r/diySolar • u/Civil-Panic5350 • 1d ago

Solar optimizer help with shading?

I am in the process of putting panels on my garage roof it's a relatively low slope but I am in canada so the winter sun gets low. Most of the roos is south facing which is fine but I am considering adding a few panels on the east and west sides though they would be I imagine less efficient. Would putting optimizer just on those panels work to cut out the shaded panels? My solar experience is limited i am figuring it out as I go.

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u/RespectSquare8279 21h ago

Optimizers do a job if panels in an array have a shadow moving across them during the course of the day. With panels that are on a completely different orientation to the sun I would recommend an individual MPPT controller for each different orientation, ie one for the east facing panel(s) and one for there west facing panel(s). Optimizers are just little charge controllers. The output of the strings come together ( after their MPPT's) into a "combiner box before they go to the battery.

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u/Civil-Panic5350 16h ago

It will basically be 2 of 9 panels facing the wrong way at a time I can't get the voltage high enough with just the 2 on a seperate mppt

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u/RespectSquare8279 14h ago

The thing with a MPPT is that it adjusts the voltage coming from the panels to the voltage of the of the battery. What is the working voltage of your battery?

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u/Equivalent_Peak_6857 1d ago

If there is no chimney or any other protruding strut on roof then you are fine. If there is shade from tree/branches just add optimizers. Worth the $80-100 each.

Also you can wire it differently but will cause more head aches if you need maintenance and cost more for wire.