Use Renogy/Third Party Solar Panels With Goal Zero Yeti

Using Third-Party Solar Panels With a Goal Zero Yeti Power Station

Today I would like to help you connect third-party solar panels/aftermarket/non Goal Zero solar panels, whatever you would like to call it, to a Goal Zero Yeti power station.

Related Product: Connect two solar panels together with an MC4 Y branch like this one by Bateria (click to view on Amazon)

There are a lot of great solar panel brands out there, like Renogy, Richsolar, HQST, and Newpowa that make very competitive solar panels you can use with Yeti power stations.

How To Use Third-Party Solar Panels With Goal Zero Yeti

The adapter you need to connect most third-party solar panels to a Yeti power station is either this Anderson adapter or this 8mm adapter. Which one depends on if you want to use the APP or the 8mm input. Some Yetis only have the 8mm input.

Anderson Adapter

RANDPOW 10AWG Solar Panel Cable Connector to Anderson Power Pole Adapter, Solar Connectors Extension Cable Compatible with Anderson Power Pole Solar Panel for Solar Generator Power Station

Check Price at Amazon

Note that you might have to change the orientation of the Anderson connectors to fit the Goal Zero Yeti. It’s very easy to do by sliding the connectors off of each other and turning them. You don’t have to change anything with the 8mm adapter, but if you’re connecting solar panels that output more than 10A you should use the Anderson input.

8mm Adapter

GRAYBULL Solar Panel Kits to 8mm Adapter Cable Compatible with MC4, DC 8mm Converter Connect for Explorer 160 240 500 1000 and GZ Portable Backup Power Station Solar Generator Heavy Duty Wire

Check Price at Amazon

The biggest mistake you can do when connecting third party panels to your Yeti isn’t using the wrong adapter, but connecting a non-compatible panel, which means that it’s a panel rated above 22 VOC. The latest Yeti 1000X, 1500X, 3000X, and 6000X can handle up to 50V though.

This rating can be found on a sticker on the panel itself, but also usually on the specific product page online.

I will talk more about this and what to think about when connecting one or several panels to the Yeti, at the bottom of this post.

All the panels I recommend below are safe to use with the Yeti power stations, as long as you’re not connecting several panels in series, but in parallel.

What Experience Do I Have Connecting Third-Party Solar Panels To A Goal Zero Yeti?

My solar setup consists of a Yeti 1000, and 400 watts of solar. I own two different kinds of solar panels from Renogy. Two Renogy 100 Watt suitcases, and two Renogy 100 Watt solar panels.

The suitcase panels are great because I can move them around as needed during the day, and maximize the solar input both in the morning and in the evening.

My other 200 watt solar panels are mounted to the roof of my travel trailer and are installed with a tilt kit, so I can tilt them to maximize the input during the winter months.

Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Power station with several devices plugged in plus solar panels
I own and use both the APP adapter and the 8mm adapter with my Yeti 1000

How Do I Know Which Adapter To Buy?

Since you need to know which cable is positive and negative before buying the adapter, it can be hard to know which one to choose.

The Renogy 100 Watt solar panels have a positive male connector, and a negative female connector, which makes the Anderson adapter and the 8mm adapter the correct adapters.

The HQST 100WNewpowa 100W, and the Richsolar 100W are made the same way as Renogy panels and are compatible with both the adapters mentioned above.

Note that a foldable solar panel like the Rockpals 100W comes with an MC4 to 8mm adapter included, making it compatible with the Yeti power stations out of the box.

If your panel happens to have a positive female MC4 connector coming out of it (none of the panels above do), you’ll need the JoinWin MC4 to APP connector.

What About The Max 22 Voltage Rating On The Yeti Power Stations?

There is a maximum voltage that the Yeti stations can handle. Goal Zero advertises this not only before you buy the Yeti, but with a sticker on the Yeti itself.

On the latest Yeti 1000X, 1500X, 3000X, and 6000X, this sticker says up to 50V. But the older Yeti lithium models and the smaller Yeti X models can still only accept up to 22V.

Sticker on Goal Zero Yeti power station about the 22 volt max voltage
Warning on the Yeti 1000

What this input warning is about is the Vmp rating on a panel. Panels larger than 100W will sometimes have a higher Vmp rating than 22V, this means that it’s not safe to use with the older Yeti charge controllers.

Sure, it might be fine and work great, until it doesn’t. That’s why I don’t recommend exceeding this rating, to not void warranty, and risking ruining the solar charge controller in the Yeti.

So how do you know the Vmp rating of a panel? Well, a solar panel from a serious company has a sticker on the back which will tell you everything you need to know.

Sticker on the back of the Renogy 100 Watt suitcase solar panel
The sticker on the back of my Renogy 100W suitcase

As you can see on the sticker on my Renogy suitcase panel, the Vmp rating is 18V, which makes it safe to use with my Yeti.

How Do I Chain Several Solar Panels Together To A Goal Zero Yeti?

Now, what happens if you want to combine several panels like I am doing? If you connect the panels in parallel, you’re OK.

If you want to wire two panels in series, it’s a little bit more complicated. Since it’s not compatible with most Yeti models, and the newer ones (1000X, 1500X, 3000X, 6000X) that can handle some solar setups in series can only handle up to 50V VMP, so you still need to be aware of the voltages of your panel and stay below the limit. Just because it’s a 12V solar panel doesn’t mean it outputs 12V.

Parallel means combining all the positives, separate from the negative wires. Series means plugging a positive into a negative on the second panel, etc.

Connecting several panels is done with an MC4 Y Branch, and I use the like this one by PowMr.

When you combine several panels, you need to take the wire gauge into consideration to make sure that every connector and wire along the way to the Yeti can handle the higher amperage.

To connect three panels together, you need this adapter.

To connect four panels together, you need this adapter.

So to conclude, to connect the panels in parallel: Take both positives from each panel, and connect it to the MC4 Y Branch adapter with the two female parts. Then take the negative wire from each panel and connect them to the MC4 Y Branch with the two male parts.

Now your panels should be connected to each other, and have a positive and a negative coming from the MC4 Y Branch adapter, now connect them to the MC4 Adapter or the mc4 to 8mm adapter depending on which input you intend to use.

If your Yeti can handle up to 50V, you could technically connect two panels in series as long as they each have a VMP voltage of 25V or below.

To do a series connection, you take the positive MC4 connector from the first panel and connect it to the negative MC4 connector from the second panel. What you end up with is one wire from each panel. This adds the voltages together but the amperage stays the same.

Extension Cables

For extension cables, I use these 10 Gauge MC4 extension cables (click to view on Amazon).

You should figure out which wire gauge you need before purchasing adapters and cables. I recommend this wire size calculator where you can put in the total amperage of your panels and the distance.

You can also use 8mm extension cables like these by Graybull.

Or Anderson Powerpole extension cables like these by Lion Energy.

Let me know if you have any questions about a specific adapter, solar panel, or anything related to this subject.

43 thoughts on “Use Renogy/Third Party Solar Panels With Goal Zero Yeti”

  1. Thanks very much for your excellent advice and detailed explanation. I have two of the Renogy 100 panels you recommend for my new GZ Yeti 3000. Just now connecting things for the first time. I’d like to leave my Yeti indoors about 20-30 ft from the panels on my driveway. What’s the best way to add an extension cable to this setup, between the panels and the Yeti?Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Hello Dave,

      I use Windynation extension cables (click to view on Amazon), they come in different lengths. I have taped the wires together with electric tape every 10 inches or so to make them easier to handle.

      For a “prettier” setup, I would use Anderson Power Pole to Anderson Power Pole extension cables but I haven’t found a long high-quality option that won’t have a 10% voltage drop.

      If you can make 15ft work, Goal Zero sells one with 12 Gauge wire. Don’t use two of these though.

      I recommend using 10 Gauge wire to reduce power loss. If you connect more panels you also need to consider how many amps are going to be sent through the wire, and size accordingly.

      Jesse

      Reply
  2. Great explanation. Thank you so much. I really enjoy my Yeti 1000 and I appreciate being able to combine non Goal Zero products.

    Reply
  3. My RENOGY solar panel suitcase has a charge controller built into it. Do I have to disconnect that charge controller before I go into my yeti 400?

    Reply
  4. Hi, my name is Efren. I noticed that the Rockpals 100w with the Yeti X series. I own the yeti 500x.can you please advise which other foldable solar panel is compatible with my yeti? Thanks for all your help!

    Reply
  5. I’ve seen a couple people having issues with the new Yeti 1500x. Do you think I’ll be ok following your guide and using 3rd party panels?

    Reply
    • Using third-party panels won’t void your warranty unless you do something wrong, so as long as you stay within the safe limits of what the charge controller can handle you’ll be ok.

      You might still have issues with the Yeti 1500X, but not because you connect third-party panels.

      Jesse

      Reply
  6. I’m looking to purchase two 175 watt Renogy solar panels and connect them directly to a GZ Yeti 1500x. I’m a bit confused as to what adapter or other things I would need to make this connection properly. Do you have time to tell me what I will need?

    Thank you.

    Jon

    Reply
    • Hi Jon,

      I see that there are two types of 175W panels made by Renogy. These rigid ones, and these flexible ones.

      The VMP rating of the rigid kind is 17.95V, and the flexible kind is 20.3V. So both types can be connected to the Yeti 1500X in either a parallel (up to 5 panels) or a series connection (up to 2 panels). Parallel adds the amps together while keeping the voltage the same. Series adds the voltage together while keeping the amps the same. The charge controllers in the new Yeti 1500X can handle up to 50V.

      To do a parallel connection, you need the MC4 Y branches. Take the positive MC4 male connectors from both panels and plug them into the red MC4 Y branch. Then take the negatives and plug them into the black one.

      Then you just need to plug the MC4 Y branch into the MC4 to Anderson adapter. You’ll have to turn the Anderson connectors on this adapter so they line up with the input on your Yeti, but it’s easy to do. Just slide the red Anderson connector off of the black one, turn it, then slide it back on.

      Since the Yeti 1500X can handle up to 50V, you could skip the MC4 Y branch and connect the panels in series by connecting the positive MC4 connector from the first panel to the negative MC4 connector on the second panel. Then you’d end up with a positive from one panel and a negative from another, and that’s what you would plug into the MC4 to Anderson adapter. Doing this will increase the voltage but stay below the 50V limit as long as you only connect two of those 175W panels.

      Series requires fewer wires, but if one panel isn’t performing great or has issues, the whole circuit will do worse. It’s up to you which way you want to go, but the Yeti 1500X can handle both.

      If you’d like some extension cables, I would go with an 8 gauge wire with that much solar.

      So to sum it up, if I were you, I would get the MC4 Y branch, the MC4 to Anderson adapter, and the 8 AWG Windynation Extension cables which come in different lengths. Try to keep the distance as short as possible to limit power loss.

      Hope I didn’t make it confusing, trying to help you out as much as possible. Let me know if you have any questions.

      Jesse

      Reply
  7. Excellent information and appreciate your time. I just bought the Yeti 3000x and boulder 200 briefcase solar panels. I already have 2x 100watt Renology solar panels on our trailer. Is it possible to connect the boulder 200 panels and the Renology panels to the Yeti 3000x at the same time so I can utilize all solar panels (400w) to charge the Yeti? I was thinking I could use the Anderson connection from the boulder panels and use the 8mm connection from the Renology panels. Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • The problem with the new Yeti X models is that you can only use one input at a time. One way to fix that is to buy the MPPT charge controller expansion module (click to view on Amazon).

      Then you would be able to plug the Boulder panels into the HPP port on the left with the HPP Combiner adapter, and the Renogy panels to the MPPT module.

      The panels on your camper would have to be connected in parallel with an MC4 Y branch, and connected to the Yeti with an MC4 To Anderson adapter. The 8mm ports can only use 10A, so I would stick to the Anderson input when connecting more than 150W.

      You could possibly skip the MPPT module and connect the parallel pair to the HPP Combiner as well since it can handle the amperage but I’m not sure the Instaboost MC4 to Anderson adapter will fit (even after changing the orientation of the connectors). But it could be worth testing before spending the money on the MPPT module.

      Hope that wasn’t too confusing, let me know if you have any questions.

      Reply
      • Greatly appreciate your reply. What do you think about the following option? Easier? I already have a PWM charge controller in the trailer so do you think it would be possible to run a connection from the PWM controller to the Yeti in addition to having the boulder panels attached simultaneously? I’m assuming I could splice on the right adapter (8mm or Anderson) from the wire leads from the controller to connect to the Yeti?

        Reply
        • The Yeti won’t accept a charge via an external charge controller since it already has one. You could install MC4 Y branches between the solar panels and the charge controller, and run the panels directly to the Yeti, but then the electricity generated with your Renogy panels would be split.

          Reply
  8. I have the original model Yeti 1250 and just replaced the original 100amp battery with a new Mighty Max 12V 110AH SLA Battery, and bought two 100watt Renogy panels.. Then ordered two of the Anderson connectors you link too (one for each panel)… and today set out to hook them up.. The first thing I noticed is that the Anderson adapters (iGreely brand) on the connector for the black wire it has a + symbol, and on the connector for the red wire it’s marked . I found this very confusing but after examining the path of the cabling everything appeared to be correct, so I hesitantly plugged it in to my Yeti and it immediately correctly began registering an input charge (whew!). It’s clearly working correctly but I found the connector markings confusing.

    Anyway, now I’m faced with two “problems”, one, I need longer cables,, but the big problem is my Yeti has only one Anderson input, so I’m confused how to connect my second 100w panel.. There are however two 8mm input connections, but I didn’t order 8mm adapters because your article seemed to imply that the Anderson adapter would be the better choice.

    So, what’s my best course of action? Should I go ahead and order 2 8mm adapters (one for each 100w Renogy panel).. along with a pair of extension cables.. or.. what?

    Reply
    • Hi Rich,
      What you need is an MC4 Y Branch (click to view on Amazon), which will connect the two panels in parallel. Then you can connect the Y branch to the MC4 extension cables, and finally the MC4 to Anderson adapter. You only need to use one adapter and input.

      Actually, since you have the Yeti 1250 which can handle voltages between 16-48V up to 20A, you could wire the two panels in series instead of the parallel way above. That’s when you take the positive MC4 male connector from one panel and connect it to the negative MC4 female connector on the second panel. Then you connect the MC4 to Anderson adapter to the two wires left from both panels. This way you don’t have to buy the MC4 Y branch above and can just get the extension cables. You can try the series connection right now to make sure it works.

      Two 12V 100W panels will output about 36-44V, so you’ll be within the 16-48V range. If you’d like to add a third panel, you’d have to change it to a parallel connection though, but get an MC4 Y branch with a 3-to-1 connection like this one.

      Regarding the symbols on the connectors, they just come like that out of the factory and doesn’t mean anything. As long as you can follow the wire and see that positive ends up with positive you’re good.

      Let me know if you have any more questions.

      Reply
  9. Hello Jesse your post have been very informative and helpful. I have eight Back40 100w solar panels. I want to use them to charge my Yeti 6000x. How would I go about doing that?

    About the panels:
    Max power 100w
    Open circuit voltage 23.4V
    Max Power Voltage is 19.8V
    Max Power current 5.06A

    Reply
    • Hi,
      I can tell you how I would do it, but since I haven’t done a setup that big myself I can’t promise that it will work and if you have any doubts about how to do all of this I recommend contacting Goal Zero for further instructions. I’m happy to help but can’t take any responsibility if it doesn’t work.

      I would make a series-parallel connection. I don’t know that specific brand but I am assuming that they have two MC4 connectors each, with a positive male and a negative female.

      I’d get two pairs of the PowMr 1 to 4 Solar Branch (click to view on Amazon) so you can make two pairs of four panels wired in parallel. According to the listing it can handle up to 50A, and four panels should be outputting around 20A at most (5*4).

      Then I would connect the two pairs of four together in series, by connecting one of the PowMr branches from the first four panels with a single MC4 male connector (four MC4 females on the opposite end) to the PowMr branch with the single MC4 female connector on the second pair. Depending on how you set it all up you might need an MC4 extension cable to reach the other one.

      Basically, setting the panels up this way will double the voltage and quadruple the amperage, and stay below the 50V/50A limit.

      From there, you just need an MC4 to Anderson adapter to connect it all to the Yeti 6000X. I think you still need to change the orientation on the Instaboost adapters to fit the Yeti.

      Reply
  10. GZ told me the intake should only be up to 600 watts. I have 1 100 watt eclipse suit case and 3 new 100 watt Renogy black division panels. Renogy said because of the voltage requirements I have to do the three in series with no mention of the eclipse. So I am going to buy another 100 watt black panel and try to series the four negative to positive. And which adapter or adapters to use? The input is an Anderson on the input section of the yeti. Does all of that sound right? Sorry but all if this confuses me easily? Cannot afford to damage the 6000x.

    Reply
    • Hi,
      Yes, the max input is 600W but to get close to that you’re going to have to connect more than 600W. On the Yeti 6000X listing on Goal Zero’s website under “Recharge Charge Times” it shows how much faster you can charge the Yeti 6000X if you have, for example, 800W worth of solar panels.

      Do not do what Renogy told you, because that will exceed the 50V limit of the Yeti (23*4=69V).

      What you can easily do is get an MC4 Y branch 4-to-1 (click to view on Amazon) and connect four Renogy Black division panels in parallel, before connecting it to the MC4 to Anderson adapter. You might have to change the orientation of the connectors on the Anderson adapter.

      If you’d like to add extension cables I recommend 8 gauge cables like these by Geosiry.

      You could use the four panels you have right now and do the same thing, but it’s not recommended to mix panels with different ratings because the panel with the “worst” ratings will limit the rest and decrease the total output.

      If you’d like I can also tell you how to connect all five panels together but that’s a bit harder to do since it requires a series-parallel connection. I don’t usually recommend doing that if you don’t have more experience with these things.

      Reply
  11. Hi there!

    We’ve recently changed our solar system for our campervan from a yeti 1000x lithium to a yeti 1250 due to the convenience of chaining more batteries and ability to replace internal battery.

    Our current solar setup from our previous yeti 1000x is 4, 100W Renogy solar panels connected through a 4 way branch connecter that’s connected to a Anderson connection and plugged into the input that way. Our 1000x was able to take the whole 400w from the solar panels but the reviews online say that the 1250 allows for only 240W max through that same input.

    Would it damage our new yeti 1250 system to keep our same setup as before considering we have it all linked to 4 100W panels?

    Thank you so much for your time!

    Reply
  12. Jesse,
    I have been having trouble getting any input reading from my yeti 1500x.
    I have two 200W Renogy solar panels hooked up in parallel running to my 1500x.
    On each panel the VOC is 27V and the VMP is 22.6V
    They are hooked up using 10AWG extension cables from BougeRv,
    as well as 10AWG Y connectors from BougeRv. I used to have two 180W panels from BougeRv, but exchanged them for the Renogy 200W panels thinking that was the problem. Then I exchanged my Yeti thinking it was the problem, and I’m still getting 0W input reading on the new 1500x. what am I doing wrong?

    Reply
    • Hi,
      It’s likely a faulty cable or connector somewhere. If I were you I would start with connecting just one of the panels without the Y adapter and extension cables, does it work? If not, the MC4 to Anderson adapter is the problem.

      Reply
  13. Hi, thank you for all the great information, really appreciate it! Question for you…
    Currently my setup is a GoalZero 1000x Station that has a max input rating of 50V/50A through the Anderson port, and one GoalZero 200W 12V 14A solar panel.

    I’m looking at purchasing two Renogy 200W 12V 15A solar panels and hooking them in parallel which would bring me up to 600W/12V/44Amp. Does that sound like it would work?

    Also, am I reading the specs on the Renogy solar panel right? That they’re 15A?

    Thank you for your time!

    Reply
    • I actually did a bit more digging and found that the Renogy 200W panels are only 8.85Amp and the GoalZero 200W panel is a 11.05Amp, sorry for the mistaken specs above. So I technically could hook up three Renogy 200W panels, in addition to my GZ 200W panel and end up with around 38Amps if I hook them up via series right?

      That would supply about 800W in perfect conditions, which I rarely have since I live in MI surrounded by trees. 🙂

      Thank you again…

      Reply
      • Hi,
        Yes, you’re correct about the amperages in this comment.

        You would have to do a parallel configuration, since three or more panels in series would exceed the 50V limit.

        It’s not recommended to wire different brands of panels together in parallel (or series for that matter) since the weakest one will decide the voltage. That means the Boulder 200W will weaken the Renogy panels. But it wouldn’t damage anything.

        Honestly, because of the mismatch and the extra adapters you would have to get for the Boulder 200, I would just use three Renogy 200W panels instead and try to sell the Boulder.

        It would be more optimal, and easier to wire with an MC4 3-to-1 branch and an MC4 to Anderson adapter.

        Reply
  14. I have a GZ YETTI 1000x
    I noticed you have inputs power in the top right hand corner as well as the left hand side. Did you add these?
    Also I’m trying to hook up to solar but my cord has a male negative and female positive. Is this ok if I reverse the Anderson connnector.
    Or should I just get the 8 mm plug adapter.
    Thanks Devin.

    Reply
  15. Hi Jesse, I want to thank you for the article as this is exactly what I am looking for. I have a GZ Yeti 1250 but swapped out the battery to a Renogy 12V 100AH unit. The 2 GZ boulder 30 solar panels that came with my kit are ok but I am upgrading to 2 Renogy 100W panels. I ordered it with their 10AWG 20ft cables and ordered the rest as you have mentioned in your article through Amazon.

    I was wondering if I can still hook up the 2 Boulder 30 solar panels and plug it in the 8mm while I have these 2 Renogy panels plugged into the anderson port?

    Reply
    • Hi,
      Yes, you can use both the Anderson and 8mm inputs at the same time. This isn’t possible with the newer Yeti X power stations, but the old ones are okay with this.

      Reply
  16. Wonderful article, thank you! I have the smallest of the current GZ Yeti, the 200X. It’s rated for 22V. I have a Rich Solar 100 watt panel that has a Voc of 23.5v. My impression is the 1.5v does matter and I cannot use the panel to charge the small yeti. The only reason I ask is because i wanted to see if GZ meant the 22v as a general term, in other words they are saying always hook panels in parallel, not series.

    Reply
    • Hi,
      I also replied to your email, but I am not sure how strict the 22V limit is. It might work if the panel has a VMP rating below 22, even if the VOC is 23.5V.

      Reply

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