My Solar Shopping List, Thoughts Please?

cruiser said:
thank you I am trying to follow all of this. I got 100 wat folding solar panel . it arrived one side smashed. they told me to keep it. and sent me another in its place. which arrived in good condition . can I add the non broken one to the good two.
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Yes if you have the means to connect them together and the regulator can handle 150 watts
 
thank you very much. I will get my son who is a teknic. to show me how. thanks again
 
Techno100 said:
I don't know if you realise but they do that regulator in a 200 watt output too?
If you already received it and want to change? I will swap you a 200 watt for it.

If you haven't ordered yet?
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Yes, I'd seen that Andy. My 300w controller is on the way, it'll be a while I'm guessing until it arrives.

Thanks for the offer of the swap, but I'm determined to get 230 -260w worth of panels, possibly more now that I know I can use panels with differing power outputs.

Re the sending of odd sized panels and damage...hoping to get a reply from the seller at start of week, hopefully a favourable one and onevI can translate!
If not, I'll just have to swallow extra cost <sniff!>

Going back to the using of panels with different outputs and with the aim of getting my panel load as close to the controllers max capacity; hypothetical numbers here, though possibly a workable option:

1 x 50w, 1 x 100w and 1 x 150w panel would give me 300w.
Connecting them; the 50 and 100w panel in series, then connect those in parallel with the 150w panel?
Right or wrong? just the result of idle musing!

Some good info' in here that'll save me a few bob on what I was going to do initially, really appreciated:)
 
I would go for all in parallel using 4 "Y" connectors that keeps all the voltages the same, if you series up the 100 and the 50 that would be in effect be a higher voltage 150 panel connected in parallel to a 150 one so not ideal.
 
A little update which is a good excuse to ask a another question!

The Germans are not talking to me, so no mixed order for two different sized panels. Another seller has the same panels as I was after, but with a huge delivery cost.

I've now got 2 x 150w panels which supposedly have good low light performance from Renytek, be here next week and then I can get started.

The question - the panels come with 4mm cable fitted and I'll connect them in parallel. Current thinking around the bazaars is to use 6mm to hang on to every last volt. Depending on my cable routing, I'm "guesstimating" at no more than 7m length of cable to reach controller...probably less.
The man at Renytek believes that until I reach far greater lengths, 4mm is absolutely fine.
Connecting 6mm cables to panel JB's is possible, but Renytek is advising against this. So, if I connect in parallel using the 4mm tails on the panels (using the MC4 2 into 1 connectors) is it worthwhile running 6mm cable from connectors to regulator - or is using the 4mm panel tails causing an "electrical bottleneck"?
Going to need cable anyway and the difference is cost is small between 4 and 6mm.
That sounds as clear as mud!!

Last Q, adding the cable connectors - they're crimped on and if I tailor make my cables it would appear I need to spend a chunk of cash on a tool! Can they be soldered or can I use pliers or similar?

Thanks for your never ending patience and tolerance of my dipstick questions :)

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4mm is fine on the panels and yes you can up it to 6mm at the branch connectors
MC4 connectors - use the right tool!! Cheap on eBay
Are you sure your 150watts will fit
 
Here's three connected to triple branches
image.jpg
 
Shouldn't need to crimp any connectors if you use a long enough cable that goes through the roof just cut it in half then pass the cut ends through the roof gland and you will have a male and female connector to go into your branch connectors the cut ends go to the controller.
 
Techno100 said:
Are you sure your 150watts will fit
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I bl**dy well hope so!
I asked various suppliers to confirm their dimensions, some were off- hand..."if that's what it says in my advert, it must be right" and those that did confirm left me too tight for comfort on the roof .
Renytek measured for me over the phone and their dimensions appeared to be 5mm narrower than other similar output panels.

Length isn't a problem, but the width on one side due to the gas flue which I cannot realistically move!

Anyway, I'll order up a suitable length of 6mm cable and chop it in two.

Appreciate everyone's replies and advice - be good to get going, tropical up here in Scotland!:)

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Ouch, ouch and bloody ouch again...letter from Parcel Farce, my controller has landed. If I want it I'll have to front up £20.89 and if I want it on Saturday that'll be another £12 of the Queen's finest pounds - like that's going to happen.

So, import VAT of £7.39, the remainder is for PF's Xmas party fund.

I knew it was a risk with HMRC; I might get caught and I might get lucky, but £13.50 clearance fee sounds like easy money ...and I thought the tax man was the thief in the night <sniff, bloody sniff>!
 
I've just had to pay the same but on the controller box it said sample.
I'm sure I've read somewhere that if you tell Parcelforce it's a sample you won't have to pay.
I could have dreamt it though.
 
We have two twin panel/controller/battery setups, one on the trailer with four 80W panels, 2 200W controllers and two batteries. The separate units are to keep the trailer winch battery separate from the hab stuff.

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The Mercedes has a similar setup but with 100W panels and 300W controllers, the batteries are much bigger as well.

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We connected 6mm twin HO7 cable to the panel junction boxes in all cases, the round two-core is easier to find a cable gland for and it fitted the needs.

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The panel output wiring as supplied was actually 2.5mm, not 4mm, so check that you do actually get 4mm:

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We fitted blocking diodes to all panel outputs, they are in the connection boxes:

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Each battery set has its own mains charger, 26A for the trailer pair and 50A for the Mercedes pair.

We've just come back from 3 weeks in the trailer in Europe, everything worked fine.

Peter
 
Tom A - mine said ( arrived today) charger. I believe the "sample" thing only applies to sample of negligible value.
Even the delivery driver gave me a sympathetic "bloody hell that's steep" comment at the charge levied by PF.

Peter A - that's an impressive set-up! The blocking diodes...I was under the impression they were fitted to all panels?
Is their purpose to stop the batteries feeding back to the panels, or something to do with the panels being partially shaded?

Every day's a learning day! :)
 
Our last two solar controllers from Maximum Solar came in as 'Samples' and they came through with no problems at all. We've bought 4 now so I think it was a little 'thank you' from Maximum Solar.

The diodes on the back of the panels are not blocking diodes as such, they won't prevent back feeding of the panels, only reversed connection. We fitted those as we had them on the shelf and they were easy to terminate wires to and mount to the boxes.

If the panel gets shaded it doesn't matter as there are two in parallel, it matters more if they are in series.

Peter

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Good panels will have two diodes in the JB effectively splitting the panel in two to reduce shading effects. The Solar regulator has in built blocking as do all regulators to my knowledge.
Protections Reverse current at night
mppt-reverse-current-jpg.65938
 

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Techno100 said:
Good panels will have two diodes in the JB effectively splitting the panel in two to reduce shading effects. The Solar regulator has in built blocking as do all regulators to my knowledge.
Protections Reverse current at night
mppt-reverse-current-jpg.65938
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None of our panels had anything other than the one inverse diode, 80W or 100W.

The regulator internal blocking is 'active' I believe, the FET's are turned off by the controller, so not a passive protection like the diodes are.

The diodes we fit protect against panel failure as well, however unlikely it may be :)

Peter
 
Andy:

If one half of that panel goes awol, the diode is still reversed biased from the rest of the panel and no current is going to flow?

Still a bit woozy from hospital today so might be missing something.

Peter

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That is simply a 100watt unit split into 2x50 in parallel. Shade on one half does not affect the other.
 
Techno100 said:
MC4 connectors at under £1 per pair delivered.
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Spotted them yesterday a bought a couple...just trying to get last of my bits together before panels arrive Wednesday.

Learning a lot here, but "reverse biased diodes" ....that's got me.
I'll be taking a peak inside my panel JB's to see if I've got a similar arrangement. If not, I assume it's not to difficult to sort? Haven't got a great grasp of electronics, but if told what to do and with what, I'll manage!

As mentioned in my initial post, I really do need to sort out my vehicle battery going flat with alarms, trackers etc sucking the life from it. There has been several pointers on what to use, but a little in the dark about how it should be connected and this split charge relay bit...haven't a clue what it looks like or where it lives...clues please:)
 
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