How Solar Match evaluates your setup

Solar Match is a compatibility checker for portable solar systems. It compares the electrical characteristics of a power station, one or more solar panels and the cable between them, then reports where the numbers stop agreeing. Every value it uses comes from manufacturer datasheets held in the T9 catalogue, so the comparison reflects published specifications rather than estimates.

Step 1 · Describe how you use the system

You start with three figures: average daily energy use in kWh, an optional peak load in watts, and the number of peak sun hours your location receives. Daily energy use tells the tool how much the battery has to deliver between charges. Peak load is what the inverter has to sustain at once, which matters for kettles, pumps and power tools. Peak sun hours convert panel wattage into a realistic daily yield instead of a laboratory number, and they drive the recharge-time estimate.

Step 2 · Pick the hardware

Next you select a power station — a battery, inverter and charge controller in one unit — and one or more portable panels from the same catalogue, with a quantity for each. Panels can be wired in parallel or in series, and the choice changes both voltage and current at the input. The tool recalculates the whole array as you change quantity or wiring, so you can see the effect of adding a second panel before buying it.

The four electrical checks

System compatibility runs four checks and reports each one separately. Solar input voltage compares the array open-circuit voltage (Voc) against the station’s accepted input window — too low and the charger never starts, too high and you risk damaging the input stage. Solar input current compares array current against the station’s input current limit. Solar input power compares total array wattage with the maximum solar input the station can accept. Autonomy and capacity compares usable battery capacity against your daily energy use, so you know whether the station covers a full day or only part of it.

Two further checks run outside the electrical count. Peak load versus AC output tells you whether the inverter can carry your load without tripping, and the connector and cable check flags mismatched connector types and cable runs that would waste power through voltage drop.

Reading the result

Each check returns one of three states: ready, failed, or not run. A failed voltage or current check is a hard stop — the system will not charge safely or at all. A failed power check usually means slower charging rather than danger. A capacity shortfall is neither, but it does mean the station will need sun or mains before the day is out. Incompatibilities are listed by name, with the specific figure that caused each one, so you can decide whether to change the panel, change the wiring, or change the station.

Recommendations tied to real products

Once a station is selected, Solar Match proposes a station matched to your stated daily energy use, drawn from products that exist in the catalogue rather than generic examples. The recommendation appears with the array watts, array Voc and array current the tool calculated for your configuration, so it can be checked line by line against the datasheets.

What it does not do

The tool compares published specifications. It does not measure your hardware, predict weather, account for shading, cable temperature or panel degradation, and it does not replace the manufacturer’s manual. Treat a green result as a sign that the numbers agree, not as a guarantee of performance. Where a product has no verified specification on file, it is left out of the comparison rather than guessed.