20W 12V Reinforced Semi-flexible solar charging kit

This high-efficiency semi-flexible 20W 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:

• 20W reinforced semi-flexible solar panel with a durable ETFE coating
• 5A automatic solar charge controller with USB port for charging compatible USB devices
• A pair of 5m 2.5mm² single core solar extension cables with MC4 connectors
• 5m of 2.5mm² dual core battery cable with 10A fuse, fuse holder and 8mm ring terminals

20W 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 20W 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.

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 1.1kg) 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 0.9m 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. 

5A Solar charge controller:

The kit includes a 5A 12V 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 etc. Other features of this controller include:

• A 5V USB port (1.2A output) to enable fast charging of USB compatible devices (e.g mobile phones, tablets, mp3 players etc)
• A pair of load terminals for connecting 12V loads (such as lights) if desired.
• Bright LED indicators to show the battery state of charge as well as the status of the solar panel and 12V load. An "on/off" button is also available for the load.

This controller can work with sealed, gel and flooded batteries (the battery type can be selected by the user). The controller can accept up to 60W of solar power input which means there is the potential to add more solar panels to the kit in the future.

Additional items:

The kit also includes a pair of 5m positive and negative solar extension leads (2.5mm² cross section) and 5m of 2.5mm² 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: 20W
• Maximum power voltage: 17.5V
• Maximum power current: 1.14A
• Open circuit voltage: 21.6V
• Short circuit current: 1.21A
• Power allowance range: +/- 5%
• Solar Panel Dimensions: 450 x 350 x 4 mm
• Junction Box Dimensions: 90 x 16 x 16 mm
• Weight: 1.10 kg
• 2 x 0.9m of high quality single core solar cable (2.5mm² cross section)
• Male and female MC4 connectors

Charge controller specifications:

• Charging current: 5A
• Load current: 5A
• Rated voltage: 12V
• LEDs to indicate battery state of charge, solar panel and load status
• Self-consumption: ≤5mA
• Working temperature: -35C to +55C
• USB Interface: 5V DC / 1.2A
• 3 pairs of terminals (solar panel, battery, load) for wire up to 2.5mm2
• Size: 109.7 x 65.5 x 20.8 mm
• Weight: 90 g
• 2 x 4.5mm mounting holes

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 solar charge controller are covered by a 1 year warranty provided by Photonic Universe. 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.

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:

Technical Drawing of 20W Reinforced Semi-flexible Solar Panel ARFLX-20M

User manual for Photonic Universe 5A solar charge controller with USB output (PU0512EU)

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