DISOL Help Centre

For off-grid systems, the biggest issue is usually space availability. If you think of poptops on campers, motorhome roofs, boat decks, or beach huts, their ain't a whole lotta room up there! Have a good detailed measure up - as this may restrict your decision and help your choice of solar panel based on dimensions. All of our solar panel range has the dimensions clearly stated in millimeters. Then there are different types of panels for different applications: Small Rigid PV Panels - good for small, awkward spaces on top of cramped motorhome roofs, or yachts. Only useful for small one/two/three panel 12V off-grid systems, charging one or two 12V batteries. CIGS Lightweight Flexible Solar Panels - aesthetically pleasing, great for poptop camper roofs as they are under 3kg in weight! They come with their own peel and stick, self-adhesive backing sheets, and are heat resistant. Large Rigid PV Panels - the best value for money (if you can fit them on!), manufactured to the highest standards and best output. Perfect for large scale PV on house roofs, ground mounted arrays, or RVs.

Simple answer - not many! Throughout the years many solar panels claim to have better output in low light conditions, but it will be an incredibly small amount that it is hardly noticeable on small off-grid systems. Solar panels require unrestricted, bright, direct sunlight to output at their best. For very minor improvements in output in cloudy conditions, go for monocrystalline or CIGS solar cells in the panel, as they will marginally output more than their rival solar cell types.

As there are a few options to choose from, let's go through each term one-by-one: Pitched = normal house roof that is at an angle. Options of concrete, flat or slate tiles. Flat = as the name suggests, flat roofs on houses, or apartments require special mounting so that they can angle the pv panels slightly. Ground = space in fields, or gardens, if you have some space next to your property, this sort of mounting is perfect. Very similar to the flat roof mounting options, as they require tilting and ballast. Metal / Standing Seam = common on commercial buildings and warehouse roofs, they require special mounts that fit over the complex peaks and troughs that these unique roofs have to create a safe, and secure mounting structure for the solar panels. Always best to Google some images of the different types to see which roof type you have first. Once you find an image that replicates your own roof, choose the correct roof mounting kit from our selection.

Yes indeed! Take a look at our Foxes Afloat 500W Flexible Solar 12V Kit here:

Check out the Kits + Bundles page for a full selection of 12V solar kits for vehicles. They include Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT controllers, Multiplus Inverter Chargers, fusing, cables and a whole lot more.

48V batteries are a different voltage and are very useful in larger off-grid PV designs (roughly 4kW and higher) as they can reduce cable thicknesses and help with efficiency. If you are planning a large off-grid PV system, with the use of a DC-DC step-down converter, you would be able to run a 12V circuit from these 48V batteries. However, in the vast majority of 12V designs, such as motorhomes, campervans, and small boats, it is much better to simplify the system due to space constraints, and keep to 12V, rather than mixing battery voltages.

Yes, that was a silly thing to do, but we all make mistakes. The best thing you can do to sort this out is to go to Kits + Bundles and find a suitable non-panel bundle. It will say on the page what the maximum solar panel the controller can accept (in Watts).

It's a tricky business sizing MPPT controllers to suit panels. Watts, Amps, and Volts all come into play when sizing the correct MPPT for your system, and if you haven't thought about these things since you were back at school, then we sympathise! We've made some handy Kits + Bundles that state the maximum solar panel watts allowed for the most common 12V systems. If you already have your panel, then check the Power Rating on the datasheet or spec sheet on the rear side of the panel and you'll have a number like "250W" If you haven't already got your solar panel, then we have a wide selection that you can choose from. Alternatively, if you have an amount of PV power you are aiming for, or have chosen a solar panel from our selection, then head over to the Victron Energy MPPT Sizing Calculator. Simply choose 'Custom Module' and fill in all the panel specifications into the calculator (you can find all of these on the product listing on our website). HELPFUL TIPS: - Series: choose how many panels you want to connect positive to negative to increase the voltage - Parallel: choose how many panels you want to connect positive to positive, negative to negative to increase the current. - Cable length will be the distance from your panel array to the controller.

Yes, you do. It is your safety switch between the solar panels and your MPPT, if it's an off-grid installation, or inverter for house and commercial installs. Should you need to do any maintenance on your solar array, cleaning, or there is an emergency, then you simply switch the DC isolator off and it quickly disconnects the solar panels from your electrical equipment. Choose the DC Isolator based on: - Single String: If you are connecting your solar pv array together so that there will only be two cables coming back to the MPPT controller (or inverter for house installs), then you will only need a single string inverter. You can put one single string DC isolator on each individual solar panel string too. Make sure to calculate the combined solar voltage of your string, as the DC isolators often have a maximum voltage input (450V, 800V or 1000V) - Dual String: If you would like to connect two strings of solar panels together through the same single DC isolator (sometimes due to space restrictions or safety requirements), then you will need a dual string DC isolator. Then the four sets of solar cables will go through the same single DC isolator unit. This is usually for much larger arrays on buildings. - Panel PV Current: Check your solar panel specs. If the Isc or Impp is 16A or above, choose the higher rated DC isolator (25A). Small solar panels will not require the higher current DC isolator as they often have current below 10A and a low voltage (~20V) If you are connecting your solar panels in parallel, you will also need to double the panel Isc/Impp.

As always, measure your roof space first! Try to be as accurate as you can. Find out which roof type you have. Google concrete tile, pan tile, or slate to see which one looks the most similar to yours. Then choose the best large rigid solar pv panels to fit in the space. An example would be: Garage Roof = Length 4m; Height 1.9m Roof Type = Slate Go to the Large Rigid PV Panels section and look through the different dimensions listed on each product in that section. I would suggest that 3 large panels would fit comfortably in portrait orientation in that space. Add these to your shopping cart. Then carry on shopping and find the Roof Mounting Kits page to add in the 3 panel slate mounting kit. Follow the options on that product page for amount of panels, portrait orientation, and slate roof type. Add this to your shopping cart.

Simply add 2 or more items of the same valid category product into your shopping cart, and watch the savings automatically calculate for you!