At first it might seem counterintuitive, however, I changed my 200w panel for 2x 100w panels and yet I couldn’t be more pleased. I did this for a number of reasons but primarily to afford me greater flexibility and convenience. I say Flexibility because I found that in my circumstances I couldn’t always find a site to position the larger panel such that it would receive optimal exposure the sun, ie one end of the panel often being in shade as the sun rose through the day - necessitating a regular adjustment throughout the day to ensure I maximised my charging potential. With the small 100w panels, owing to their high efficiency, I can position them in a more compact space (usually behind each other) ensuring they both get maximum exposure for longer before one end becomes shaded. I also find I can often find two smaller and separate locations that will give me full exposure whereas with the longer 200w panel only partial exposure in either spot would have been possible. Which is where the convenience comes in. Not only does the aforementioned mean I have to readjust my panel(s) less frequently to maximise their potential, they are also less cumbersome to move and reset when I need to, not to mention less heavy to pack and carry. This is not to say the 200w panel is not worth buying, on the contrary, it is perfect if you have well exposed permanent pitch, however, if like me you find that you are constantly moving, sometimes in more enclosed areas, having two separate panels opens up my options and hence convenience. One of the other major advantages of having two separate panels (either 200w or 100w) over just one is that should anything unfortunate befall one panel I am still left with a source to charge my Power Station, albeit at a reduced rate. Of course with a single panel all potential would be lost. These are just a few of the reasons behind my decision to ‘double up’ there, I am sure many more depending on individual circumstances which makes considering the ‘dual’ option a more practical solution to maintaining a more sustainable charging regime.
