solar panel wiring

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Bart said:
I used similar ones but according to the multimeter all connections are good with 20.5v coming from each panel
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And 20.5 volts at the controller? That controller is much more sophisticated than mine.

What is the V out to the battery? Is that the V reading on the screen?
Is there V reading for the solar panels at the controller?

If you have 20.4 V in then the controller should be reading 14+V out to be charging the battery's
What is the voltage on the second load out terminals?

Once the sun come out maybe you should connect the panels one at at a time and make sure they are all connected and producing current.
The current at the controller should increase as you add each panel. I installed an amp meter so I can check my input at a glance.

Just suggestions and I hope it helps but there is something basic ammiss .

DSC01351.JPG
 
You are approaching the worst time of the year (21 Dec) for catching any sun. The best time to test your panels will be at noon, when the sun and power available is at its highest, but I would not expect anything as significant as 3x100W from them, even with a clear sky, at this time of year. It will, however be interesting to learn what you do get.

20V will be the operational voltage of the panels (it may vary by a few volts) and the 8W will be the power being provided by the panel(s). The controller says 0W load to charge the batteries, which corresponds to the display of 0A. Are you sure the batteries are connected (I’d expect something to be going out if they were and your ammeter seems to resolve 1 decimal of current in Amps)?

Assume that the 8W is being consumed by the controller and expect to see something going into the batteries if more than 8W input gets displayed, else start to wonder where it’s going.
 
Stealaway said:
And 20.5 volts at the controller? That controller is much more sophisticated than mine.

What is the V out to the battery? Is that the V reading on the screen?
Is there V reading for the solar panels at the controller?
Click to expand...
that is the "multi meter" reading from the leads coming from the solar panels

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rogher said:
20V will be the operational voltage of the panels (it may vary by a few volts) and the 8W will be the power being provided by the panel(s). The controller says 0W load to charge the batteries, which corresponds to the display of 0A. Are you sure the batteries are connected (I’d expect something to be going out if they were and your ammeter seems to resolve 1 decimal of current in Amps)?
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The positive out to the batteries from the MPPT controller is connected to the positive on my battery bank.
The negative out to the batteries from the MPPT controller is connected to the negative on my Sterling monitor Shunt ( the side furthest from the batteries.
 
Stealaway said:
Why not directly to the battery?
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I asked at the start of this thread ,straight to batteries or via shunt , was advised shunt.
Hopefully in the next few hrs the sun will show its face and I'll be able to see what's happening if anything :)
 
hilldweller said:
Set your meter to 20V or higher.
Clip on leads.
If it says 15V the red is connected to positive.
If it says -15V the red is connected to the negative.
Label them with red tape or masking tape.

If it says 0V panic.
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Check the meter's set to DC not AC. Double-check your meter settings by probing directly on the battery terminals.
 
autorouter said:
Check the meter's set to DC not AC. Double-check your meter settings by probing directly on the battery terminals.
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yip checked leads and all were fine.
The stupid weather forecast sai
d today it would be sunny here , lol never seen the sun all day >>>>>
Mind you my MPPT did show 20+ watts and i finally seen a charge going to the batteries,, it was between 1 and 2 amps
So i still wait for a nice sunny day,,, i somehow think ill be waiting a while.................

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have you had a look on you tube.. just google your controller type.. there are a couple of good videos of people reviewing it.. i think techno posted a link to one of them a while back...
they are lengthy i.e. 20 odd and 50 odd min long...
if memory serves me correctly in one of those videos the unit under test didn't display a charging current of anything under 0.6 amps ,
hope you get some better light tomorrow..
andy
ps .. the reason for making the connection to the shunt rather than direct to battery is so that the current can be monitored..
 
andy63 said:
have you had a look on you tube.. just google your controller type.. there are a couple of good videos of people reviewing it.. i think techno posted a link to one of them a while back...
they are lengthy i.e. 20 odd and 50 odd min long...
if memory serves me correctly in one of those videos the unit under test didn't display a charging current of anything under 0.6 amps ,
hope you get some better light tomorrow..
andy
ps .. the reason for making the connection to the shunt rather than direct to battery is so that the current can be monitored..
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yip Andy had a little bit of light through the cloud today,, not enough to call it sun, but the controller read like 20w and 1.6 or so amps , so at least it showed input to the battery.
yip re the shunt is what i read when installing it , that all must go via it to register.
 
You seem to be set up OK. 1.6A equates to 20W at the batteries and is what to expect on an 'indifferent' day. Let us know the best you get (at noon on a cloudless day).
 
rogher said:
You seem to be set up OK. 1.6A equates to 20W at the batteries and is what to expect on an 'indifferent' day. Let us know the best you get (at noon on a cloudless day).
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Sure will do , heaven knows when that might be as weather forecast looks rubbish........
 
rogher said:
I think you're providing evidence that solar is not the solution for Winter in the UK. Even more so, the further North you go.
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100 seems so , I'm just glad I fitted my sterling B2B charger first.
 
rogher said:
You seem to be set up OK. 1.6A equates to 20W at the batteries and is what to expect on an 'indifferent' day. Let us know the best you get (at noon on a cloudless day).
Click to expand...


Ok so today the sky was clear for a bit and the sun was out , even if it was down low, it was about noon so I thought I'd have a look at the figures to make sure all 3 solar panels were connected up ok.
image.jpeg

1st up lets see what impressive figures I get with 1 x 100W panel

image.jpeg


Next up lets see what impressive figures I get with 2 x 100W panels
image.jpeg


Finally lets see what impressive figures I get with 3 x 100W panels
image.jpeg


Crap figures , but it is winter after all , are them figures what I should expect for this time of the year ?
At least I'm now Sure connection is made between all 3 panels.
 
I imagine that's about right
but I notice that the top RH value still shows "0W".
Do you know what that figure is supposed to represent?
 
rogher said:
I imagine that's about right
but I notice that the top RH value still shows "0W".
Do you know what that figure is supposed to represent?
Click to expand...
That is when the load terminals are in use only
 
IMG_20161209_143846.jpg

This is the display from mine a few days ago about 2:30 in the afternoon here in Benidorm, it was relatively sunny with the sun a bit higher in the sky.
It is supplied by 3x100w panels, so I think your system is about right for this time of year.
Cheers
Ed

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Makes you wonder how little electricity is being generated by solar farms in Northern Europe right now
 
rogher said:
Makes me think that those who rave about their solar panel only use them in the Summer.
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You have to live within your means.
I never have exhausted batteries any time of year but I'm not unrealistic and long stays in Winter are on hook up.
Meanwhile while the van is stored the solar keeps all 8 batteries plus the starter battery with strike back alarm ticky t boo
I never put the van in storage in the off season without at least one day on hook up beforehand.
 
Techno said:
That is when the load terminals are in use only
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Is there a third wire into the controller from the other side of a shunt that provides a measure of the current flowing away from the battery?
 
It measures what is being used when the load terminals have a load connected to them not to the batteries
 
Techno said:
It measures what is being used when the load terminals have a load connected to them not to the batteries
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Andy is the load terminal not supplied by the batteries...
I know on another mppt type of controller that the load terminals can be timed and provide lighting etc even though the solar panel is not producing (ie at night )..so that has to be supplied by the battery bank..
I haven't checked the controller that's been discussed here just assumed it would be the same...
Andy
 
@Sheddy Thanks for the comparison :) . whats the most that you have seen your panel at with the 3 x 100W panels ?
 
The figures are changing all the time but not necessarily simultaneously

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