100W Solar Panel and Controller

• Manufacturer-  Lensun
  www.lensunsolar.com
  
• Model #- 100W Kit + 10A MPPT Regulator 
• Description- 100W 12V Semi-Flexible Monocrystalline Solar Panel Kit with 10A MPPT Solar Charge Controller and Two 5m Cables with MC4 Connectors for 12V Charge Battery
• Price-  $415.00 on Amazon.com
• How acquired-  Demo units donated by manufacturer
• Rating- 4 out of 5 stars

The packages came and one was larger than I anticipated.  The flexible solar panel stood 49" tall by 22" wide.  The product description described the lamination as "Aluminium + ETFE + Silicon cell + EVA + Tedlar" but it just seemed like a thick, rugged fiberglass panel to me.

I am a novice at solar technology and the instructions were not easy to figure out, but I eventually did.  The controller came with a template for placing mounting screws on a backboard, which I installed in the front compartment on the back wall behind the new Lithium Ion batteries I just hooked up. 

I felt foolish when I found that the cables coming from the panel and the extension cables to the controller were keyed, a set of male and female for each that were reversed for positive and negative so that you can't cross-connect them once you've wired the controller and batteries correctly.  The controller had three sets of connections in which to insert and tighten bare wires -- one pair for the solar panel, one for the batteries and another for a load, in case you are powering a device directly.  I did have to make the battery cables and strip any ends being connected to the controller.

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With everything set up, power flowed with no issues.  My battery monitor is Bluetooth-enabled and I was able to see the input into the batteries okay, but since the batteries had a full charge, little electricity was drawn.  I was happy that it still showed power, however.

The flexibility of the panel is impressive.  It weighs about 6 pounds and is stout but can be flexed for temporary mounting on a curved surface, such as an RV front cap.  However, from the manufacturer: "Once in a while bending may be possible, but we do not recommend long - term bending to affect the life of the panel."  My main purpose for using a solar panel is to charge my batteries when boondocking, allowing for minimum use of my generator.  I am confident that this setup will work great.

​I rated this 4 out of 5 stars only because the instructions could be better written and/or illustrated and I did have to do some of my own cabling. 

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