80W 12V Reinforced Semi-flexible solar charging kit

This high efficiency semi-flexible 80W solar panel 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:

• 80W reinforced semi-flexible solar panel with a durable ETFE coating
• 10A automatic solar charge controller with advanced connectivity options
• A pair of 5m 4mm single core solar extension cables with MC4 connectors
• 5m of 4mm dual core battery cable

80W Reinforced semi-flexible solar panel:

This reinforced semi-flexible solar panel has a unique 7-layer construction, featuring an embedded sheet of anodised aluminium fully encapsulated within the solar panel. This additional reinforcement offers greater strength and resilience, making this one of the most robust semi-flexible solar panels available on the market.

In addition to the aluminium reinforcement, the surface of this 80W semi-flexible solar panel is 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 innovative 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.

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 incredible light (only 3.10kg) 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 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.

10A Solar charge controller:

The kit includes a 10A 12V/24V Photonic Universe solar charge controller designed to protect batteries whilst charging them, with automatic cut off to prevent over-charging and deep discharge. The controller uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology which increases charge acceptance and prolongs the life of your battery. Often PWM technology can recover some lost battery capacity.

This controller stops reverse current at night (from the battery back to the solar panel) so your battery won't lose any charge. It has many other protection functions such as over charge / discharge, over load, short circuit, overheating etc. Other features of this controller include LED indicators, temperature sensor, and a load "on/off" button. One of the greatest benefits of this powerful 10A controller is the small size - only 14x7cm.

This controller can work with sealed, gel and flooded batteries (the default is sealed) or a user-defined battery type (please note battery type can only be changed from default using one of the communication methods listed below). The controller can accept up to 160W (12V battery) / 320W (24V battery) of solar power input, which makes it a perfect choice for small or medium solar PV systems with a battery and load such as in a campervan or boat.

The solar charge controller also features advanced communication technology, which offers the user the opportunity to monitor and program parameters for the solar charge controller through various methods:

1) The controller can be connected to a remote meter MT50 with an LCD screen, which displays system performance information, and allows the user to manually adjust parameters and load settings

2) The controller can be connected to a Wi-Fi module to create a Wi-Fi network, to which your mobile phone or tablet can connect, in order to monitor or adjust charging parameters and controller settings through a free mobile app - Solar Station Monitor (available for Android and iOS users).

3) An RJ45 to USB cable can be used to connect the controller directly to your PC / laptop, where parameters and settings can be monitored and adjusted via a free computer program - Solar Station Monitor (Windows-based PCs and laptops only).

Using one of these communication methods, the user will gain access to various charging parameters such as voltage, current (separately for solar panel / load), battery state of charge, accumulated charge and discharge energy, min/max voltage and other information. If required the user will also be able to amend the battery type and capacity, set charging volts for different charging stages, specify the duration of each charging stage, create a user-defined battery type with charging parameters specific to their battery (if the pre-existing options are unsuitable), personalise the 'load' settings (e.g. set timers for lighting, fans, pumps) and more.

In addition to the built-in temperature sensor, the controller has a pair of terminals for connecting a remote temperature sensor, which can be attached directly to the battery to measure the battery temperature more precisely and optimise the charging process.

Additional items:

The kit also includes a pair of 5m positive and negative solar extension leads (4mm cross section) and 5m of 4mm 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 about this product.

 Solar panel specifications:

• Peak power: 80W
• Maximum power voltage: 20.2V
• Maximum power current: 3.96A
• Open circuit voltage: 23.9V
• Short circuit current: 4.2A
• Power allowance range: +/- 5%
• Solar Panel Dimensions: 730 x 665 x 4 mm
• Junction Box Dimensions: 90 x 16 x 16 mm
• Weight: 3.10 kg
• 2 x 0.9m of high quality single core solar cable (4mm² cross section)
• Male and female MC4 connectors

Charge controller specifications:

• Rated current 10A
• Fully automated operation and auto 12/24V selection
• Wide solar input voltage range up to 50V
• 3 pairs of terminals (input, battery, output)
• LEDs to indicate charging, battery and load
• Temperature sensor for automatic compensation (-3mV/°C/2V)
• Over load protection (≥1.05 times the rated discharge current)
• Short circuit protection (≥2 times the rated discharge current)
• Over charge / discharge, overheating and other protection features
• Self-consumption: ≤ 8.4mA (12V) / ≤ 7.8mA (24V)
• Working temperature: -35C to +50C
• Terminals for wire up to 4mm2
• Size: 13.8 x 6.9 x 3.7 cm
• Weight: 130 g
• Multiple mounting holes for ease of installation

Please note: due to our warehouse arrangements, the solar charge controller and accessories may be shipped from a different warehouse to the solar panel and therefore delivered in a separate package.

The panel and solar charge controller are covered by a 1 year workmanship warranty provided by Photonic Universe. We will repair or replace defective items at our discretion. For more information please refer to our Terms and Conditions.

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.

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 80W Reinforced Semi-flexible Solar Panel ARFLX-80M

User manual for PU1024B Photonic Universe 10A 12V/24V automatic solar charge controller

Handling and installation manual for Photonic Universe ARFLX semi-flexible solar panels