How Shade Affects Our Off-Grid Lives - How ShadowFlux Anti-shading N-Type Solar Panels Can Help

No matter whether you’re a seasoned off-grid adventurer or brand new to the solar power in your off-grid RV, boat, or home, it can be frustrating when your solar system just doesn’t seem to be performing up to expectations. You’ve done all the research, designed your system to meet your needs, maybe even overbuilt the system a bit so you’ll have a wider margin, but your system is simply not producing what you think you should be getting based on your numbers.

Quite simply, any solar powered system operates most efficiently when consistent, and unfiltered sunlight hits the solar panels. The batteries charge faster, and those of us who live off-grid, settle into a regular routine for energy production and consumption. It’s our solar happy place!

Maybe the problem isn’t with the system, your design, or even your installation? Maybe you’re seeing the effect of shading on the solar panels – even the smallest telephone line, guy wire, mast rigging, even your RV fan vent lid or air conditioning unit can cast a shadow and impact your solar production significantly!

It’s difficult to know how the local flora or power line infrastructure will impact your solar production, even when we can choose your campsite or marina slip via an advance reservation, as the pictures on the reservation sites do not provide enough information. We’ve even been affected by high transmission lines going over public land. Unless you’ve been to a specific campsite, marina, or boondocking area, and have had good success, it can be a bit of a guessing game. While we can always choose where we go in our tiny home on wheels, or our boats on the water, sometimes we can’t always choose the optimum site for power production…or Mother Nature simply doesn’t cooperate.

Even seasons will affect the solar availability of a specific location, and we’re not just referring to the leaves on the trees in a campground, but also the sun’s angle and how it changes throughout the year.

Can They Build a Better Solar Panel?

While we can’t always choose the best place to set up our panels, or the direction of the campsite, what if we could install a better solar panel instead? Renogy understands that people need to rely on their off-grid power production methods regardless of the real-world limitations. This is where the  200W ShadowFlux Anti-shading N-Type solar panel comes into play. This latest generation produces an impressive overall solar efficiency of 25% while introducing several design and technological improvements to deal with the real-world consequences of shading.

How Does Partial Shading Affect Solar Panels?

Individual solar panels are made up of multiple groupings of solar cells. The cells convert solar energy into an electrical current that can charge batteries and run appliances. Solar cells are wired together in specific ways to minimize weight and materials while still maximizing power production over the surface area of the panel.

In traditional solar panels, it’s sort of a “weakest member holds the whole group back” sort of thing. Groupings of solar cells are wired together, with 3, 4, or 5 groupings of cells within one panel. These are connected using busbars which help transfer the electricity and dissipate heat.

When one of the solar cells is shaded and therefore not producing power, none of the other cells within that group will produce an electrical current either. Not only will this reduce the overall production of the panel, but can also lead to temperature differentials across the panel with hot spots and cool spots which can further reduce the power output and lifespan of the solar panel as a whole. Depending upon how the panel is oriented, this partial shading can effectively knock out the energy production in one or more sections of the panel – sometimes even the whole panel. 

What About Clouds?

For a minute, let’s differentiate between low altitude shading from trees, power lines, mast rigging, or other building structures, and higher altitude atmospheric conditions. While clouds will lower your overall solar power production, their effect is less specific than a closer obstruction casting a shadow. Clouds tend to affect the solar array as a whole, whereas direct shading tends to impact one or more specific solar cell areas. Even on cloudy days, solar production can be surprisingly high.

Three Traditional Methods for Reducing Shading Power Loss in Solar Panels

String Configuration

Stringing two or more traditional panels together in series connection will increase the voltage and keep the amperage the same. This produces the benefit of using smaller wires (saving money on the installation) and overcoming transmission loss throughout the run from solar array to charge controller to battery bank. However, in a shading situation, when one panel is reduced the other panels in series will experience the same reduction, even if they are not shaded at all.

When stringing multiple panels in parallel, the voltage remains the same and the amperage increases. This means that your installation will require larger wires or accept a larger transmission loss across the run. However, one panel being shaded will not knock out the other panels that are in the full sun.

So, in a series configuration, one little powerline coming across one corner of just one panel in your solar array could knock out your solar production for the day. And nobody wants that! We have two solar panels installed in parallel on the roof of our little camper specifically for this reason, but we can  make up for this loss in shading conditions by using our 400W portable solar suitcase on a 25ft extension cord, so that we are able to reach sunlight when our camper is parked under trees or affected by other shade structures.

Bypass Diodes

These are installed within the solar panel in between the different sections of solar cells, and act as valves for the flow of current within. If one section of solar cells is partially shaded, the bypass diode allows the other sections to go around it, essentially cutting off the shaded section.

While bypass diodes help keep the panel operating more efficiently, it will still reduce the power production by the specific size of that section of solar cells. Across multiple sections, the shading will reduce power production even further.

Microinverters

These devices will essentially transform the DC power produced in the panel to usable AC power for home appliances. If all of the panels are set up this way, one not operating at peak performance will not affect the others.

However, microinverters are not practical for smaller arrays used on an RV or boat, which are set up to use DC power directly (to charge the battery bank and other DC appliances), then use an inverter to power AC appliances.

The Ultimate Solution to Partial Shading!

ShadowFlux Anti-shading N-Type Solar Panel is the market's first N-Type solar panel boosted with ShadowFlux anti-shading tech, which enhances shade tolerance at the solar cell level. It also utilizes N-Type cells and LECO technology, with 16 busbars, which allows it to outperform traditional PERC solar panels even in shaded conditions. It offers enhanced durability and stability, with lower light-induced degradation, ensuring long-term performance.

Whew… that’s a mouthful of engineer speak! What does all of this mean to the average consumer seeking to install solar on their off-grid home, RV, or boat? Here’s a brief summary:

• Performance in Shade: The ShadowFlux Anti-shading technology continues to generate power in partial shade where traditional panels stop working altogether.
• Reduced Hotspots: In traditional panels, debris or shading can cause hot and cool spots which lead to micro-cracks within the cell, this new design minimizes this problem and contributes to a longer lifespan.
• High Efficiency: N-type Grade A+ solar cells are simply more efficient than P-type commonly found in traditional panels. Increasing the busbars from 9 to 16 means that the ShadowFlux Anti-shading solar cell achieves 25% efficiency – which places this among the industry leading commercially available solar panels.
• Environmental Durability: Using advanced materials this panel can handle snow, rain, and even small hail for decades (aka, ≥IP67 protection). The sturdy 1.2mm aluminum frame provides enhanced impact resistance.

How Does ShadowFlux Perform Under Partial Shading?

Power Deduction comparison test : ShadowFlux solar panel VS Traditional solar panel:

This graph shows how under standard testing conditions, the  Renogy 200W ShadowFlux Anti-shading panel continued to deliver 134W of power while 25% of the panel was shaded. Under the same conditions, the 200W traditional panel’s output dropped to zero!

We all live in the real world, which often hands us less than perfect conditions for off-grid solar. Using panels with advanced ShadowFlux anti-shading technology like the ShadowFlux panels, can go a long way to increasing the performance of your solar array and system in everyday situations. You’ll have more power in all shading conditions and more flexibility when it comes to where you park, moor, or anchor with your off-grid rig or boat. For off-grid homes, these panels will provide decades of reliable service with minimal maintenance on your part.

Learn more to see if the 200W Renogy ShadowFlux Anti-shading technology can be the best option for your installation!

Shari Galiardi & David Hutchison have turned their higher education backgrounds, desire for life-long learning, and thirst for adventure travel into writing, photography, video production, and public speaking tours from coast to coast. Known to their friends as simply Shari & Hutch, you can learn more about their full-time, solar powered adventures on their website at freedominacan.com. Or, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as "Freedom in a Can."Save an additional 10% off most products using our promo code CANLIFE - even on sale items!