Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Topic: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?) (Read 1252 times) previous topic - next topic - Topic derived from Magnum Hybrid vs Vict...

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #25 – March 06, 2015, 02:07:42 pm

Double the voltage (wire two panels in series) and reduce the wire size by half for the same loss. Here are the wires: solar panel wires 50 | eBay Pretty inexpensive for an installation.

Easy to cut, easy to install connectors and then just make the connection to the next panel. As I said before, I ran all the wires inside a flex plastic conduit and then put the connectors on as they were too big to run through the flex.

The Europeans get away with much smaller wires with 240 volts for their homes.

Pierce

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #26 – March 06, 2015, 09:58:33 pm

Quote from: fouroureye – March 06, 2015, 01:53:23 pm

Did I read somewhere wire size over 100 watt panel reduces amps to the battery. Multiple panels in series compound the flow?

Panels in series the voltages add; panels in parallel the currents (amps) add. More amps means thicker wires.

While lithium (LiFePo <--- see how cool *I* am) would be nice, I don't even have AGM batteries. In fact I just ponied up $200 for another 8D wet-cell (old fashioned) truck battery. We won't be traveling seriously until 2017 and by that time maybe some of the tech will have shaken out. If I were leaving next week I'd get two new AGM 8Ds. Right now I have bigger things to break my budget with than batteries.

The goal - at least for many of us with solar - is to have the house battery bank charged by noon most days. And I do not hesitate to start the generator up in the morning to get the coach up to temperature, run the microwave for breakfast, and to get coffee ready. And if it's really cold I'll run the gennie in order to run the block heater. I like solar a lot but I don't have to be stupid about it.

But on most reasonably sunny days my batteries are charged around noon-ish and from then on the juice is free. So I charge up my lithium battery booster, charge the little 3-wheel scooter I need in order to keep track of the DW in Costco (and the scooters they provide are just way too sloooooowwwwww), charge laptops, tablets and cell phones and maybe let me turn on the electric blanket for my afternoon nap.

I appreciate the guys with 2kw and the LiFePo battery banks. But I just don't have the $8k to throw into that. And, besides, I don't have the room for enough batteries to soak that power up (although the LiFePo batteries are much smaller watt-for-watt than any other).

My motto has always been: "Any solar is better than no solar and there is no such thing as too much solar."

Craig

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #27 – March 07, 2015, 07:41:00 am

Craig, like I said NOT Expert but with his proposed phased in set up an adding enough battery to run ac a bit, although voltage may flow to charge battery with ac running he may need amps.

Im lucky.. my 900w with 1 agm stays at 13.6 for 6 hours, PO did a lot of calcs justifing 1 house battery like your wet cell.

I agree with you whenever the need I run the genny.. with a 10000 hour cycle thats 416 days @24/7

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #28 – March 07, 2015, 09:10:24 am

I you are trying or want to run a 115V AC off of an investor and batteries - LRA (Locked rotor amps) on start up can challenge some investors - Dometic OEMS a soft starter from Hyper Engineering (Waterfurnace International) to reduce LRA by 60% on start up, so that your investor is less likely that your inverter will trip offline. There are Youtube videos of how to hook the device up on a 115V Dometic marine A/C, which is often used on large boats to run the A/C only at night on a 2000W Honda super quiet generator. These A/C's still sully pull in the neighborhood of 13 amps running (RLA) so that needs to be considered.

Full disclosure, I am the largest distributor of the Hyper Sure Start.

I have been meaning to put two of these on my A/C;s and test, but didn't do it last fall, will have to do it this spring.

(deleted one line from above post to avoid conflict with user agreement - Michelle)

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #29 – March 08, 2015, 11:56:47 am

Not sure if this is the right response, but in my understanding:.

As you increase wattage of the PV array you encounter greater and greater resistance to the electrical current passing through the wires down from the roof. There are two primary ways to deal with this: higher voltage and thicker wires.

We can look at thicker wires, but wiring the 3 panels in series increases the voltage (55.5 volt Vmpp ) to the point that the loss should be pretty small. I suppose I should really do some research on what constitutes reasonable loss. I think Dave (AMSolar) said his estimator put it at about 1.4%? Don't remember exactly, but he said it wasn't something he would worry about. That's not to say it might not be worth using thicker wires, it certainly highlights an area I need to know more about, thanks! :-)

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #30 – March 08, 2015, 02:54:47 pm

I have dealt with Dave and of course Greg one of the owners. They know more about solar than we all collectively will ever know. They did my first install then I replaced all the wiring with #2 cu stranded just to make it as "Loss proof as possible" I added panels and changed battery set up etc to get to where we are now.
Great company and can trust them.
JohnH

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #31 – March 08, 2015, 03:02:01 pm

Quote from: Tigratrus – March 08, 2015, 11:56:47 am

Not sure if this is the right response, but in my understanding:.
As you increase wattage of the PV array you encounter greater and greater resistance to the electrical current passing through the wires down from the roof. There are two primary ways to deal with this: higher voltage and thicker wires.

Yes, it can end up like trying to fill a swimming pool with a garden hose. The higher the voltage (up to the max the controller will handle), the better. Considerable loss possible between the controller and the house batteries unless you use big welding cables. A little percent here and there add up to more time to bring the house batteries up to float voltage. You just have to size the panel wiring so the maximum voltage into the controller is down about 10 percent from the rated input to be safe on very cold mornings when the panels will go over rated voltage.

I have seen several neighbors who had their solar RV installation done by professional shops. They were not happy as none worked correctly. If you do your research, you can do a better job than many shops. Some will do an excellent installation but others won't and many owners don't really have an idea if their installation working up to it's potential.

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Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #25 – March 06, 2015, 02:07:42 pm

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #26 – March 06, 2015, 09:58:33 pm

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #27 – March 07, 2015, 07:41:00 am

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #28 – March 07, 2015, 09:10:24 am

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #29 – March 08, 2015, 11:56:47 am

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #30 – March 08, 2015, 02:54:47 pm

Re: Solar (split from Re: Magnum Hybrid vs Victron Multiplus?)

Reply #31 – March 08, 2015, 03:02:01 pm

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