Old PowerUp panel compatability?

as much as we try with over 3000 things, sometimes pictures are incorrect.  i can try to see what it really looks like.  worst case, if you get it and it is not the same, we can take it back for you, and then we can get the right picture

james
Alt-E staff

If the specs are the same then you should be able to use the "newer" panel with the old.  The spec for max volts and amps has to be very close (or same).

The manufacturing techniques change over time, businesses benchmark each other and low cost practices are adopted to save money and produce a better product.  The "newer" panel may just show this.  You will have to decide if 2 panels that may look different are going to hurt your final goal (looks great or works great).  From what you put in your post - you want more power.  From that point the 20W panel will do.

Want to go 40 Watts?  You can do that too. The bigger panels are lower cost per Watt (cost/watts=cpW) and if you buy 2 you may have plenty of power and they will match.  Of course you will have an orphan 20W panel that cannot be used with the 40W panels (well actually it can work if you hook it to it's own charge control).  Speaking of charge controllers - you need one big enough for 40W panels.

If you just buy one 40W panel and want to add another later (year or 2) you may have the same problem as you have now (process improvement).