Solar control

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Cheers mate! Yeah me too it's been a long time out of trade school for me!!

What I don't get, is sure, the voltage is there, but there is little or no current available.
It is the current that charges the battery.
I must be missing something simple here!!!
 
Due to - First thing in the morning the cells may have voltage, but are not generating much in the way of power (Watts).

Little to no Watts with voltage = Little to no Amps :) Back to Ohm's Law lol. My above example at noon in weak winter sun shows lower amps, cos lower Watts.

I didn't check the voltage today, if tomorrow is similar weather I'll check the panel input voltage and output at the controller.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I did see was, the Lithium battery was full, Load plus solar in, gave a net load of 0.5 amps and the battery voltage was 13.8, so, the panels were charging or at least running most of the applied load.

However, Lithium voltage measurement can vary in different places due to its internal BMS. I've noticed my battery monitor at 13.8V (on the battery) when charging from 240VAC and the remote of that charger showing 14.2V. So, just because the charger is outputting V & A doesn't mean the battery is getting or giving the same values.
I'm still getting to grips with the Lithium affect, lol.

I've also seen the monitor showing 1 or 2 amps charge and the 240VAC charger showing 14 amps charge output. My conclusion - the charger may well be giving that output, but the Lithium internal management is only letting 1-2 amps in. This is a short lived phenomenon, when I first turn the charger on. After it recognises the battery is full, the charger stabilises to float mode and the current idles until the load increases. This can take several minutes. But I digress from the solar context. :)

I'm still to use the Lithium setup in earnest, but the van is stuck in the drive due to lockdowns and other reasons. I was thinking of having a holiday from SWMBO indoors and using the van as I would in the bush, disconnecting 240VAC and spending a night in the van with the heater going to see how the battery performs. Plus a few "Lemonades". :beer:
 
Ive got 2x150w mono panels, in parallel, about 2m of 6mm cable joining the 2 together, then about 4m of 6mm cable to the controller, then 4m of 6mm cable from Victron MPPT 100/20 controller into 1 x 130ah agm battery, ive never ran out of power yet, been off grid in a caravan for 2 years.

Battery is normally on float charge around lunch time.

Parallel works ok in the real world, for me anyway.

Cheers
 
Simmo said:
Nightjar said:
Was directed towards the method of running panels in series into a MPPT to improve overall input.
Click to expand...

Not sure about that mate. Happy to be proved wrong, but in series wired systems, like in old school Christmas lights... one goes out and so does the rest after that??
As I said, happy to see your theory.

This from the net:

Why series?

Strictly series connections are mostly utilized in smaller systems with a MPPT Controller. Connecting your panels in series will increase the voltage level and keep the amperage the same. The reason why series connections are utilized with MPPT controllers is that MPPT Controllers actually are able to accept a higher voltage input, and still be able to charge your 12V or more batteries. Renogy MPPT Controllers can accept 100 Volts input. The benefit of series is that it is easy to transfer over long distances. For example you can have 4 Renogy 100 Watt panels in series, run it 100 feet and only use a thin 14 gauge wire.

The downside to series systems is shading problems. When panels are wired in series, they all in a sense depend on each other. If one panel is shaded it will affect the whole string. This will not happen in a parallel connection.
Click to expand...
Have been using the two panels in series for years and can prove you wrong. A little shading only reduces the combined voltage slightly. Over all series increases voltage but not amps. Any way what the hell you gurus know best and you stick to your theory, I'll stick to my proven ways and my lights haven't gone out.
 
Nightjar said:
Simmo said:
Nightjar said:
Was directed towards the method of running panels in series into a MPPT to improve overall input.
Click to expand...

Not sure about that mate. Happy to be proved wrong, but in series wired systems, like in old school Christmas lights... one goes out and so does the rest after that??
As I said, happy to see your theory.

This from the net:

Why series?

Strictly series connections are mostly utilized in smaller systems with a MPPT Controller. Connecting your panels in series will increase the voltage level and keep the amperage the same. The reason why series connections are utilized with MPPT controllers is that MPPT Controllers actually are able to accept a higher voltage input, and still be able to charge your 12V or more batteries. Renogy MPPT Controllers can accept 100 Volts input. The benefit of series is that it is easy to transfer over long distances. For example you can have 4 Renogy 100 Watt panels in series, run it 100 feet and only use a thin 14 gauge wire.

The downside to series systems is shading problems. When panels are wired in series, they all in a sense depend on each other. If one panel is shaded it will affect the whole string. This will not happen in a parallel connection.
Click to expand...
Have been using the two panels in series for years and can prove you wrong. A little shading only reduces the combined voltage slightly. Over all series increases voltage but not amps. Any way what the hell you gurus know best and you stick to your theory, I'll stick to my proven ways and my lights haven't gone out.
Click to expand...

Wow!!
 
Further to my tried and proven method.
Purchased our caravan in 2008 and immediately wired the two panels in series and connected to a morning Star regulator.
The caravan has auto switching device between 240V - Solar & 12V, have only replaced the two AGM batteries once.
The ute has one fixed panel through a PWM to fridge and accessory battery, fixed connection.
A folding set of panels in series is plugged into a MPPT regulator, only used when we are stationary detecting or back at camp.
When mobile the vehicle (No expensive DC DC gadget) alternator charges starting battery, auxiliary battery, fridge battery and caravan batteries.
Light welding cable with fuses and Anderson plugs between fridge battery and caravan.
Also only had one change of batteries in the 13 years.
Caravan fridge runs on gas when camped up. (It is a amp guzzler on 12V)
My "box of tricks on the back of the ute enables me to not only run two engels but also charge detector batteries and other accessories.

One happy camper who defies the critics.. :playful:
 
Can anybody help with the setup for this solar controller?

1643932154_solar_controller.jpg


I bought this a couple of years ago for about four times the current price but never got to set it up and now I can't find the instructions. I fiddled with it yesterday and it started to charge then later I moved the panel and noticed it was no longer charging. I don't understand what the buttons and LCD are showing me.
 
Looks like this one

OOYCYOO 80A Solar Charge Controller 80 amp Solar Panel Regulator with Load Timer, 12V 24V Auto with LCD Display USB 5V 1500mA and Usd for Control Landscape...

1643932986_screenshot_6.jpg
 
Well it's charging but I don't know why. I can't see how you can have a solar charger that controls charging and discharge times when there's no option to set a clock time?
 
From memory you just use the far left button to scroll to the mode you want and then just + and - to adjust setting. Mode your after should flash when you get to it. Set then use left button again move onto next mode / setting.
 
My cheap solar controller just lost control.

Solar controller.jpg

My 12v battery has blown up like a balloon :(
 
Hey moneybox,

I had two of those cheapies burn out on me and a third just stop. I had exactly the same setup (Panel wattage and controller voltage/amps) which ran fine for months 20 meters away

I don't reckon the specs on those match what they say. With that said, they have worked fine on smaller setups
 
Moneybox said:
I just ordered a Victron smart solar controller for $175. Let's see how smart that is.
Click to expand...
The Smart Solar model Victron you can control with your Phone, You can adjust the cut in voltage and the cut off Voltage all from the Victron App from the App Store, and you can set it up to suit any type of Battery Tech as well as it logs all the power you used over a very long time as well as your out going power and the incoming power,

To be honest there is not much you can't do with it and your phone.

Good luck and have fun playing with it, đź‘Ť
 

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