Solar panels, amps, watts, volts and confusion!

[Phil-E]

Ok then... lets be having all you electronic calculation boffins then!

Basically what I want to know is how can I achieve the following:

I want ~12v

I want ~5-6 watts

I will be mostly charging devices at 5v requiring 2-5 watts

Is it possible for me to connect multiple, smaller solar panels together to achieve the above? I am wanting to do this as it is then smaller once I get the panels into some sort of folding frame type thing!

for example. 4x 6v 1 watt panels. Could I connect two in series (takes me to 12v) then connect the other 2 in parallel to the other 2 which would then still give me 12v and 4 watts or is it not that simple?!

Any help greatly recieved as I am just getting confussled by all the equation to convert between volts, watts and amps.

I'm good at wiring etc just not the whole technical side of it! lol

Phil

[Dragonrider]

I = P/V

P = V x I

V = P/I

P = Watts

I = Amps

V = Volts

Hope i remembered them correctly it,s been 40 years since i used them.

[Phil-E]

Thanks that is a bit helpful.

I think the thing that is really confusing me now is that if I am getting 5w at 12v from a panel then how many watts will I get at 5v?

[Aspman]

You'll still get 5W but at a different Amperage

I=P/V

I=5/12

I=0.42A

I=5/5

I=1A

So you'll still get 5V but now at 1A rather than 0.42A

+1 for high school physics

[JLneonhug]

Careful of what your charging, Li-ion batt's are a bit sensitive to power

[VWD]

I = P/V

P = V x I

V = P/I

P = Watts

I = Amps

V = Volt

And to confuse a little more

P = I x I x R

AND P=(V x V)/ R

R=RESISTANCE ( in ohms)

Comes from using Ohms law ( V =I x R) on the first formula and transposing etc .