Renogy Solar Panel 100w Review

Founded in 2010, Renogy Group Inc. stands out as one of the leading solar energy brands on the market today. This renewable energy company boasts offering high-quality equipment at a very competitive price, hence its popularity.

Are you looking to purchase efficient solar panels or a reliable charge controller? You will always be awestruck by Renogy brands. The company uses microcrystalline cells on its panels which mean they can generate substantial amounts of solar power even in the shade.

About Renogy Solar Panel 100W 12V

The Renogy 100-watts 12 volts monocrystalline solar panel is the company’s most popular product on the market. The solar panel comes in a sleek size but high in power making it a perfect add-on to your off-grid activities. 

This 100W solar panel from Renogy features cutting-edge encapsulation material with multi-layered sheet minimizations to boost the cell’s performance while extending service life. For durability, the solar panel includes a corrosion-resistant aluminium frame and it also uses IP67 waterproof rated MC4 connectors for long outdoor use.

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The panels are built to last for years with high transparent, anti-reflective, low iron-tempered glass. When it comes to installation, the 100-watt Renogy solar panel’s back features pre-drilled holes so you can mount and secure it without a hassle. There are also pre-drilled holes for grounding the solar panel.

Each panel weighs 16.5 lbs. measuring 47.0” x 21.3” x 1.4” (L x W x H) and works well with different mounting systems, including tilt mounts, pole mounts, and z-brackets. Renogy offers 5-year material and workmanship and 25-year transferrable power output warranty on their 100W 12V solar panel.

This solar panel has been built to withstand high winds and snow loads. If you want to harness the power of solar power to your RV, boat, motorhome, or camper (you name it!), the 100-watt solar panel from Renogy is exactly like what you have been looking forward to buy.

Features

Features are what make a solar panel worth the price tag it comes with or not. When shopping for a solar panel either for on-grid or off-grid use, you should know whether or not they serve your intended purpose. The features listed here should always be on your list.

• Durability – Solar panels are built to be exposed to any kind of weather as they are installed outside. Renogy 100-watt solar panel is waterproof and built with durable materials that withstand all weather conditions.
• Reliability – This solar panel has no hot-spot heating, features sophisticated encapsulation material with multi-layered sheet laminations for high cell performance. It also can work under shade and low-light environs.
• Waterproof – The solar panel is IP67 waterproof to ensure it remains useful under extreme wet conditions or when splashed with water.
• Versatility – You can use the solar panel in many different applications, it compatible with both on-grid and off-grid inverters, as well as different mounts.
• Installation – Comes with pre-drilled holes on the back for quick mounting as well as holes for grounding.

Specs 

Here are the specifications of Renogy 100W solar panel

• Open Circuit Voltage: 22.5V
• Max. System Voltage: 600VDC UL
• Short Circuit Current: 5.75A
• Optimum Operating Voltage: 18.9V
• Operating Temperature Range: -40º~176º
• Optimum Operating Current: 5.29A

How to set it up

When you are setting up your Renogy Solar Panel 100W 12V, you must make sure that the panels are not exposed to the sun. Make sure they are covered for safety purposes. Done that already? Now, follow these steps:

1. Hook the battery up to the charge controller using Renogy tray cable and match the terminals.
2. Connect your solar panel to the charge controller, and start by connecting the adapter kit to the panel.
3. Connect your inverter to your battery. Make sure you use the battery ring cables matching terminals correctly.

CAUTION: Hooking your solar panel up to the charger controller should be done correctly to prevent reverse polarity and short circuit which could damage the controllers and panels.

Pros

• Waterproof
• Bypass diode
• Durable construction
• User-friendly
• Reliable performance
• Guaranteed positive tolerance
• Portability
• High compatibility

Cons

• Mounting equipment not included
• Plastic charge controller

Rating on Value for Money

To me, a portable solar panel is an investment. So, the value for money is an important factor to consider when shopping for a portable solar panel. Renogy 100W 12V solar panel comes with 21% cell efficiency for improved performance when using it.

With such features, the $124.99 for these panels may seem highly-priced but found it worthy. Besides, it provides an operating temperature range of between -40º and 176º Celsius. That is awesome, right? Value for money rating = 8/10.

Rating on Charge Interruption Recovery

Weather can hinder effective performance especially when you reach places with shades and low light. The best thing with Renogy is that they use microcrystalline cells on its 100W 12V solar panels. As such, they can generate a significant amount of solar power even in the shade or low light.

The recovery interruption of this solar panel was 12 seconds and charging continued. It scored 9/10 rating on charge interruption recovery.

Rating on Multiple Device Charging

The 100W 12V solar panel from Renogy does not come with USB ports which means you cannot use it to charge devices.

Rating on Durability

Renogy uses low iron-tempered glass for boosted toughness as well as panel frames that are made from lightweight aluminium and corrosion-resistant material for durability. We also found this solar panel to be weatherproof with a securely-attached junction box.

The only thing Renogy should have included is a corner protection feature. This 100W 12V solar panel scored 8.5/10 rating on durability.

Rating on Weight and Portability

This solar panel system is light as it only weighs 16.5 lbs. and comes with a suitcase that you can use to carry it anywhere you go. Being foldable, it was even more portable during our experience with it. It earned 9/10 rating on weight and portability.

Wrap-Up

This 100-watt 12V solar panel from Renogy with high-efficiency monocrystalline system is highly-compatible, built to last with high performance, and at a good price. While it has no kickstand, the kit includes everything you will need with just a few separate purchases.