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How to connect a solar panel

Updated: October 2026

You already have a panel and a leisure battery or a power station, and a photo shows two modules in series. Copying that photo, or clipping a bare panel onto the battery, can exceed the controller or leave the battery unregulated. How to connect a solar panel, for the modules in our [solar panel comparison](/hub/electrical-equipment/solar-panel), is three setups and one order: a regulator or a station input in between, battery side first, panel second. Choosing the panel is the [solar panel buying guide](/hub/electrical-equipment/solar-panel/sub/solar-panel-buying-guide). Listings were saved on 19 October 2026. A purchase through our links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already have a panel and a leisure battery or a power station, and a photo shows two modules in series.

Our top picks

Renogy Renogy 200W rigid

Best overall

Renogy Renogy 200W rigid
8.7/10about £129.99
View offer
DOKIO DOKIO 100W suitcase

Best value

DOKIO DOKIO 100W suitcase
9.3/10about £79.99
View offer
Ecosonique Ecosonique 200W foldable

Rank 3

Ecosonique Ecosonique 200W foldable
7.8/10about £149.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Three ways these panels are meant to be plugged in
  2. 2.Battery first, panel second
  3. 3.Series adds voltage
  4. 4.Where a competent person takes over

Three ways these panels are meant to be plugged in

The DOKIO 100 W suitcase is the only listing that states a charge controller. For a 12 V leisure battery, the clips belong on the controller leads. The Renogy 200 W, the AeternaSol frames, the ECO-WORTHY pair, the ECOBOSS frames and the Topsolar sheet are bare modules. Topsolar's bullets require a controller that is not in the box. The Ecosonique 200 W suitcase is easy to misread. The protection chip is described for the USB side, not as a leisure-battery controller. A DOKIO kit and an Ecosonique lead are not interchangeable. The MHPOWOS 110 W panel is XT60 and also has no controller in the spec fields. Van roofs are on solar panel for a campervan.

Battery first, panel second

Photonic Universe's kit article and StarPower's caravan guide agree on the order. Connect the controller to the battery first, with a fuse close to the battery positive, then connect the panel. Those guides are not a fuse rating for these ASINs. Polarity is a meter job. LED Electrical says an MC4 housing is not a safe plus-and-minus guide, and it cites IEC 62852. Jackery's third-party note says the plug family differs by model, including DC7909 and DC8020. An adapter does not widen the window.
Renogy Renogy 200W rigid

Testsieger

Renogy Renogy 200W rigid
8.7/10about £129.99
View offer

Series adds voltage

Series wiring adds voltage. Parallel wiring adds current. If the listing does not print open-circuit voltage, do not copy a series photo. The ShadowFlux 120 W field is already 33.69 V. The ShadowFlux 200 W field is 36.5 V. Two of those in series is not a 12 V project. The Ecosonique suitcase is 24 V at 10.8 A before a second panel. A Delta 2, in UKSN's EcoFlow FAQ, is 11–60 V. If your manual's maximum is below the voltage printed on the panel, stop.

Where a competent person takes over

The steps above stop at battery posts or a station's solar port. Approved Document P, in the 2013 text on GOV.UK, names photovoltaic panels on a roof as building-regulations work for a dwelling. Scotland and Northern Ireland are not a copy of the English Part P note. Call a competent person when the cable heads for a consumer unit, when you alter a circuit, or when the panel becomes a grid-tied house array. Do not back-feed a socket with a plug-in inverter. Named picks, if you still need a panel, are on best solar panel.

Common questions

Can I clip the panel straight onto the leisure battery?
No. A bare panel is not a regulated charger. StarPower's caravan guide says so, and Topsolar's bullets require a controller that is not in the box. The DOKIO suitcase includes a 10 A controller, so the clips go on the controller leads. Match 12 V to a 12 V battery. A direct clip can overcharge the battery once the sun is strong.
What do I connect first, the battery or the panel?
Connect the controller to the battery first, with a fuse close to the battery as that maker specifies, then connect the panel. Cover the panel while you mate the plugs. Take the panel off first when you disconnect. This page does not give a fuse amp value, because these listings do not share one controller. If the manual is missing, pause rather than borrow another brand's picture.
How do I know the polarity is right?
Use a meter before the leads land on the controller. MC4 housings are not a reliable guide. LED Electrical makes that point and cites IEC 62852. A reversed pair can damage a controller as soon as the panel is uncovered. If you cannot meter it, do not uncover the panel to see what happens.
Can I copy a review that wired two panels in series?
Only if the controller's maximum still has room after both panel voltages, including a rise in cold weather. Our listings mostly omit open-circuit voltage. The ShadowFlux pages already print 33.69 V and 36.5 V, which is enough to refuse a casual series pair. One ECO-WORTHY owner's series feed into an EcoFlow is not your wiring diagram.
Will an MC4 to XT60 lead make any power station work?
It only changes the plug. Jackery says third-party panels must sit inside that model's voltage and current, and the connector varies by station. UKSN notes that EcoFlow windows differ, with a Delta 2 example at 11–60 V in that FAQ. A lead does not add a controller. A panel that already has a battery controller can be the wrong source for a station solar port.
When do I stop and call an electrician?
Stop when the work leaves the battery or the power station and enters the house: a new circuit, a consumer unit, or a roof array on a dwelling. A competent person certifies that kind of job, or building control does. Also stop if you cannot find the panel voltage, you are about to cut off MC4 plugs, or you would invent a fuse size. Unclip, cover the panel, and get the manual.

Related pages

Solar cable

Solar panel

Best solar panel: Renogy glass or a DOKIO suitcase

Solar panel buying guide: volts, plug and controller

Solar panel for a campervan: roof, suitcase, or sheet

Rigid or foldable solar panel: frame, case, or sheet

Sources

Public UK sources are listed below. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures on the saved listings. Last checked October 2026.

  1. GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 14 (retrieved October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Smart Export Guarantee (retrieved October 2026)
  3. MCS MIS 3002, Solar PV systems (retrieved October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK VAT Notice 708/6 (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Approved Document P (retrieved October 2026)
  6. BS EN IEC 61215-1:2021 via NBS (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Planning Inspectorate note on megawatts-peak (retrieved October 2026)