160W 12V Reinforced semi-flexible dual battery solar charging kit

This high-efficiency semi-flexible 160W dual battery solar charging kit is perfect for permanent outdoor use to provide free electricity for charging 12V batteries to power various applications, such as in a motorhome, caravan, camper, boat, or for solar lighting systems, off-grid and back up solar power systems.

Solar kit includes:

• 160W reinforced semi-flexible solar panel with a durable ETFE coating
• 20A 12V dual battery solar charge controller for independent charging of 2 batteries or battery banks (can work with a single battery too)
• A pair of 5m 4.0mm² single core extension cables with MC4 connectors
• 5m of 4.0mm² dual core battery cable

160W Reinforced semi-flexible solar panel:

This reinforced semi-flexible solar panel has a unique 7-layer construction, featuring an embedded sheet of anodised aluminium fully encapsulated within the solar panel. This additional reinforcement offers greater strength and resilience, making this one of the most robust semi-flexible solar panels available on the market.

In addition to the aluminium reinforcement, the surface of this 160W semi-flexible solar panel is made of strong ETFE material which has a longer service life compared to standard semi-flexible solar panels. As a result, these particular semi-flexible solar panels are extremely hard-wearing and less prone to cracking , delamination and corrosion. The lightly textured coating of this panel creates an anti-reflective surface which allows the panel to absorb a far greater amount of light, thereby increasing efficiency. ETFE material has long been used in applications where durability and high-temperature resistance is required, such as in the Eden Project, Cornwall. You can read more about ETFE and its benefits here.

This panel also features innovative 5 busbar solar cells, which are more efficient than the 2, 3 or 4 busbar solar cells used in most other solar panels, and are able to extract more power from the same surface area.

The semi-flexible design of this panel makes it ideal for curved roofs and surfaces where bonding is preferable (though the panel can also be fixed by bolts or screws). The panel is also incredibly light (only 5.75kg) which makes it an ideal option for all vehicle applications. This panel is also highly resistant to salt water environments and it is also possible to walk on the panel, making it the perfect choice for boats and yachts.

The panel is fitted with 2 x 1m of cable with MC4 connectors on the end which simply plug into the 5m extension solar cable supplied with the kit, to join the solar panel and the charge controller.

20A Dual battery controller:

The kit includes a 20A 12V/24V dual battery solar charge controller designed to charge and protect two batteries independently, with automatic cut off to prevent over-charging. The controller uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology which increases charge acceptance and prolongs the life of your batteries. PWM technology can also recover some lost battery capacity

This is a perfect solar controller for a caravan / camper van / boat or another system with two batteries (e.g. engine and leisure battery) or battery banks. You can set the initial charging priority e.g. 80% power to go to the engine battery and 20% to leisure battery. When one of the batteries is fully charged the controller will automatically divert all power to the other battery.

Can the unit work with only one battery? Yes, absolutely! The controller will determine automatically if there's only one battery connected and will pass 100% of charging current to this battery. You can add a second battery later.

The unit has numerous safety functions, including protection against reverse current at night (from the battery back to the solar panel), over charge, short circuit, reverse polarity etc. Other features include various LED indicators, battery type selection (sealed, gel, flooded) and an RJ-45 socket for an optional remote LCD meter with 10m cable.

A built-in temperature sensor allows the controller to optimise the charging process depending on the ambient temperature. If you are planning to position the controller far away from the battery, or if the battery and the controller are exposed to different ambient temperatures, an external remote temperature sensor with 3m cable is recommended for this dual battery solar charge controller. To enable connection to the screw terminals of the controller, the green connector block on the end of the remote temperature sensor cable should be cut off.

The solar charge controller is compatible with sealed, gel and flooded lead acid batteries.

Additional items:

The kit also includes a pair of 5m positive and negative solar extension leads (4.0mm² cross section) and 5m of 4.0mm² dual core battery cable for use between the solar charge controller and your battery, making the total cable length between the solar panel and the battery 1m + 5m + 5m = 11m.

Click on the Details and Specifications tab for more information

 Solar panel specifications:

• Peak power: 160W
• Maximum power voltage: 20.2V
• Maximum power current: 7.92A
• Open circuit voltage: 23.9V
• Short circuit current: 8.40A
• Power allowance range: +/- 5%
• Solar Panel Dimensions: 1365 x 665 x 4 mm
• Junction Box Dimensions: 90 x 16 x 16 mm
• Weight: 5.75 kg
• 2 x 1m of high quality single core solar cable (4mm² cross section)
• Male and female MC4 connectors

Charge controller specifications:

• Rated charging current 20A
• Fully automated operation and auto 12/24V selection
• 3 pairs of terminals (input, battery 1, battery 2)
• LEDs to indicate state of charge
• Temperature sensor for temperature compensation of charging (-30mV/C/12V)
• RJ-45 connection point for a remote meter (not included)
• Various protection features (over charge, short circuit, reverse polarity etc)
• Self-consumption: 4mA at night, 10mA when charging
• Working temperature: -35C to +55C
• Terminals for wire up to 4.0mm2
• Size: 15.5 x 7.6 x 4.0 cm
• Weight: 230 g
• Multiple mounting holes for ease of installation

Please note: due to our warehouse arrangements, the solar charge controller and accessories may be shipped from a different warehouse to the solar panel and therefore delivered in a separate package.

This product is covered by a 1 year workmanship warranty. We will repair or replace defective items at our discretion. For more information please refer to our Terms and Conditions.

Electrical connection: the solar charge controller included in this kit comes with a detailed user manual which contains a wiring diagram and explains installation / operations (see Documents tab). Please ensure that you read the full user manual before starting the installation.

It's very easy to wire this kit up: simply connect the first battery to the "Battery 1" terminals of the solar charge controller (battery "+" to the "+" Battery 1 terminal of the solar controller, battery "-" to the "-" Battery 1 terminal of the solar controller), then connect the second battery to the "Battery 2" terminals of the solar controller (skip this step if you only have one battery). Finally, connect the solar panel to the solar terminals of the controller (solar panel "+" to the "+" solar terminal, solar panel "-" to the "-" solar terminal). The kit is now ready and will start charging immediately! Disconnection should follow the reverse order.

Fitting: before installing this solar panel, please read the handling and fitting guidelines, available to download in the 'Documents' tab.

The solar charge controller in this kit is not waterproof and should be mounted indoors.

If you need help with installation or have any technical questions we can provide FREE support - please contact us by email or phone (see Contact Us page for more information).

The following documents are available to download:

User manual for DB2024 Photonic Universe 20A 12V/24V automatic solar charge controller

Technical Drawing of 160W Reinforced Semi-flexible Solar Panel ARFLX-160M

Handling and installation manual for Photonic Universe ARFLX semi-flexible solar panels