Solar Power Update June 2026

Last year I started noticing the LiFePo battery wasn't fully recharging. The maintenance charge level is set at 13.6V and it wouldn't quite reach that level. I tried to do some troubleshooting and decided at the time that the MPPT battery charge controller built into the MPP Solar all-in-one (AIO) system had gone bad. Rather than tear into the MPP AIO system and replace the MPPT subsystem I chose to bypass the internal MPPT charge controller and install a cheap Bouge 20A auxiliary PWM solar charge controller. This seemed to do trick...until this year when the problem reoccurred, only worse.

So I did some more in-depth troubleshooting and determined that the Newpowa 210W solar panel loaded voltage was not reaching voltages high enough to recharge the battery. I measured 15.6Voc at the panel under strong lighting conditions which is no where near the 19.8Voc panel rating. And at the Bouge 20A controller was reading in the high 13's voltage under load . This resulted in the battery only charging to about 13.2V which the battery reported as about 30% charge.

I decided to replace the solar panel. After some research and checking on pricing I decided to go with a Renogy 200W panel model RSP200DC. It's a "24V" panel meaning it can support charging of up to 24V batteries. It has a 37.4 Voc and 31.0 Vmp. It has a 16 bus bar design so it can tolerate some shading while still producing power.

Renogy Panel Specs

The Renogy panel has a different form factor than the Newpowa panel so I needed to change the mounting method. Renogy provided some simple aluminum mounts that I used. When I removed the old mount I noticed the adhesive I'd used was starting to fail. Originally I'd avoided using mechanical fastners because I worry about roof leaks. I decided to accept the risk on the new mounts and install mechanical fastners (#6 stainless steel screws) since I was justifiably worried about the panel separating as I drove down the road. I prepped the surface and used Sikaflex 221 sealant on the mount bases and the screw holes so hopefully there will be no leakage.

Renogy Panel Installed - much smaller than old Newpowa Panel

Battery charging on new Renogy Panel

Because I'd found the Newpowa panel was bad vs the MPP AIO MPPT controller, I rerouted the solar panel back to the MPPT controller in the AIO (vs through the Bouge PWM controller). This left me with a spare PWM controller so I decided to wire for an external portable solar panel.

I already had a Cnlinko 2-pin 20A waterproof bulkhead connector (YA-20 series) on hand (I'd purchased it a while back) so I installed it near the now-unused Bouge 20A PWM controller. I added a 20A breaker/disconnect between the Cnlinko and the Bouge. The wiring from the Bouge controller to the system busbars was already in place so the install was easy.


Cnlinko YA-20 series 2-pin bulkhead connector mounted on exterior

Bouge 20A Solar Controller with 20A breaker/disconnect under front seat

I got a really great deal on a Renogy 220W "Compact Suitcase" portable solar panel (model RSP220LSC-G1-US). And I had a set of 30 foot 10 AWG solar extension cables with MP4 connectors. I made a short MP4 to Cnlinko adapter and I was in business.

Renogy RSP220LSC Portable Solar Panel

Renogy Portable Panel Specs

The MP4 connectors are not meant to be connected/disconnected repeatedly so I'm investigating using 30A Anderson Powerpole connectors between the portable panel and the solar extension cord. Also, the IP67 Cnlinko bulkhead connector is really nice but it's not standard and it's a solder connector so I'm looking at something different for the Clipper, possibly an Anderson plug of some type.

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