160W 12V Reinforced Semi-flexible solar charging kit

This high efficiency semi-flexible 160W solar panel 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
• Advanced 20A solar charge controller with LCD display and powerful 2.4A dual USB output
• A pair of 5m 4mm² single core solar extension cables with MC4 connectors
• 5m of 4mm² dual core battery cable fitted with a 15A fuse, fuse holder and 8mm ring terminals

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 Solar charge controller:

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

This controller stops reverse current at night (from the battery back to the solar panel) so your battery won't lose any charge. It has many other protection functions such as over charge / discharge, over load, short circuit, overheating etc.

The LCD display shows information regarding real time solar panel and battery performance, including: voltage, current, battery state of charge, and battery temperature. An energy statistics counter also displays the accumulated daily and monthly charge values (useful for comparing solar panel performance between different periods).

This solar charge controller also offers the rare and highly sought-after feature of a dual USB charging output. These 5V USB ports have a total combined output of 2.4A, offering fast and powerful charging of USB compatible devices such as mobile phones, tablets, mp3 players etc.

An optional 12V load (e.g. 12V lighting / fans) may also be connected directly to the solar charge controller, with various settings for night time lighting applications. In addition, this controller also offers various charging programs for different battery types, which can be easily selected by the user. In addition to the built-in temperature sensor, the controller has a pair of terminals for connecting a remote temperature sensor, which can be attached directly to the battery to measure the battery temperature more precisely and optimise the charging process.

Additional items:

The kit also includes a pair of 5m positive and negative solar extension leads (4mm² cross section) and 5m of 4mm² dual core battery cable fitted with a fuse, fuse holder and 8mm ring terminals 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 about this product.

 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:

• Fully automated operation and auto 12/24V selection
• Rated charge/discharge current: 20A
• Maximum solar panel input power: 320W (12V) / 640W (24V)
• Maximum solar panel input voltage 50V
• Temperature sensor for automatic compensation: -3mV/C/2V (25C)
• Working temperature: -25ºC to +55ºC
• Self-consumption: max. ≤9.2mA (12V); ≤11.7mA (24V)
• 3 pairs of terminals (solar, battery, optional load)
• Terminals for wire up to 10mm²
• Multiple mounting holes for ease of installation
• Size: 16 x 9.5 x 5 cm
• Weight: 350 g

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.

The panel and charge controller are covered by a 1 year warranty. In the unlikely event that a defect is found and confirmed during this period, we guarantee that we will repair or replace all defective items. 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.

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 Photonic Universe 20A solar charge controller with LCD display and dual USB output VS2024AU

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

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