific calculated load condition, so it's totally impractical too.
You could put them in series and increase your voltage. But you could not put them in parallel
Like everyone else has said, bad idea to put two sources with differing voltages in parallel. If you can imagine summing the voltages around the mesh containing your two sources, you theoretically wouldn't sum to zero. It is a bad idea to try to defy Kirchoff (driving a lot of current through one of the source resistances to get the mesh to obey KVL as dmb said).
you can but it doesn't help on anything
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