Hello! Hopefully this is the right community for this question.

I’ve started small with solar by getting a 100W panel that connects to a battery that I charge daily and use it to charge things like my laptops or other devices.

I want to start adding additional panels and sending that solar power into our home to use throughout.

As I vaguely understand it, I can get a grid-tie microinverter and then plug panels into that? Will this work? Do I need different type of panels? Do all the panels need to match in specs/watts? It has MC4 (I think?) cables and bullet output.

How are yall sending solar to your home without getting a full on roof mounted solar system?

Thanks!

EDIT: in California

  • venusaur@lemmy.worldOP
    3·
    26 days ago

    For sure. At least it’s something for now. Easier than the battery system I got going on. I was planning on adding more panels anyways. Probably like the ones you’re talking about. Do they all have to be the same or I can mix and match panels on the microinverter?

    • poVoq@slrpnk.netM
      4·
      25 days ago

      Panels can have different voltages, so you can’t just randomly mix them. And those mini-inverters have maximum capacity you can’t exceed (typically 800W).

      • venusaur@lemmy.worldOP
        2·
        25 days ago

        Ah so they can have different wattages but voltage has to match?

        If you exceed capacity it doesn’t just cap?

        • poVoq@slrpnk.netM
          3·
          25 days ago

          It depends if they are linked in series or in row, but yes, typically it is better to have them all with the same open-circut voltage.

          I guess most will have an overload protection, but with these cheap ones I would stay on the safe side and not add so many panels that an overload can easily happen.