40 amp MPPT charge controller, with 1,560 Watts of Solar panels (6 x 260 Watt)

[Silver_Is_Money]

Currently I have 4 x 260 Watt panels, for 1,040 Watts. In another thread I had considered adding a second (and identical) bank of solar panels and a second (and identical) charge controller and paralleling everything into my single 420AH 24V battery bank, but the prospects of successfully doing this as per the responses on this forum were not promising. So now I'm considering simply adding 2 more panels to my existing charge controller, and going from 1,040 Watts of PV to 1,560 Watts of PV. What happens if I do this? Will I fry my charge controller?

[inetdog]

Currently I have 4 x 260 Watt panels, for 1,040 Watts. In another thread I had considered adding a second (and identical) bank of solar panels and a second (and identical) charge controller and paralleling everything into my single 420AH 24V battery bank, but the prospects of successfully doing this as per the responses on this forum were not promising. So now I'm considering simply adding 2 more panels to my existing charge controller, and going from 1,040 Watts of PV to 1,560 Watts of PV. What happens if I do this? Will I fry my charge controller?

What is the exact model of your current CC? That will tell you whether it can handle additional voltage (probably the only way to add two more panels is in series unless your current setup is all parallel or two panel strings.
It will also tell you whether the CC has both power and current capability to handle 50% more.
(You could also point the new panels in a different direction, of course.)

[Silver_Is_Money]

My MPPT charge controller is a Tracer 4215BN

[solarix]

It won't fry your controller (probably), but the controller will detune the MPPT to limit the power and you will not get full capability from your 2 more panels. 40A controller x 24V battery = 960W. You need a bigger CC, or charge controllers that can communicate to work together. Or go up to a 48V battery (and inverter) which will double the capability of your controller.

[Raul]

It will not limit the power in , I know as I fried a 3215 tracer by over panelling. It happened when I had a load on and a inrush of current took it out. It will get hot and stop charging or display anything on the remote. It has a fuse inside but the it didn't blow. Some components inside did swell.

If I was in your situation I would get a second CC for the extra panels and orientate them east west.

[Silver_Is_Money]

New thought based on the responses above. My 4 existing solar panels face due south and are in parallel/series and delivering 62V and 16.8A at Pmax. If I add 2 additional and identical panels (and wire them in series) facing due east and then I parallel these into my charge controller, would that give me more daily Watts without frying the charge controller? And then could I likewise add 2 more panels facing due west?

Basic panel specs:
Voltage at Pmax = 31.0V
Current at Pmax - 8.4A
Open circuit voltage = 38.7V
Short circuit current - 8.9A

Update: Since the Cosine of 60 degrees is 0.5, can I get even more aggressive and position the two east and 2 west facing panels to face only 60 degrees away from the 4 due south facing panels, instead of their facing 90 degrees away?