Sir kindly help I bought the solar generator 12v 1000watts which has 40A control I was to maximum solar panel is 560watts. My question is can solar panel 575watts work too on the same solar generator?
Great information. I have a Li Time 60A charge controller . I am using 4 100w panels. I am planning to add 2 more panels. Total 600 w. Equal 42A. Easy to understand now. Thank you very much.
Wow. I've been trying to understand the 'maths' behind the correct size controller for 12v battery and solar panels. Your explanations are so easy to follow. Thank you.
This is the 3rd or 4th video from your channel I’ve watched as I just recently found it and subscribed I paused the video long enough to go to Amazon to order the book Your videos are excellent!
Just ordered your book. I have a Grand Design fifth wheel that has a factory installed Furrion 370w solar panel. A Furrion MPPT 60 amp solar charger. PD-9260 Lead acid converter. I installed an Epoch 12v 300ah lithium battery. With the battery swap I also added a blue sea terminal fuse block and 200 amp fuse. I plan to upgrade that to a 300 amp fuse when I complete future mods. My plan is to swap the Furrion Solar charger controller with a Victron 100/50 solar charge controller, probably this weekend. I’m also going to swap the Progressive dynamics converter to a PD-9360 lifepo lithium converter. I’ve purchased both of those items already. I’m also going to wire in a solar disconnect between the panel and MPPT. In the future I’m going to add the Progressive Dynamic inverter with transfer switch wired up to my pre-installed invert prep sub panel and 10 gauge romex. Additionally I’m will install a battery disconnect between the positive terminal and inverter using 2/0 gauge battery cables. I already have the inverter on hand as well. Just need to order the battery cables. I’ve been studying for months trying to utilize more RV specific items rather than full on Victron everything since I’m trying to retain the functions of each component rather than just the wholesale swap over and re-routing of shore power lines, which would in essence then bypass the 12v supply from the installed converter. Plus if I ever wanted to go back to stock I could then retain all my upgraded complements for a new camper in the future.
Make sure you get the bluesea systems battery disconnect, it has lower internal resistance. I recommend using windynation welding cables + quality lugs. Thanks for getting the book!
Thanks for your very informative videos! Currently running a 24V system, with a hybrid inverter. Battery is a 8-cell 280AH LiFePo pack. BMS is a JK Inverter BMS. Hybrid inverter able to do 60A charging. 800W of solar, will be upgraded to 2,4KW in a few days. Energy use model for inverter is set up to prioritize load (household), battery (charging) - and last resort is power from utility. Charging is set up for solar and utility - solar as pri.
I have multiple PV arrays around the house, garage, and at my business, 12V and 24V systems. I usually use the 30A Eco-Worthy charge controllers rated for 750W. The max output of the smaller PVs is 41.666A but the charge controller never gets anywhere close to that. The most I have ever seen is about 21A and that does not last long. I also have a 2250W 24V array (3 sets of 3 in parallel with separate feed wires) on 8- 12V lead-acid batteries. I use 3- 30A charge controllers in parallel. The highest amperage I have seen is about 6A from each charge controller. The only loads that I have is an alarm system, a 16 Camera DVR, and a few LED light Bulbs. This load does not even scratch the batteries.
Hello! Thank you for the video! It was quite helpful but I was wondering if you could offer some advice with a new solar setup. Another person was working on this project for a non-profit but they couldn't finish the work so I'm stepping in to help out. They ordered three 350W (40.7 VOC) solar panels to run on a 100W/20A charge controller with a 12V battery. Based on your video, the charge controller would be highly inefficient. What size charge controller would you recommend for these panels?
350W*3panels=1050W/14.4V=73A charge controller. You can still use the 20A charge controller, but you can only get 20A out of it. You can get two more of these charge controllers and have three of them in parallel. However, that is not the best solution. You need a 150V input and 70A charge current charge controller. Victron has one.
I have 10 550 watt panels , what is the best charge controler n battery bank n inverter for off grid system?what is best way to put panels together to work ok with controler??
I have two 100ah batteries, a 4000-watt inverter and four 100w panels. Each panel's open circuit is 24.5v(5a) for a total of 98v. My Epever mppt controller supports 100v/30a. If I put the four panels in series, it would be close to the 100v max voltage. Would that be an issue, or will it shorten the life of the controller? Would a series array charge a battery faster than series parallel? I live in an area where the lowest temp at night gets down to maybe 20 degrees Fahrenheit/-7 Celsius. Ohh, and there will be some shading depending on where the RV is parked.
I have the book. I’m working on adding. 200- 400 portable folding panels that I can carry in a motorhome. It has a 100 W panel and a 10AMp. Kisae charge controller. I want to set up a separate portable panel and controller to pull out when needed but not. Placement of these close to the 4 6Volt batteries is key. My 100w OEM panel on roof does not top off batteries well. So I’m just trying to top off faster. I will follow your book.
I have 6 BougeRV 200W 12V 9BB Mono Solar Panel + 2 100W HarborFreight panels I wired everything in series to charge a Bluetti AC300 + 1 extra battery I get 1.0kW on a nice sunny day but eventually I want to setup something with a charge controller to power other things and was wondering what's the right side charge controller to get. great videos thank you.
On my solar panels on my house I have MPPT chargers, but I have more panels in watts than the inverter rates by at least 10% and has worked fine with overpower without any issues. Is that not also possible to run the regulator at max for a long time ?
Thank You for the instructional videos I have 2 230AH battery's collected in parallel so 460AH of battery With A Victron 150/70 Charge controller use A 90Amp breaker and 4 Ga Wire on controller? and 5 100watt Panels connected in series? Does this seem right?
Hi Nick. I'm planning to use a 100watt solar panel mounted on the roof of my RV and then having another 100watt panel portable. I may connect them together if needed but I'm not sure at this point. The solar panels will only be used for a 12v refrigerator. I may connect the system to an inverter but I'm not sure at this point. Doing so would help when connected to shore power. Our primary goal is to keep the fridge running all the time while parked at home or on the road.
I made a video about a dc fridge not too long ago. Check it out on my channel. I recommend using two charge controllers in parallel if you are going to have that setup.
Thank you, Sir. In this example, if I was to use two batteries would each battery use a F4 fuse, switch, then bus bar and a larger F5 fuse at the power out of the charge controller? What keeps the two batteries from drawing more amps than the controller can put out? Or does the controller clamp the output amps to only 50a regardless of how many batteries are hooked up in parallel? Thank you, Nick, or anyone who can explain or answer this question.
I recommend fusing each parallel battery. So yes, you need two fuses for the batteries. I recommend using the MEGA fuse busbar with integrated fuse from victron. You can see it in my most recent videos. Checkout my video about parallel batteries with different capacities as well. The output of the charge controller is capped at the rated current.
I have two solar panels connected in parallel. One is rated at 90W and the other at 200. So going by your math, 290/14.4 = 20.14A. I am currently running a 20A controller should I upgrade to a 30A controller?
I am thankful for your tutorials they are great. Here’s a question slow folks like me need answered though. I have a Victron 150/100 charge controller I’m hooking up to 4 335w panels. They have a Voc of 41.0 rating. If my dummy math is correct I can only do 3 panels in series. So what happens to the fourth panel? Could you advise. Thanks.
Seems like you have a 12V battery. I recommend using a higher voltage battery, then you don't need a 100A charge controller. Also, I recommend using the 250/100 controller as you can have more panels in series. You can also try to find panels with a lower voltage but higher current to fit your charge controller. Unfortunately now you can only have three in series. Or you can have two in series and parallel with the other two for a 2S2P configuration.
Thank you kindly for your support. Please bear with me. I am upgrading my system from 24v to 48v. Yes I presently have my panels wired 2S2P because my charge controller is a 24v 100/50 controller. What I really need to know is 1. Can 4 335W panels with a VOC of 41.0 be wired all together in series to maximize their output efficiency. 2. And if yes what size solar charger should I get to harvest this load safely and fully. It’s a 48v system. I truly appreciate your time and that’s why I’m a faithful supporter of your efforts. I’m very grateful. To give you more insight of what I’m doing. First of all I know I need more panels for the size of battery bank I bought. This is my mistake not really understanding the ins and outs of solar system design. I’ll supplement my battery charging with my generator for know until I get more money for panels and another separate charger for them. In the meantime I got a 48v 3000w Victron inverter/charger, Victron Lynx 1000amp distributor for battery bust hook up, a bmv712 smart shunt for battery monitoring, a cerbo S GX component with a monitor and 4- 48V 100AH LiTime lithium batteries. I had also purchased a 150/100 Victron solar charger thinking it was big enough to harvest the full capacity of my 4 panels but I later found out it could not. So I’m trying to exchange it for a correct sized one for what I have for now until I can afford the rest stuff. Hope my rambling makes sense. Thanks again for your help and time.
Thanks for this explanation! For my situation I have a question: I have solar panels of 2400Watt and 48V batterys: (2400W/57,6V*1,2= 50A) The victron models that are available for 48V batteries: MPPT 150 45 MPPT 150 60 Would you go for the 45A, or the 60A model? Thanks!!
Sir, This SCC formula = "solar panel power÷battery charging voltage" , how can you apply it to strings of battery ? Like for instance, if I have 2# of 12volts battery in parallel and we have an 800watts panel. What will be the size of the SCC to match up ?
Currently have 654w of panels with a 100/50 charge controller. Upgrading to 900w of panels giving 41v and 26a total output. Since my controller is 100v and 50a, I should be fine with this controller, correct?
If I want to go from a 12V to a 24V battery storage to have a lower A on my ChargeController..can I put two 12V Batteries in Series like I do with Solar panel to +(add) the voltage? Or do I need to buy a 24V battery?
You can series connect batteries. But you need to check the voltage when fully charged, over time they can become unbalanced. Meaning one battery can show 13.2 and the other 13.3V. so you have to place a balancer in between. Ideally use a 24V battery, but no requirement.
Great video can i ask for some advice i have a 1000 watt inverter a 10 amp charge controller with one 110 watt solar panel on a 12v system on my RV i would like to up size to two 200 watt panels upgrade to lithium battery and 100/30 charge controller what do you think would be best thankyou
Keep the existing 110W solar panel on the 10A charge controller. Add the two 200W solar panels in series with the new charge controller. Two charge controllers on one battery is ok. 400W/14.6V=27.4A -> 30A is ok.
Yes, MPPT is the best option. Try to wire in series if you don't have shade. Also do not go over the max input voltage. So you probably have to wire in 3S2P (3 in series and then parallel with another 3). 6*210W=1260W/28.8V=44A.
thank you, so i have two 200w 24v solar connected in parallel and one 24v battery, so according to the above, i would need a 20amp controller, is that correct ?
Pls for that example you give, can 60ahm controller also work perfectly on 600w panel and 12v 200ahm battery and 3000w inverter... without any issues? 🙏
I ordered 4 x 200ah lifpo4 batteries and a 12v 3000w pure sine inverter accompanied by 10 x 100w solar panels. I haven’t ordered the charge controller yet but I’m thinking a 100a mppt should do the trick. I don’t know much about 24v systems but maybe I should swap the 12v inverter for a 24v ?
I was wondering if you can help me understand why my victron mppt 250/100 charge controller is running very hot and only putting out 1380watts even though it's connected to a 3300watt solar arrey in parallel. Thank you
I assume you are running a 48V system. 3300W*0.8=2640W (realistic power production at noon with sun) 2640W/57.6V=48.8A. Have you cleaned your panels recently? Can you measure the input voltage? Send me an email with your test findings, i don't see replies.
Hi dear I have a powmr mppt solar charge controller having capacity 60amp and 160v DC . Can I connect three solar panels of 585w with it for 12v. but manufacturer recommendations is 720w for 12 v and 1444w w for 24v and 2800w for 48v.
I don't quite understand your question. But you can add up to 60V of solar panels, if the mppt is compatible with a 24V battery and the solar voltage is higher than the battery voltage +5V, then its ok.
I have 3 350 watt panels each on its own 30amp mppt going into a 400 amp batt Bank. (2) 200 amp batts wired in parallel. Question How many batts can you have in parallel. The max size bank in all in parallel??
For a parallel connection without a busbar i would say max 5 batteries. If you have more, then i recommend using busbars in order for the current sharing to be optimal. Check my video about current sharing to understand why.
If we think about efficiency, it's mostly in the form of heat. So if the charge controller gets hot or the cables get warm, that's power loss. If you Oversize your charge controller and cables they will not get warm, thus not lose efficiency.
Do you have to consider output power? IE you have a 100w panel charging a small battery, and once or twice a day you have a highish amp draw pulling power for 5 minutes and then shutting off - do you have to size your controller to allow for that draw as well? Or for something high draw you just connect it directly to the battery?
The charging and discharging are completely separate. You must wire your loads directly from the battery or busbar. A charge controller doesn't have an influence on the load.
Pls help with the calculations. I have a 12v / 240ah tubular battery and three pieces of 45v / 420watts sollar panel. What could be the size of MPPT charge controller, wire size and a fuse?
great info! i have a 330 watt solar panel and a 12v 190Ah solar battery. i plan to use about 80 watts for about 12 hours each night, my peak sun hours is about 5 to 6 where i live, would this work? or would i need to change something so that i can have it last me the 12 hours i need. thank you so much i am learning alot!
80W*12h=960Wh per day. 330W*5sunhours=1650Wh harvest per day. 12V*190Ah=2280Wh of battery storage (lifepo4). If you are off grid you should have 3 days of autonomy. So 960Wh*3=2880Wh -> battery ok, but you need more solar panels. To recharge 2280Wh with 5 sunhours, you need: 2280Wh/5h=460W of solar panels. (calculation without efficiency losses).
Hi, I am setting up 6 x 180W panels on 12V - battery bank I am looking into is 4 x 120Ah LiFePo4 in parallel. My panels pump 45V Voc at 5A per panel. Is a 250/100 mppt too big?
Just replace the values of your panels with the one in the video and you will see. Having that amount of solar i recommend having a 24V or even 48V system. Charge controller will be cheaper. Checkout my video: '12V,24V, or 48V battery systems'.
So glad I found your channel. I am trying to figure out what i need to set up a solar panel(s) to keep my boat battery charged. Currently running a 36V 60AH LiPo battery for my trolling motor. Trying to figure out what i can use as the boat is on a storage lot so not much room for big solar panels.
Welcome aboard! You need to wire panels in series to go over the minimum recommended input voltage to charge a 36V battery. For example 3x 50W solar panels in series will give you 18Vx3=54V. This is enough to charge the 36V battery with an mppt. 2 18V panels will not be enough.
@@cleversolarpower thank you for the reply. That makes sense sort of lol. Not sure if I will be able to have 350 W panels due to space. What do you think about the MPT boost controllers? Looking at a 100 W 12 V panel with the boost controller to charge, the 36 V battery.
Hi Nick, just want to confirm that it is the total watts of panel in an ARRAY? or total watts of all panels put together.. My setup is 620w x4 (2 panel in series) giving total of 2480w. so do i take 2480w or do i take an array size which is 1240w. Battary: 12v 200ah (x2) = 24v@200ah ive taken the ARRAY value rather than total, does that measure up what you have got in this video = 60A charge controller
The total amount of power connected to the charge controller. If you have 4 100W panels connected to the charge controller then you need to calculate with 400W.
@@cleversolarpower therefore in my case 2480(total watts)/24 (battary (2*12v 200ah lithium iron prosphate)) = 103.33 therefore will i be okay with 100 amp charge controller do as i need to respect the c rate?
Very interesting! We have a boat a 550Watt solar panel, but a solar charge controller of 30A. There are both, a 12V and a 24V system on the boat. So now I guess I need to find out what the voltage from controller to batteries is, right?
@@cleversolarpower So it’s a 12V system which means our solar charge controller is too small for the panel - but what are the chances that the panel ever reaches its maximum capacity in cloudy England? …
@@cleversolarpower Now I have a new issue: When checking the voltage that comes out of our solar charge controller it shows between 16 and 17 V - but it should only be around 13 for a 12 V system or not? The solar charge controller is supposed to set itself automatically between 12V and 24V. What could be the reason for this?
I have 4 panels, 37.7 Voc and 13.5 Imp, wired two parallel and two series. 12 volt batteries. What size charge controller do I need? Currently, I have a cheap controller that is sending about 70 volts to the batteries. I disconnected the panels and batteries at night and connected the batteries then the panels to reset the controller.
Hello. Thank you verry much. It's really helpfull! Is it possible to use victron mppt as a booster. For exemple i have a ebike with a batterie 48v. 25 amp. And a solar panel 100w 12 v ? I want to charge my bike while riding... let's say with a smal victron mppt. Have a nice day!
I'm not sure what you mean by booster. The input of the mppt needs to be 5V higher than that of the battery. You can use a step up DC to DC converter and then feed it into the mppt.
Are we allowed to put too high of a charge controller? For example if I have 200w solar for 12V batt so we require a 20a charger, can we use a 30a charger in case later we buy more solar panels?
@@cleversolarpower@cleversolarpower Hey how about 170w panel with 1x 110amh agm leisure battery. Is a 40a charge controller too much? The type i would like to buy is only available in 20a and 40a. I want to be able to buy more panels and batteries in future
Hi Nick, I want to build a system that I can add panels to at a later time. Right now I have two 100W panels, a 12V/100A lithium battery and a 1000W inverter. Your formula for choosing the right charge controller is easy to understand, however, I want to add four more 100W panels to my system in the future (600w total). Can I use a charge controller sized for six panels (100W/50A plus the appropriate wires/fuses) for my two panel system mentioned above? Or will it create problems? In other words, can I use fewer panels for a six panel system?
Hello Nick, may i ask a question please.: I have a solar controller that came with a recent caravan i bought. Regarding the controller ... with the solar panels disconnected from controller and the battery side connected it has 2.1 volts coming out of the solar input terminals. Shouldn't this read zero? I don't think there should be any back feed voltage present at those terminals. Also do you have a video explaining the reason for having the load terminals of a controller? I thought that if your loads are connected to the battery, you don't need those terminals. Ok thank you and luv your channel and your work. I am learning so much from you :)
Yes, this should read 0V. However, 2V is not dangerous. I don't use the load output because it can only support small loads. It does cutoff the discharging when the battery reaches a certain voltage. It acts like a low voltage disconnect. But now with lithium, we don't need that anymore because the BMS will do that.
I have a 330w 24v solar panel and 30A mppt charge controller rated ( 12v/24v) I want to connect to a 12v battery and a 12v inverter, can this system work properly? Please respond
I just purchased your book using your link you provide. I have a question. I have already bought one Victron MPPT that was to small for my solar panels and other items as well. I now have the Victron 150/70 TR and 8 100 watt Renogy solar panels. I have one 12 volt 100ah Li Time battery lifepo4 and I have ordered another one. For my Group 24 Li Time 12 volt 100aH battery it is recommended to charge it at 20 amps but the manual state it can be charged at 50 amps in two hours to a 97% charge. What I have learned is at 35 amps, as was my last Victron 150/35 that I was only using the power from 4 of my 8 solar panels. My question is with my two Li Time 100aH batteries connected in parallel do I have to stay with the recommended 20aH charge rate or can I double the charge rate to 40aH? What I want to do is charge at 70 amps which would be 35 amps times 2. This would get the most use out of my panels but I do not want to harm the batteries. I have a 5100 BTU air conditioner I run and with the 150/70 Victron maxed out in charging it will top out at about 625 watts incoming solar. That will power the AC for the most part. If I turn it down to 35 amp charging then it uses about 450 watts solar but takes out about 50 watts from my battery. These are just average numbers as it depends on shading by clouds and such. Thank you for any help you may provide.
A 12V 100Ah litime battery can be charged and discharged at a 100A current. If you placed them in parallel, you can charge and discharge at a max of 200A. So you still have plenty of space.
@@cleversolarpower Thank you. I trust your what you say and that was what I needed to know. I may need more advice in the future but I will most likely find what I need in your book. I do appreciate your help.
Very good and informative video thank you very much What if I’m using more than one battery I’m I going to add up the charging voltages or just the charging voltage for one battery
Thanks for this lecture, i bought your e-book two days ago, when i was reading through it, i discovered that, in sizing of charge controller for 12V system, you used 12V to divide the Pmax of PV array but in this lecture you are using charging voltage of 14.4V to divide. Any explanation on this
Indeed, I have it different in the book to simplify it. 14.4V is the charging voltage of a lithium battery. So it's a little more accurate. Wouldn't hurt to have 15-20% more, it increases the lifespan of the charge controller. 100W of solar power / 14.4V = 7A
If I have 5 250 amp hour batteries agm. And I have two 400 amp portable folding solar panels systems . And I can connect all the batteries with a switch. Would you use a 70 amp charger . It’s a lot of amp hours . My charger on shore power will hit them with 130 amps for one hour if they’re around 50 percent . It’s an old heart interface inverter charger.
400W/12V=33A. You will need a 30A MPPT or larger. Recommend charging rate of each battery is 250Ah*0.2C=50A. So in total you should have a max charger of 5*50A=250A. So a 70A charger is suited.
I have just bought a 100v/30a Victron controller to replace the PWM. I have 2x 12v lead batteries and only 1x 150w panel. My idea was to extend my 1 panel to 4 panels and add another 2x 12v batteries. Would this be ok for this size charger?
maybe a silly question.. I have 2 panels of 540 watts each and voc is 50. I have a 100v to 30a charge controller from victron..what combination should use? series or parallel or can i use it at all?
Have a 100 volt 20 amp victron have two panels max I've seen be 150 watts 800 watt day to 600 thinking would like to going Bifacial solar panel or panels.... Running life po 4 100 ah 1280 wh batteries... What watts panel should I get...thinking want to go 24 volt and use a 48 volt wind turbine as well...help? Please
Very clear explication voor people in the USA and while it is just as interesting for the rest of the world would like to ask you to consider to make it easier for global use: most people in the world use global standard unit which is for (copper) wire crossection square millimeters, could you please in cable sizing table add the cross section in mm2 ? Thanks, Wessel
Im trying to wire up 8 250watt panels and my calculations say that it will be 166 amps and i cant seem to find a victron charge controller that goes that big. What do you in this situation??
You should not use a 12V battery when you have that much solar panels. You need a 48V system. You either get another charge controller or you increase the voltage of your battery. 2000W solar / 48V = 42A charge controller
Hi, can you pls tell me some info? Since we will be charging the 51.2V 230ah 11.7KWh Wall&Floor-mounted LiFePO4 Battery (link bellow) with 3 x 480W solar panels ( Vmp = 37.10, lmp = 12.95A ), we would like to have information on which Victron MPPT controller is suitable so that the battery will be charged properly (Operatin value charge of the battery is 43V - 58V). Does the Victron 150/35 match the charging voltage? Which fuse must I get? Can such a battery be simultaneously charged from the panels and at the same time transmit energy to other consumers?
I need to know your Voc, i will take a guess and assume it's 45V. 45Voc*3panels in series*1.25=168V -> you can only use 2 panels in series. 480W*3panels=1440W/57.6V=25A. You can get another panel and wire the panels in a 2S2P configuration. 1920W/57.6V=33.3A Then you can get the victron 150/35A
I’m currently sizing my 24volt rv solar setup. I’m planning on installing 1250 or maybe 1500watts of solar (5x250 or 6x250). If I’ve do the math correctly I’m going to go with a 150/70 charge controller to cover either setup. The charger’s maxPV is 150 and the panels VOC is 22.8. I could go with 150/60 controller however it would not allow for any expansion to 1500 watts. Your thoughts please.
Hi, a bit of confusion regarding the figures. If I have 2 x 130w panels and I have a 24v battery setup with a 12/24 charge controller, does that mean that I divide 230w / 28.8 to get 7.98amps, so I need a 10amp charge controller? As the panels don't come in 12/24 version, how does the system know?
260W/28.8=9A -> 10A charge controller. The charge controller sees the battery voltage. If the voltage on it's terminals is closer to 12V, then it detects a 12V battery. If it's closer to 24V, then it detects a 24V battery.
Thank you so much, not sure exactly what you mean...sorry. Decided to go with 800w(roof space). Have two LifePo4 180ah 12v. batteries in parallel for a total of 360ah. The controller is a 100/50(says max pv720w). Here are the panel specs.(Alex -400) Will controller work for this setup? Those panel don't seem very effective or?
I've checked and the voltage is not exactly 14.4V, so you can use 12.8V as a reference. 100W/12.8V=7.8A. So a 10A charge controller is ok. You can also use 500W of solar panels with a 10A charge controller, but you will cap it out at 10A, but the mppt will not get damaged. If you over panel the voltage, the mppt will get damaged.
I reached you through a friend, I have a 5 KW pure sine 48 V smart pwm inverter. When the sun is on, the monocrystalline solar panel (6*550 = 3300 Watt) produces 80-95 V (Connection 2x3 series and 3x2 parallel) no problem! When the sun is off and it is rainy, this voltage drops by half to 50 V. Gel batteries do not charge! Panels connection is updated! Technically, what feature MPPT should I get? Note: I reached you through a friend, google translate from English to Turkish Thanks in advance for the information.
Why do you have your panels wired that way? It's always better to wire as much panels in series as possible up to the max allowable input voltage of the charge controller.
@@cleversolarpower Since the inverter supports up to 100V! It was necessary to connect 3*2 series and 3 in parallel! Currently Installed System: Inverter Mode: Radet Pover 5000VA/4000W DC Input: 48VDC, 83A AC Autput: 230 VAC, 50/60Hz, 22 A. Monocrystalline crystal Solar panel 550 W (Voc): 49.90V+3% V 6 pieces (Sun at the top 85-95 V - Cloudy weather, no sun 45-55 V) 12 V 100 A *4 pieces gel battery In cloudy and cloudy weather, what kind of connection do I need to get and MPPT Charge Control Device to get maximum efficiency? I am grateful for your answer and help
Hi Nick! Love your videos and just got your book. I am building a 48v system for off grid storage container. I have 100Ah 48v (Li Time). I was hoping to use a 100/20 MPPT Victron I was given to charge it with. I don’t have any panels yet. I get the input voltage limit of CC but can I exceed CC 20 amp charge spec by adding parallel strings?
My book on Amazon: cleversolarpower.com/off-grid-solar-power-simplified
7 Free off-grid solar diagrams: cleversolarpower.com
Sir kindly help I bought the solar generator 12v 1000watts which has 40A control I was to maximum solar panel is 560watts. My question is can solar panel 575watts work too on the same solar generator?
So even at 48v i will need a few controlers ?any way to just have one ?
Sir, you do a fine job of clearly explaining solar power. Best I've seen to date. Thank you!
Great information. I have a Li Time 60A charge controller . I am using 4 100w panels. I am planning to add 2 more panels. Total 600 w. Equal 42A. Easy to understand now. Thank you very much.
Wow. I've been trying to understand the 'maths' behind the correct size controller for 12v battery and solar panels. Your explanations are so easy to follow. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
This is the 3rd or 4th video from your channel I’ve watched as I just recently found it and subscribed I paused the video long enough to go to Amazon to order the book Your videos are excellent!
Thank you Richard! If you have questions, feel free to email me.
Just ordered your book. I have a Grand Design fifth wheel that has a factory installed Furrion 370w solar panel. A Furrion MPPT 60 amp solar charger. PD-9260 Lead acid converter. I installed an Epoch 12v 300ah lithium battery. With the battery swap I also added a blue sea terminal fuse block and 200 amp fuse. I plan to upgrade that to a 300 amp fuse when I complete future mods.
My plan is to swap the Furrion Solar charger controller with a Victron 100/50 solar charge controller, probably this weekend. I’m also going to swap the Progressive dynamics converter to a PD-9360 lifepo lithium converter. I’ve purchased both of those items already. I’m also going to wire in a solar disconnect between the panel and MPPT.
In the future I’m going to add the Progressive Dynamic inverter with transfer switch wired up to my pre-installed invert prep sub panel and 10 gauge romex. Additionally I’m will install a battery disconnect between the positive terminal and inverter using 2/0 gauge battery cables. I already have the inverter on hand as well. Just need to order the battery cables.
I’ve been studying for months trying to utilize more RV specific items rather than full on Victron everything since I’m trying to retain the functions of each component rather than just the wholesale swap over and re-routing of shore power lines, which would in essence then bypass the 12v supply from the installed converter. Plus if I ever wanted to go back to stock I could then retain all my upgraded complements for a new camper in the future.
Make sure you get the bluesea systems battery disconnect, it has lower internal resistance. I recommend using windynation welding cables + quality lugs. Thanks for getting the book!
@@cleversolarpower thank you. Good insight, I did purchase the blue sea 9003e battery disconnect.
Thanks, will do and I'll check on getting your book...
Excellent as always. Very good presentation.
Glad you liked it!
An excellent informative to the point guild that most people will need. Thanks very much.
Thanks for your very informative videos!
Currently running a 24V system, with a hybrid inverter. Battery is a 8-cell 280AH LiFePo pack. BMS is a JK Inverter BMS. Hybrid inverter able to do 60A charging. 800W of solar, will be upgraded to 2,4KW in a few days. Energy use model for inverter is set up to prioritize load (household), battery (charging) - and last resort is power from utility. Charging is set up for solar and utility - solar as pri.
hi have a 30a charge control what panel should hi use
Thank you for posting these videos! The last example with the 600W solar panels are exactly what I will install on our camper, exellent information!
Thanks!
I have multiple PV arrays around the house, garage, and at my business, 12V and 24V systems.
I usually use the 30A Eco-Worthy charge controllers rated for 750W.
The max output of the smaller PVs is 41.666A but the charge controller never gets anywhere close to that.
The most I have ever seen is about 21A and that does not last long.
I also have a 2250W 24V array (3 sets of 3 in parallel with separate feed wires) on 8- 12V lead-acid batteries.
I use 3- 30A charge controllers in parallel.
The highest amperage I have seen is about 6A from each charge controller.
The only loads that I have is an alarm system, a 16 Camera DVR, and a few LED light Bulbs.
This load does not even scratch the batteries.
Many thanks for this very informational video!
Glad you liked it!
Hello! Thank you for the video! It was quite helpful but I was wondering if you could offer some advice with a new solar setup. Another person was working on this project for a non-profit but they couldn't finish the work so I'm stepping in to help out. They ordered three 350W (40.7 VOC) solar panels to run on a 100W/20A charge controller with a 12V battery. Based on your video, the charge controller would be highly inefficient. What size charge controller would you recommend for these panels?
350W*3panels=1050W/14.4V=73A charge controller. You can still use the 20A charge controller, but you can only get 20A out of it. You can get two more of these charge controllers and have three of them in parallel. However, that is not the best solution. You need a 150V input and 70A charge current charge controller. Victron has one.
I have a panel of 310w/37v/8.38A can u sugest a charge controler and battery for home appliances
Did this video not teach you anything? 😄
I have 10 550 watt panels , what is the best charge controler n battery bank n inverter for off grid system?what is best way to put panels together to work ok with controler??
If you have that many solar panels you need to have a 48V battery bank. The inverter size depends on the load you want to power.
I have two 100ah batteries, a 4000-watt inverter and four 100w panels. Each panel's open circuit is 24.5v(5a) for a total of 98v. My Epever mppt controller supports 100v/30a. If I put the four panels in series, it would be close to the 100v max voltage. Would that be an issue, or will it shorten the life of the controller? Would a series array charge a battery faster than series parallel? I live in an area where the lowest temp at night gets down to maybe 20 degrees Fahrenheit/-7 Celsius. Ohh, and there will be some shading depending on where the RV is parked.
I have the book. I’m working on adding. 200- 400 portable folding panels that I can carry in a motorhome. It has a 100 W panel and a 10AMp. Kisae charge controller. I want to set up a separate portable panel and controller to pull out when needed but not. Placement of these close to the 4 6Volt batteries is key. My 100w OEM panel on roof does not top off batteries well. So I’m just trying to top off faster. I will follow your book.
Good idea on having portable panels in your motorhome. Thanks for the support!
I have a 120ah deep cycle battery to power a 45l fridge. What size solar panel and controler combo would be best suited?
I have 6 BougeRV 200W 12V 9BB Mono Solar Panel + 2 100W HarborFreight panels
I wired everything in series to charge a Bluetti AC300 + 1 extra battery I get 1.0kW on a nice sunny day but eventually I want to setup something with a charge controller to power other things and was wondering what's the right side charge controller to get. great videos thank you.
On my solar panels on my house I have MPPT chargers, but I have more panels in watts than the inverter rates by at least 10% and has worked fine with overpower without any issues. Is that not also possible to run the regulator at max for a long time ?
Yes, you can over-panel your controller. However, it will get hotter and reduce it's lifespan and efficiency.
I have one solar panel of 555w and one 100AH battery so how many ampare of MPPT charge controller i required?
555/14,4=38,55x1,25=48A
@@danielnicolae9978 Thanks
Thank You for the instructional videos I have 2 230AH battery's collected in parallel so 460AH of battery With A Victron 150/70 Charge controller use A 90Amp breaker and 4 Ga Wire on controller?
and 5 100watt Panels connected in series? Does this seem right?
Seems good to me 👍
Our motorhome has a 150w solar panel and 2 x 12v gel batteries, is the victron 100/15 mppt enough or should I get a bigger one . Thanks
Hi Nick. I'm planning to use a 100watt solar panel mounted on the roof of my RV and then having another 100watt panel portable. I may connect them together if needed but I'm not sure at this point. The solar panels will only be used for a 12v refrigerator. I may connect the system to an inverter but I'm not sure at this point. Doing so would help when connected to shore power. Our primary goal is to keep the fridge running all the time while parked at home or on the road.
I made a video about a dc fridge not too long ago. Check it out on my channel. I recommend using two charge controllers in parallel if you are going to have that setup.
Thank you, Sir. In this example, if I was to use two batteries would each battery use a F4 fuse, switch, then bus bar and a larger F5 fuse at the power out of the charge controller? What keeps the two batteries from drawing more amps than the controller can put out? Or does the controller clamp the output amps to only 50a regardless of how many batteries are hooked up in parallel?
Thank you, Nick, or anyone who can explain or answer this question.
I recommend fusing each parallel battery. So yes, you need two fuses for the batteries. I recommend using the MEGA fuse busbar with integrated fuse from victron. You can see it in my most recent videos. Checkout my video about parallel batteries with different capacities as well. The output of the charge controller is capped at the rated current.
Thank you for doing these videos
I have two solar panels connected in parallel. One is rated at 90W and the other at 200. So going by your math, 290/14.4 = 20.14A. I am currently running a 20A controller should I upgrade to a 30A controller?
I am thankful for your tutorials they are great. Here’s a question slow folks like me need answered though. I have a Victron 150/100 charge controller I’m hooking up to 4 335w panels. They have a Voc of 41.0 rating. If my dummy math is correct I can only do 3 panels in series. So what happens to the fourth panel? Could you advise. Thanks.
Seems like you have a 12V battery. I recommend using a higher voltage battery, then you don't need a 100A charge controller. Also, I recommend using the 250/100 controller as you can have more panels in series. You can also try to find panels with a lower voltage but higher current to fit your charge controller. Unfortunately now you can only have three in series. Or you can have two in series and parallel with the other two for a 2S2P configuration.
Thank you kindly for your support. Please bear with me. I am upgrading my system from 24v to 48v. Yes I presently have my panels wired 2S2P because my charge controller is a 24v 100/50 controller. What I really need to know is
1. Can 4 335W panels with a VOC of 41.0 be wired all together in series to maximize their output efficiency.
2. And if yes what size solar charger should I get to harvest this load safely and fully. It’s a 48v system.
I truly appreciate your time and that’s why I’m a faithful supporter of your efforts. I’m very grateful. To give you more insight of what I’m doing. First of all I know I need more panels for the size of battery bank I bought. This is my mistake not really understanding the ins and outs of solar system design. I’ll supplement my battery charging with my generator for know until I get more money for panels and another separate charger for them. In the meantime I got a 48v 3000w Victron inverter/charger, Victron Lynx 1000amp distributor for battery bust hook up, a bmv712 smart shunt for battery monitoring, a cerbo S GX component with a monitor and 4- 48V 100AH LiTime lithium batteries.
I had also purchased a 150/100 Victron solar charger thinking it was big enough to harvest the full capacity of my 4 panels but I later found out it could not. So I’m trying to exchange it for a correct sized one for what I have for now until I can afford the rest stuff. Hope my rambling makes sense. Thanks again for your help and time.
Thanks for this explanation! For my situation I have a question:
I have solar panels of 2400Watt and 48V batterys: (2400W/57,6V*1,2= 50A)
The victron models that are available for 48V batteries:
MPPT 150 45
MPPT 150 60
Would you go for the 45A, or the 60A model?
Thanks!!
You left out the crucial part.. the combiner box.? We need to determine fuses. Please explain.
Sir,
This SCC formula = "solar panel power÷battery charging voltage" , how can you apply it to strings of battery ? Like for instance, if I have 2# of 12volts battery in parallel and we have an 800watts panel. What will be the size of the SCC to match up ?
depends if your batteries are placed in series or parallel. series:24V, parallel 12V. 800W/14.4=56A
Please tell us sir i have open 48 volts dc 13 amps
So im convert 48 volt to 12 volt dc amps increase or same
Currently have 654w of panels with a 100/50 charge controller. Upgrading to 900w of panels giving 41v and 26a total output. Since my controller is 100v and 50a, I should be fine with this controller, correct?
it depends on the total input voltage
Which regulator would you recommend for the 455 W panel' Thanks
If I want to go from a 12V to a 24V battery storage to have a lower A on my ChargeController..can I put two 12V Batteries in Series like I do with Solar panel to +(add) the voltage? Or do I need to buy a 24V battery?
You can series connect batteries. But you need to check the voltage when fully charged, over time they can become unbalanced. Meaning one battery can show 13.2 and the other 13.3V. so you have to place a balancer in between. Ideally use a 24V battery, but no requirement.
What about the difference between series and parallel for sizing your mppt controller?
In series voltage gets added up, so you have to take that into account for the max allowable input voltage.
Great video can i ask for some advice i have a 1000 watt inverter a 10 amp charge controller with one 110 watt solar panel on a 12v system on my RV i would like to up size to two 200 watt panels upgrade to lithium battery and 100/30 charge controller what do you think would be best thankyou
Keep the existing 110W solar panel on the 10A charge controller. Add the two 200W solar panels in series with the new charge controller. Two charge controllers on one battery is ok. 400W/14.6V=27.4A -> 30A is ok.
Nick,I have 6 210 W panels,going to a 24 V battery bank,will a mppt controller be sufficient
Yes, MPPT is the best option. Try to wire in series if you don't have shade. Also do not go over the max input voltage. So you probably have to wire in 3S2P (3 in series and then parallel with another 3). 6*210W=1260W/28.8V=44A.
@@cleversolarpower Nick,what size mppt controller will be best as these panels will be at 140v
I have a 12 volt inverter but have fitted 3 105 amp hour lithium batteries. What size panels and controller would you recommend?
thank you, so i have two 200w 24v solar connected in parallel and one 24v battery, so according to the above, i would need a 20amp controller, is that correct ?
200W/28.8V= 7A. A 10A charge controller is ok. Ensure the input voltage is 5V+ over the battery voltage. Wiring in parallel can cause difficulties.
The solar panel u used is 24 volts so did you use a 12 volts battery for your illustration. ??
Yes, a 12V battery. The voltage will be lowered and the current will increase. Check my video about 12,24 or 48V battery systems.
Morning mr I have 470 watt panel,I want know what size of charger I going to work
Just follow the directions in the video it's easy.
Pls for that example you give, can 60ahm controller also work perfectly on 600w panel and 12v 200ahm battery and 3000w inverter... without any issues? 🙏
Don't overcomplicate things. 600W/14.4V=42A --> a 60A charge controller will work.
Thank You for the instructional videos 🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
Pls What of a solar panel totalling 720 watts to charge two 12 volts 220amp connected in parallel
The fuse you are talking about is the same to MCB circuit breaker.
Yes.
I have 2 550w panels in series for a 24v battery, would a 150/35mppt work?
1100W/24V=45A, if you want to get the full power, better get a 50A MPPT.
Good day boss, what is the charging voltage for lead acid battery 12V, 24V and 48V system.
It depends on the type. Gel AGM or flooded. Check the manual of the battery for the recommended voltages
@@cleversolarpower thanks boss
hi can I ask?, What if I have 2000watt Solar Panel, how many amps solar charge controller should I use?
please reply thank you From Philippines.
You can repeat the same calculations in the video for your panel size.
Just a question Sir if two solar panels 535 watts are put in parallel what charge controller do I need changing two 12v put in parallel also
535+535=1070W/12V=90A.
I ordered 4 x 200ah lifpo4 batteries and a 12v 3000w pure sine inverter accompanied by 10 x 100w solar panels. I haven’t ordered the charge controller yet but I’m thinking a 100a mppt should do the trick. I don’t know much about 24v systems but maybe I should swap the 12v inverter for a 24v ?
Check my video 'how many batteries for a 3000W inverter' its my most watched video (for a good reason).
I was wondering if you can help me understand why my victron mppt 250/100 charge controller is running very hot and only putting out 1380watts even though it's connected to a 3300watt solar arrey in parallel.
Thank you
I assume you are running a 48V system. 3300W*0.8=2640W (realistic power production at noon with sun) 2640W/57.6V=48.8A. Have you cleaned your panels recently? Can you measure the input voltage? Send me an email with your test findings, i don't see replies.
Hi dear I have a powmr mppt solar charge controller having capacity 60amp and 160v DC . Can I connect three solar panels of 585w with it for 12v. but manufacturer recommendations is 720w for 12 v and 1444w w for 24v and 2800w for 48v.
The recommendations are the max values, so you are good.
So if your having a 20amps mppt and allows only 60volts voc it will be exempted if you turn your battery to 24volts system?
I don't quite understand your question. But you can add up to 60V of solar panels, if the mppt is compatible with a 24V battery and the solar voltage is higher than the battery voltage +5V, then its ok.
I have 3 350 watt panels each on its own 30amp mppt going into a 400 amp batt Bank.
(2) 200 amp batts wired in parallel.
Question
How many batts can you have in parallel. The max size bank in all in parallel??
For a parallel connection without a busbar i would say max 5 batteries. If you have more, then i recommend using busbars in order for the current sharing to be optimal. Check my video about current sharing to understand why.
Will I loose charge efficiency if controller and/or wires size are to "big"?
If we think about efficiency, it's mostly in the form of heat. So if the charge controller gets hot or the cables get warm, that's power loss. If you Oversize your charge controller and cables they will not get warm, thus not lose efficiency.
in my case 160w panel, 95ah 12v bateria mptt victron 75/15 ah is correct my wires is a 12awg
Do you have to consider output power? IE you have a 100w panel charging a small battery, and once or twice a day you have a highish amp draw pulling power for 5 minutes and then shutting off - do you have to size your controller to allow for that draw as well? Or for something high draw you just connect it directly to the battery?
The charging and discharging are completely separate. You must wire your loads directly from the battery or busbar. A charge controller doesn't have an influence on the load.
Pls help with the calculations.
I have a 12v / 240ah tubular battery and three pieces of 45v / 420watts sollar panel.
What could be the size of MPPT charge controller, wire size and a fuse?
Just repeat the directions in the video. I cannot make it any easier than that.
great info! i have a 330 watt solar panel and a 12v 190Ah solar battery. i plan to use about 80 watts for about 12 hours each night, my peak sun hours is about 5 to 6 where i live, would this work? or would i need to change something so that i can have it last me the 12 hours i need. thank you so much i am learning alot!
80W*12h=960Wh per day. 330W*5sunhours=1650Wh harvest per day. 12V*190Ah=2280Wh of battery storage (lifepo4). If you are off grid you should have 3 days of autonomy. So 960Wh*3=2880Wh -> battery ok, but you need more solar panels. To recharge 2280Wh with 5 sunhours, you need: 2280Wh/5h=460W of solar panels. (calculation without efficiency losses).
Thanks for this. What are the panel's rated Isc and Imp at STC.? (I am interested in the number of strings being just 2)
That depends on the panel you have. Every panel is different.
Hi, I am setting up 6 x 180W panels on 12V - battery bank I am looking into is 4 x 120Ah LiFePo4 in parallel. My panels pump 45V Voc at 5A per panel. Is a 250/100 mppt too big?
Just replace the values of your panels with the one in the video and you will see. Having that amount of solar i recommend having a 24V or even 48V system. Charge controller will be cheaper. Checkout my video: '12V,24V, or 48V battery systems'.
So glad I found your channel. I am trying to figure out what i need to set up a solar panel(s) to keep my boat battery charged. Currently running a 36V 60AH LiPo battery for my trolling motor. Trying to figure out what i can use as the boat is on a storage lot so not much room for big solar panels.
Welcome aboard! You need to wire panels in series to go over the minimum recommended input voltage to charge a 36V battery. For example 3x 50W solar panels in series will give you 18Vx3=54V. This is enough to charge the 36V battery with an mppt. 2 18V panels will not be enough.
@@cleversolarpower thank you for the reply. That makes sense sort of lol. Not sure if I will be able to have 350 W panels due to space. What do you think about the MPT boost controllers? Looking at a 100 W 12 V panel with the boost controller to charge, the 36 V battery.
I have two batteries 100AH each. Can i connect them in parallel and use a 40A charge controller with two solar panels of 200watts each?
Yes, paralleling the batteries will give you 12V. Wire the panels in series to reduce voltage drop if you use an mppt.
@@cleversolarpower Thanks. I appreciate. So I can use my 40A charge controller and my 2000watts inverter?
It is a Great explanation like it so much,God bless you.
Hi I just want to start 100 w panel with 100 ah battery is that okey to use 75/15 mppt charge controler ?
Is it bad if your charge controller is bigger than the amps my solar panels produce?
I already have a 40 amps of mppt scc, what, battery I can use and solar panels, thanx
Hi Nick, just want to confirm that it is the total watts of panel in an ARRAY? or total watts of all panels put together.. My setup is 620w x4 (2 panel in series) giving total of 2480w. so do i take 2480w or do i take an array size which is 1240w.
Battary: 12v 200ah (x2) = 24v@200ah
ive taken the ARRAY value rather than total, does that measure up what you have got in this video = 60A charge controller
The total amount of power connected to the charge controller. If you have 4 100W panels connected to the charge controller then you need to calculate with 400W.
@@cleversolarpower therefore in my case
2480(total watts)/24 (battary (2*12v 200ah lithium iron prosphate)) = 103.33 therefore will i be okay with 100 amp charge controller do as i need to respect the c rate?
Very interesting! We have a boat a 550Watt solar panel, but a solar charge controller of 30A. There are both, a 12V and a 24V system on the boat. So now I guess I need to find out what the voltage from controller to batteries is, right?
550W/14.4V=38A. Ensure the input voltage from the solar panel is 5V higher than the battery voltage.
@@cleversolarpower So it’s a 12V system which means our solar charge controller is too small for the panel - but what are the chances that the panel ever reaches its maximum capacity in cloudy England? …
@@cleversolarpower Now I have a new issue: When checking the voltage that comes out of our solar charge controller it shows between 16 and 17 V - but it should only be around 13 for a 12 V system or not? The solar charge controller is supposed to set itself automatically between 12V and 24V. What could be the reason for this?
I have 4 lifepo4 300 amp batteries what controller would I need ,6 pv panels 243 watts a piece
It's shown in the video, please do some effort to follow it. I'm not going to spoon feed you, otherwise you would not learn.
I have 4 panels, 37.7 Voc and 13.5 Imp, wired two parallel and two series. 12 volt batteries. What size charge controller do I need? Currently, I have a cheap controller that is sending about 70 volts to the batteries. I disconnected the panels and batteries at night and connected the batteries then the panels to reset the controller.
Hello. Thank you verry much. It's really helpfull! Is it possible to use victron mppt as a booster. For exemple i have a ebike with a batterie 48v. 25 amp. And a solar panel 100w 12 v ? I want to charge my bike while riding... let's say with a smal victron mppt. Have a nice day!
I'm not sure what you mean by booster. The input of the mppt needs to be 5V higher than that of the battery. You can use a step up DC to DC converter and then feed it into the mppt.
@@cleversolarpower Thank you !
Are we allowed to put too high of a charge controller? For example if I have 200w solar for 12V batt so we require a 20a charger, can we use a 30a charger in case later we buy more solar panels?
Yes, no problem.
@@cleversolarpower@cleversolarpower Hey how about 170w panel with 1x 110amh agm leisure battery. Is a 40a charge controller too much? The type i would like to buy is only available in 20a and 40a. I want to be able to buy more panels and batteries in future
Please I need an advice I have a solar two panel 190 Watt and one 200 hands battery 30 amp charger controller 6 gauge wire with 1.5 ups
Hi Nick, I want to build a system that I can add panels to at a later time. Right now I have two 100W panels, a 12V/100A lithium battery and a 1000W inverter.
Your formula for choosing the right charge controller is easy to understand, however, I want to add four more 100W panels to my system in the future (600w total). Can I use a charge controller sized for six panels (100W/50A plus the appropriate wires/fuses) for my two panel system mentioned above? Or will it create problems? In other words, can I use fewer panels for a six panel system?
You can have multiple charge controllers delivering power to the same battery. Check out my video 'multiple charge controllers'.
Hello Nick, may i ask a question please.: I have a solar controller that came with a recent caravan i bought. Regarding the controller ... with the solar panels disconnected from controller and the battery side connected it has 2.1 volts coming out of the solar input terminals. Shouldn't this read zero? I don't think there should be any back feed voltage present at those terminals. Also do you have a video explaining the reason for having the load terminals of a controller? I thought that if your loads are connected to the battery, you don't need those terminals. Ok thank you and luv your channel and your work. I am learning so much from you :)
Yes, this should read 0V. However, 2V is not dangerous. I don't use the load output because it can only support small loads. It does cutoff the discharging when the battery reaches a certain voltage. It acts like a low voltage disconnect. But now with lithium, we don't need that anymore because the BMS will do that.
@@cleversolarpower Hello Nick, so solar input terminals should read zero volts. How is voltage back feeding into these? Thank You
I have a 330w 24v solar panel and 30A mppt charge controller rated ( 12v/24v) I want to connect to a 12v battery and a 12v inverter, can this system work properly? Please respond
Yes, also depends on the size of the inverter. Check my most popular video.
I see, Thanks for your response.
I just purchased your book using your link you provide. I have a question. I have already bought one Victron MPPT that was to small for my solar panels and other items as well. I now have the Victron 150/70 TR and 8 100 watt Renogy solar panels. I have one 12 volt 100ah Li Time battery lifepo4 and I have ordered another one. For my Group 24 Li Time 12 volt 100aH battery it is recommended to charge it at 20 amps but the manual state it can be charged at 50 amps in two hours to a 97% charge. What I have learned is at 35 amps, as was my last Victron 150/35 that I was only using the power from 4 of my 8 solar panels. My question is with my two Li Time 100aH batteries connected in parallel do I have to stay with the recommended 20aH charge rate or can I double the charge rate to 40aH? What I want to do is charge at 70 amps which would be 35 amps times 2. This would get the most use out of my panels but I do not want to harm the batteries. I have a 5100 BTU air conditioner I run and with the 150/70 Victron maxed out in charging it will top out at about 625 watts incoming solar. That will power the AC for the most part. If I turn it down to 35 amp charging then it uses about 450 watts solar but takes out about 50 watts from my battery. These are just average numbers as it depends on shading by clouds and such. Thank you for any help you may provide.
A 12V 100Ah litime battery can be charged and discharged at a 100A current. If you placed them in parallel, you can charge and discharge at a max of 200A. So you still have plenty of space.
@@cleversolarpower Thank you. I trust your what you say and that was what I needed to know. I may need more advice in the future but I will most likely find what I need in your book. I do appreciate your help.
Very good and informative video thank you very much
What if I’m using more than one battery
I’m I going to add up the charging voltages or just the charging voltage for one battery
I have videos on series and parallel wiring of batteries.
Thanks for this lecture, i bought your e-book two days ago, when i was reading through it, i discovered that, in sizing of charge controller for 12V system, you used 12V to divide the Pmax of PV array but in this lecture you are using charging voltage of 14.4V to divide. Any explanation on this
Indeed, I have it different in the book to simplify it. 14.4V is the charging voltage of a lithium battery. So it's a little more accurate. Wouldn't hurt to have 15-20% more, it increases the lifespan of the charge controller. 100W of solar power / 14.4V = 7A
If I have 5 250 amp hour batteries agm. And I have two 400 amp portable folding solar panels systems . And I can connect all the batteries with a switch. Would you use a 70 amp charger . It’s a lot of amp hours . My charger on shore power will hit them with 130 amps for one hour if they’re around 50 percent . It’s an old heart interface inverter charger.
400W/12V=33A. You will need a 30A MPPT or larger. Recommend charging rate of each battery is 250Ah*0.2C=50A. So in total you should have a max charger of 5*50A=250A. So a 70A charger is suited.
I have just bought a 100v/30a Victron controller to replace the PWM. I have 2x 12v lead batteries and only 1x 150w panel. My idea was to extend my 1 panel to 4 panels and add another 2x 12v batteries. Would this be ok for this size charger?
maybe a silly question.. I have 2 panels of 540 watts each and voc is 50. I have a 100v to 30a charge controller from victron..what combination should use? series or parallel or can i use it at all?
You should wire in parallel.
@@cleversolarpowerthanks ...ill hit your sub right now
Have a 100 volt 20 amp victron have two panels max I've seen be 150 watts 800 watt day to 600 thinking would like to going Bifacial solar panel or panels.... Running life po 4 100 ah 1280 wh batteries... What watts panel should I get...thinking want to go 24 volt and use a 48 volt wind turbine as well...help? Please
Check out my video about sizing an off grid solar system.
Very clear explication voor people in the USA and while it is just as interesting for the rest of the world would like to ask you to consider to make it easier for global use: most people in the world use global standard unit which is for (copper) wire crossection square millimeters, could you please in cable sizing table add the cross section in mm2 ? Thanks, Wessel
Im trying to wire up 8 250watt panels and my calculations say that it will be 166 amps and i cant seem to find a victron charge controller that goes that big. What do you in this situation??
You should not use a 12V battery when you have that much solar panels. You need a 48V system. You either get another charge controller or you increase the voltage of your battery. 2000W solar / 48V = 42A charge controller
Hi, can you pls tell me some info?
Since we will be charging the 51.2V 230ah 11.7KWh Wall&Floor-mounted LiFePO4 Battery (link bellow) with 3 x 480W solar panels ( Vmp = 37.10, lmp = 12.95A ), we would like to have information on which Victron MPPT controller is suitable so that the battery will be charged properly (Operatin value charge of the battery is 43V - 58V).
Does the Victron 150/35 match the charging voltage? Which fuse must I get?
Can such a battery be simultaneously charged from the panels and at the same time transmit energy to other consumers?
I need to know your Voc, i will take a guess and assume it's 45V. 45Voc*3panels in series*1.25=168V -> you can only use 2 panels in series. 480W*3panels=1440W/57.6V=25A. You can get another panel and wire the panels in a 2S2P configuration. 1920W/57.6V=33.3A Then you can get the victron 150/35A
I’m currently sizing my 24volt rv solar setup. I’m planning on installing 1250 or maybe 1500watts of solar (5x250 or 6x250). If I’ve do the math correctly I’m going to go with a 150/70 charge controller to cover either setup. The charger’s maxPV is 150 and the panels VOC is 22.8. I could go with 150/60 controller however it would not allow for any expansion to 1500 watts. Your thoughts please.
You should only have a maximum of 5 panels in series. 22.8Vox*5*1.25=142V. You can get a 150/45A charge controller as well. 1250W/28.8V=43A
Great information Sir! Thank you
My pleasure
I have a lithium battery 200ah and 2X 180 watt panel what’s the right pwm amps charge controller to use????
Put your panels in parallel. 180W*2=360W/13.6=26.5A -> 30A PWM.
I have 600 watt panel & 300AH battery.
How Amp. Solar controller need to run this setup.
Repeat the calculations shown in the video, it's not hard.
I have 2 batteries 12v, will I add the 12+12=24 divide by the wattage of my panel or I'll just use 12v?
sir can i use the USB output for ardino uno power supply
You will have to check the current rating of the USB output in the manual.
Hi, a bit of confusion regarding the figures. If I have 2 x 130w panels and I have a 24v battery setup with a 12/24 charge controller, does that mean that I divide 230w / 28.8 to get 7.98amps, so I need a 10amp charge controller? As the panels don't come in 12/24 version, how does the system know?
260W/28.8=9A -> 10A charge controller. The charge controller sees the battery voltage. If the voltage on it's terminals is closer to 12V, then it detects a 12V battery. If it's closer to 24V, then it detects a 24V battery.
Thank you so much, not sure exactly what you mean...sorry. Decided to go with 800w(roof space). Have two LifePo4 180ah 12v. batteries in parallel for a total of 360ah. The controller is a 100/50(says max pv720w). Here are the panel specs.(Alex -400)
Will controller work for this setup?
Those panel don't seem very effective or?
Check the values of your solar panel and look at the video again please.
So a 100watt panel with a 12v battery would be 100 / 14.4 = 6.94 ~ 10amp charge controller?
I've checked and the voltage is not exactly 14.4V, so you can use 12.8V as a reference. 100W/12.8V=7.8A. So a 10A charge controller is ok. You can also use 500W of solar panels with a 10A charge controller, but you will cap it out at 10A, but the mppt will not get damaged. If you over panel the voltage, the mppt will get damaged.
But how do you get the 14.4 from the first step.
The charging voltage of a lithium battery, however, i recommend just using the 12.8V nominal voltage (not a big difference).
I reached you through a friend, I have a 5 KW pure sine 48 V smart pwm inverter. When the sun is on, the monocrystalline solar panel (6*550 = 3300 Watt) produces 80-95 V (Connection 2x3 series and 3x2 parallel) no problem! When the sun is off and it is rainy, this voltage drops by half to 50 V. Gel batteries do not charge! Panels connection is updated! Technically, what feature MPPT should I get?
Note: I reached you through a friend, google translate from English to Turkish
Thanks in advance for the information.
Why do you have your panels wired that way? It's always better to wire as much panels in series as possible up to the max allowable input voltage of the charge controller.
@@cleversolarpower Since the inverter supports up to 100V! It was necessary to connect 3*2 series and 3 in parallel!
Currently Installed System:
Inverter Mode: Radet Pover 5000VA/4000W
DC Input: 48VDC, 83A
AC Autput: 230 VAC, 50/60Hz, 22 A.
Monocrystalline crystal Solar panel 550 W (Voc): 49.90V+3% V 6 pieces (Sun at the top 85-95 V - Cloudy weather, no sun 45-55 V)
12 V 100 A *4 pieces gel battery
In cloudy and cloudy weather, what kind of connection do I need to get and MPPT Charge Control Device to get maximum efficiency?
I am grateful for your answer and help
I have 6plans 300w which size of mppt
Hi Nick! Love your videos and just got your book. I am building a 48v system for off grid storage container. I have 100Ah 48v (Li Time). I was hoping to use a 100/20 MPPT Victron I was given to charge it with. I don’t have any panels yet. I get the input voltage limit of CC but can I exceed CC 20 amp charge spec by adding parallel strings?
Thanks for getting the book! Yes, you can add more panels. You will just lose some power because of the over-paneling.