Why I Don't Over Panel My Solar Array (But You Might Want To!)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ธ.ค. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 116

  • @steverturnsk6190
    @steverturnsk6190 23 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +4

    I started 2 years ago with 16 - 275 watt panels on my roof using four Victron 100/50 charge controllers. Since then I have increased to 25000 watts of panels with 18 or so charge controllers. The panels are set all around 13 acres of property, some directed east, most directed west for AC during the summer. One set of Trojan lead acid batteries (four 225 ah) and another set of lithium batteries ten 100 ahr. The house itself is off the grid 100% of the time and I use PG$E for the welder, lathe, air compressor. It is the shortest day of the year, rainy and the batteries are charged to 100% with the house off the grid. I use excess watts on sunny days heating a 1500w 120v heating element installed inside an electric water heater as a pre-heater for the propane water heater using a cheap 2000 watt dedicated inverter. Used 40 gallons of propane last year. The Victron 100/50 charge controllers are down to $180 now. Two of my charge controllers max out on the current for 1 hour a day in the summer; big deal, they have not burned up after two years of everyday use. 14 charge controllers are on the lead acid batteries (running large inverters) and 4 are on the Lithium batteries running 3/4 of the house circuits. Lead acid batteries cycle down to 90% each day and the lithium cycle down to 75% each day. All of those charge controllers work great together, with most taking the load and a couple on float, then changing as conditions change. It was an experiment that expanded into bigness. I could have saved some time and money if I were to have planned an entire system from the start. The inverters and charge controllers are the items that are somewhat consumable, and it is easy and inexpensive to replace an item if it fails. I retired as a marine engineer, and EVERYTHING eventually fails; known as Entropy, a law of thermodynamics.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Very well explained, Semper Fi brother!

  • @OurBlackCatCottage
    @OurBlackCatCottage 14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    Excellent video. I agree with you 100%. I have been running 4 charge controllers for years. Right before you said "why wouldn't you just put in another charger controller", I was thinking that exact thing. LOL. Well done.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Nice :)

  • @ElectrabuzzXD
    @ElectrabuzzXD 11 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    Great discussion, thank you 👍 I really hadn't thought of it that way.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  11 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Thanks for watching and glad the video was helpful!

  • @zoltanvonsomogyi7272
    @zoltanvonsomogyi7272 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Great show! Ive learned a lot from you. Thanks!

  • @jime9305
    @jime9305 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I think this is good sound advice...I've been running multiple controllers with separate arrays for years. It also gives you redundancy if components go out and and allows you to build a system in stages. But no matter what approach you take, at some point you will miss potential wattage either because the controllers can't use it or the battery bank is topped off. Plan any heavy electrical usage during peak hours and try to use it when available, thanks

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Great point and advice

  • @gone51572
    @gone51572 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    So you can hook up two or three different controllers and have several panels and connect them all to the same battery Bank?? Am I understanding that correctly

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      Yes absolutely.

  • @TheCornucopiaProject-bd5jk
    @TheCornucopiaProject-bd5jk 16 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    You pretty much covered the subject.
    There is one scenario where overpaneling might be beneficial. It’s when the array is far from the mppt. Overpanel and parallel combine two strings for a long cable run. There will be voltage losses and you might have very little waste by the time the power reaches the mppt.
    When running multiple mppt I suggest not to size them to the PV array, but instead make it duplicates of the largest mppt you need. It’s better for redundancy.
    Great video.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +2

      Thanks, Better for redundancy is a good point, one fails you can' move any of the others to the biggest array. Distance can be an issue but over paneling doesn't solve it really. Running series or series parallel is the key as you can get the voltage up high enough to not have much drop over the range on smaller conductors and with modern cc's accepting very high voltage it's no longer an issue like it was 15 years ago when most or many or the less than $1k cc's would only allow 150v or less.

  • @WilsonForestLands
    @WilsonForestLands 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I think what you are saying is the better idea, add more charge controllers. Since I have 170 feet of distance from the panels, I think that means I would have to run multiple expensive thick wires in addition to the one I have now. Maybe better for me to just to get a bigger charge controller if I add more panels. Or bite the bullet and buy more wires.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      Or build a box and place batteries and inverter near panels and run 120v ac to the cabin

  • @tedbolles
    @tedbolles วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Hey, while I understand your reasoning i overpanel some of my controllers,( I have 6 -40a epever mppt controllers) mainly because I lots of used 250w panels, so they are a little down on power ,my controllers are rated for 1040w, but I have 1500w going to them,I do have them split and facing a little bit different directions to get more out of available sunlite, trying to maximize each controller ,been up 2 years now no problem, I am in central FL.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  วันที่ผ่านมา

      That's not unsimilar to the principle of running series parallel for panel shading

  • @DualTasticToday
    @DualTasticToday 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Great videos. QUESTION
    If I have 12v 100AH in series to = 48v and build 2 more banks to = 48V and then hook them in parallel. Can I get a 300 Amp output? They are all the same batteries 12V 100 AH capable of 100 amp continuous output from their individual 12v battery BMS. 😮

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      LiFePo4 batteries? If so, each will allow 100 amps individually, and since each string is 4x, and there will be 3 parallel strings, I'd say that and them some! I could draw 300a off my 3 parallel 24v batteries.
      Each 48v string will be 100AH @ 48v but each battery can allow 100a draw. Not the same thing. Make sense?

  • @GerbenWulff
    @GerbenWulff 18 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I have no experience with off-grid, although I'm considering either off-grid, but more likely hybrid as my next system. When I lived in Europe our HOA had a system with 20.9 kWp grid-tied panels and 17.5 kW inverter. The panels were in an east-west configuration. The inverter clipped the panels maybe a few percent of the time and only in the summer.
    In an off-grid system if you have plenty of power in summer, it doesn't matter if you lose a few percent power. What matters is if you can fill your batteries in winter.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      You are correct, winter is the time when you need that peak power. But I argue there is still no reason not to add another CC. Sure, you won't clip much if any in the winter but you may if the panels are oriented correctly and the panels WILL produce more power in the winter than their rated power. Why waste it? Add a CC and capture all you can is my motto.

    • @GerbenWulff
      @GerbenWulff 4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@TheOldJarhead You are right that a south orientation may be more likely to lead to clipping in winter. Although I like to point out that doesn't mean east-west is not 'oriented correctly'. I am told that east-west will give you more power from the same surface area.
      You are also right that temperature can make a difference. I moved to the tropics, so I don't have that issue that panels can produce more voltage than their rated voltage here.
      Orientation is not that important here as in summer the sun is in the north and in winter in the south.
      Pitch is important, you have a choice: a low angle gives a better result over the year, while a steeper angle gives you better results in winter. You probably have a steeper pitch than we had in the Netherlands as we had grid with net metering, so we didn't need to focus on keeping things powered in winter. Low pitch here in the Philippines allows me to catch the sun in summer when it is in the north.

  • @SolAce-nw2hf
    @SolAce-nw2hf 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    That is an interesting perspective on over panelling.
    I live in the Netherlands where the weather is pretty much cloudy for a large part of the year and solar panels are typically roof mounted because of the population density.
    Also going off-grid is simply impossible here because of the short winter days, so an on-grid or hybrid inverter makes more sense.
    My SW roof is slightly over panelled with 3250 Wp on a 3000W on-grid inverter so there is a little clipping there on some days.
    The NE roof has Enphase micro inverters and these only go to 300W per 430 Wp panel. This is not a limit they will ever reach because of the roof orientation and angle.
    I also have two panels on a shed roof with a very slight angle of 10 degrees. In real life these struggle to reach the 400W per dedicated MPPT even though the panels are rated at 450 Wp.
    In your situation it may make more sense to have multiple MPPT's as space is not really a restriction and solar panels are still relatively expensive there.
    But in the Netherlands a 450Wp solar panel can be bought for 50 dollars now, so just filling up the roof with all it can take really makes sense compared to the extra cost, even if the inverter does not use all of it all of the time.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Great points! On the roof, I'd still run multiple CC's because there is always the summer ;)

    • @SolAce-nw2hf
      @SolAce-nw2hf 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @ The summer is not actually that great. High temperatures really affect the solar panel production. Even with full sun it often peaks only at 2800W with the 3000W inverter.
      The month of may is much better with colder but still sunny weather.
      At the time my solar installer told me the lower peak power was not actually an issue leaving at most 2% of the yearly production unused. A bigger inverter, a heavier breaker and thicker cables would cost me more than it was worth.
      I am considering swapping out the inverter for a hybrid one. I could upgrade to a 3600W model without any other modifications and with the connected batteries that would be usefull to help cover peak usage in the kitchen when the sun is not in it's optimal position anymore. With the net congestion issues and net metering coming to an end it makes sense to store and cover as much as possible.
      But for the solar panels themselves any expansion is a waste of money. With all of the other panels combined the solar production is about 3x my usage in summer. In december it is not even enough to power the fridge 😱

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Why move to a hybrid? Why not just put in a new inverter? Or do you not do any of the work yourself?
      In summer, above the 48th parallel I can produce power for hours and hours but yes, in the winter my production drops significantly. I don't see the sun much before 10am (I'm guessing you are well above me in the north in Norway?) and it's pretty much behind the trees by 3pm vs the summer when production on my panels begins very early (even before 7am) and can last well into the late afternoon/evening and that's without east/west facing panels.
      Further north, with snow, I'd put in BiFacial panels and catch more solar production by getting reflection off the snow :)

    • @SolAce-nw2hf
      @SolAce-nw2hf 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @ with a hybrid inverter I can directly connect a battery preventng DC-AC-DC conversion. Right now with the net metering the grid is my battery (with seasonal storage 😂), but in 2027 that government incentive is coming to an end and the energy companies are already bypassing it with extra costs for every kWh, so when my current contract expires it becomes something I want to do, even if it just about breaks even until 2027.
      I also want to help shut down dirty coal power plants and there is no better way to do that then by eliminating my grid demand 24x7 for about 8 months a year.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ahhhh yes, I don't do grid tie so out of my element

  • @bigjeffsb
    @bigjeffsb 41 นาทีที่ผ่านมา

    Good Stuff !!!

  • @ktkace
    @ktkace วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    2 is one and one is none!
    redundancy + safety buffer ftw!

  • @wilsonwombat3456
    @wilsonwombat3456 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I have 2 charge controllers, one for fixed over-panelled, one for remote. I over-panelled for those consecutive days of poor solar input.

  • @BeeBeorn
    @BeeBeorn 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    In my opinion, having several, more than one at least, systems is important. And, that for your specific need deemed critical, like freezers, waterpumps , has dedicated seperated systems. Well designed and not tampered with after production start. Everything else can be played with.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Yup 👍

  • @remix381
    @remix381 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Also Eco-Worthy solar trackers are worth the investment at this point. The prices have really come down and work amazingly well.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      I was wondering about those

  • @rickreese5794
    @rickreese5794 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Thx O.J. H.😊

  • @vevenaneathna
    @vevenaneathna วันที่ผ่านมา

    ha i knew you looked familiar. im one of the pharmacists who used to work at the kettle falls pharmacy. im sure we have crossed paths before. i left a bunch of annoying comments on your videos over the years lol.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  วันที่ผ่านมา

      Hmmm I've been there before but didn't live there (Kettle Falls)

  • @AverageJoe2023
    @AverageJoe2023 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Can you show us how you wired your 2 controllers to one battery bank?

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I can do that but b4 a vid. I use a Midnight Solar DC Breaker Bix for that

    • @AverageJoe2023
      @AverageJoe2023 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @ I’d appreciate it. I’m still gathering equipment as I live in town with no space. Just trying to get myself enough knowledge and equipment as I can before I have the ability to hook things up. Great video.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Might be a good one for a live

  • @adamwiseman5831
    @adamwiseman5831 12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Good points

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Thanks! Glad you liked it! Always cool to chat about solar stuff!

  • @junkerzn7312
    @junkerzn7312 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I generally agree... just add more charge controllers. At least if the extra cabling isn't a chore to run. Not everyone thinks ahead. Even though I'm only using two MPPTs at the moment, I actually wired three cable pairs to my roof for future expansion precisely so I could add a third later on.
    That said, there is a very real danger to over-paneling which I will describe. I'm not saying it shouldn't be done, I'm saying that you have to make another calculation and ensure you don't exceed it.
    The main problem with excessive over-paneling is that the charge controller can only handle so much current on its input. Yes, the input. Not talking about the output here. The input. This may seem a bit odd but it's the real reason why charge controllers can fry when over-paneled but the voltages remain in bounds. You CAN over-panel safely, in my view, but you must still adhere to the current limitation of the solar input.
    The current limitation of the solar input is typically the same as the current limitation of the battery output. So, for example, if you have a Victron 100/20, the charge controller itself will regulate the output to no more than 20A and over-paneling beyond that isn't a problem... the regulator will limit the output (though it might spike over every so often, this will be short-lived).
    BUT the MPPT voltage sweep on the input is another story entirely. The circuit shares the same heat sink as the output and is typically limited to the same amperage... 20A in this case. And the FETs have a junction temperature-v-time gradient limit that no heat sink can fix. Which means that if you have, say, residential panels capable of outputting 15A, you absolutely cannot put them in a parallel configuration such that the voltage sweep puts 30A into the solar input of the charge controller. (Using the Victron 100/20 as an example).
    That's the real limitation. Stay within the voltage specs, but also stay within the current specs on the MPPT input. For a Victron 100/20 you can parallel 4 x 5A panel strings, or 2 x 10A panel strings, but only one 1 x 15A panel string safely. Its perfectly fine if the total possible wattage exceeds the rating of the charge controller, it will just regulate the output to its rating. It is NOT fine if the total possible input current exceeds the rating of the controller, because the voltage sweep is NOT going to regulate the input current. That could blow the FETs or melt something.
    -Matt

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Great insights! You're absolutely right about the importance of understanding the current limitations of charge controllers. It's crucial to plan for future expansions while keeping those specs in mind.

    • @jime9305
      @jime9305 12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      I don't think this is true....there is a overcurrent recommended input limit but it not the same as the rated output, it's higher (at least on Victron controllers)

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      I think this is more of a controller specific issue, but I'm not 100% certain

    • @junkerzn7312
      @junkerzn7312 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@jime9305 You can get the specification from the datasheet (not the user manual, the datasheet), from Victron's site. Here are the actual numbers from the various datasheets:
      (Maximum PV short circuit current):
      75/10: 13A
      75/15: 15A
      100/20: 20A
      150/35: 40A
      150/45: 50A
      150/60: 50A (30A per MC4)
      150/70: 50A (30A per MC4)
      250/60: 35A (30A per MC4)
      So yes, you are correct, they are different. About the same up to the 150/45, but then the solar-side short circuit current caps out and is actually lower than the output rating.
      The general rule of thumb I use is that the short-circuit current on the solar input cannot exceed the maximum output current, but actually for the larger Victron units it becomes a rather significant connector/cable limitation and is far lower.
      There are a multitude of reasons for this but one of them I hadn't mentioned yet, particularly on Victron units, is that the Victron actually has a failsafe that clamps the solar input (shorts it on purpose) if the output voltage exceeds the highest allowed battery voltage by a certain degree. Its a failsafe in case the internal fuse doesn't blow and the internal FET(s) fail and start routing the raw PV voltage to the battery terminals.
      -Matt

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Sounds pretty smart

  • @1GREATDANE
    @1GREATDANE วันที่ผ่านมา

    I AM CHEAP and Adhere to Head Room on each Array / Charge Controller so I Don't get that Black Smoke 💨 💨
    Thank You for another Informative Video 🌴 Marine 🇺🇸

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      That's the way to do it, 👍

  • @Sylvan_dB
    @Sylvan_dB วันที่ผ่านมา

    Charge controller needs to be near the batteries. Wire from panels to charge controller adds up quick if you need to have the panels a few hundred feet away.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  วันที่ผ่านมา

      Yes but 59 to 100 feet isn't an issue. Beyond that and cable gets expensive and heavy no matter what

  • @corneliusdevenney1848
    @corneliusdevenney1848 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Cant you use another charge controller ?

  • @kr639
    @kr639 11 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I have a different definition of over paneling…. Not much to do w the charge controller but rather more wattage as to not worrying about tilting or needing ground panels

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  11 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Basically the same thing -- increasing the total array wattage to above the SCC's rated wattage when you know it's unlikely to have to clip it, or it will clip very little but get closer to the peak wattage for longer.

  • @remix381
    @remix381 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    You also end up with a backup to the backup in case one goes down.

  • @andrievbastichy8551
    @andrievbastichy8551 9 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    nice video.

  • @jameswilsin5348
    @jameswilsin5348 วันที่ผ่านมา

    You only get 80 percent power from a 100 watt and any other panel if you get 100 watts out of a100 watt panel let me know what brand and how much it cost

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I've gotten 673w out of a 615w array.

    • @Sylvan_dB
      @Sylvan_dB วันที่ผ่านมา

      Cold (well below 0C) on a nearly clear day (a few wisps of clouds is better than totally clear) is optimal. On such a day I've often hit peakers more than 10% above panel ratings. The highest I've noticed I was rooting for it to hit 20% but the highest I saw was 17% more than rated.
      The cold keeps the panels fully productive, clear means more sun, and there is a "cloud edge effect" where the cloud acts like a lens and the sun is brighter at the edge.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      When I hit 673w on my 615w array I was at 109.5% of expected production and it was a warm early fall day. So I will have to try to catch production in the winter when the suns up to see what I get but even on a warm 70F day my poly panels can over produce.

  • @dbcrn859
    @dbcrn859 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    BE CAREFUL! A BMS that "shuts down" for over-voltage is actually going open circuit. This instantaneously shunts the power from the controller to any DC appliance that is wired to that battery or controller output, and can fry it. It happened to my DC freezer.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Pretty much all BMS's should do that

  • @justinmitchuson8992
    @justinmitchuson8992 8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Victron , overpaneled 1.5 . 🏆

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  8 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      50% over?

    • @justinmitchuson8992
      @justinmitchuson8992 5 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @TheOldJarhead yes a 1000 watt charge controller 1500watts. But keep voltage under max

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  4 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Seems like a waste if you ever get full, direct sunlight

  • @mr.monitor.
    @mr.monitor. วันที่ผ่านมา

    Most panels seem to put out about ~ 50% of their ratings most of the year on average. Being over a little bit on wattage is going to be ok.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      My panels put out their rated wattage pretty much every sunny day. If aimed right, they should meet or exceed ratings or they are not well made.

    • @mr.monitor.
      @mr.monitor. 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      @TheOldJarhead I have several different brands. You must have magic panels.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Perhaps you don't understand panel ratings? They only put out rated power when correctly placed (right angle and azimuth) at peak solar and are rated typically at 70F. In hotter temps they produce less power, colder, more, poor angles or azimuth, less etc. Rated power is just what they can produce and likely is only hit at solar noon if placed correctly to catch it. The rest of the time they are limited by where the sun is in relation to where they are facing and impacted by temperature, shading, hazy skies etc etc etc.

    • @mr.monitor.
      @mr.monitor. 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@TheOldJarhead I do understand that. However you are claiming yours are putting out more than their ratings routinely while nobody else is.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      No, I simply stated that I have seen them hit 110% of rating on a fall day in 70F Temps (which the astute would know is not optimal for over production) and that I've seen them produce there rated wattage many times over their near 15 year life. Furthermore. I explained that they are also poly panels which are known fir high production

  • @jasonbroom7147
    @jasonbroom7147 14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    When you over-panel, it gives you the ability to get SOME production on days when you would otherwise get virtually zero production. You can't do that with more charge controllers, you can only do that by having a high enough voltage potential (still well within your charge controller specs) but more amps from that string. Break that up with more controllers and you only get more controllers bringing in nothing. This isn't theory or conjecture; people who LIVE off-grid see the results of this during every cloudy winter day. Have you tried it or did you decide over-paneling was just "bad", and never tested it for yourself? Cuz, uh...if you had, you would abandon this hill instead of dying on it.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      As I'm above the 48th parallel at 3200 feet in elevation on a north facing slope, I've had my experience with winter and cloudy days living off grid. You're assumption here, is that over paneling is the solution to cloudy low production days but it fails to see the errors in it's theory. Voltage. Yes, getting the voltage up high enough that the amperage produced by the panels produces enough power to provide a charge for the batteries matters but that's the case every day of the year. It's just harder when it's cloudy and in an off grid system you build for it by increasing battery bank size (I did mention this is for off grid only folks) and arrays that face different directions, even is just slightly. Bringing the voltage and protentional amperage up to a level that will allow production in low light situations has nothing to do with over paneling and everything to do with engineering a good system and I don't need to risk over paneling or having just one controller because my system can produce power all the time and has the battery bank size to allow me to go days without solar production with a generator to back it up if it's a really dark winter.
      The only reason to over panel is to try to get more production out of a single array for longer and at peak wattage of the controller. Voltage is a function of the panels and their configuration, not the controller, the controller is the limiting factor.

    • @jasonbroom7147
      @jasonbroom7147 12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@TheOldJarhead - The only reason NOT to over-panel (within reason) is to avoid excessive clipping during peak summer production. I guess if you have enough room to put up lots of extra panels, facing different directions, each with their own SCC, you can avoid the (non-existent) risks of moderate over-paneling. Having done it for several years, I know for a fact that I get more total production, from a certain number of sq/ft, by over-paneling. How or why that would ever be a bad thing, when your SCC will limit amperage that exceeds it's total wattage output, eludes my simple brain.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

      I didn't say it would be a bad thing, and later in the video, I also discussed where it may be right for some. Perhaps you didn't watch it all?
      I get what you are doing, I just see a different way to achieve more production and have been doing it for over 14 years.

    • @jasonbroom7147
      @jasonbroom7147 5 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@TheOldJarhead - You implied that over-paneling is a risk not worth taking. You are trying to convince viewers it would be less dangerous and get the same production if you just bought another SCC, which is simply not true. The fact of the matter is over-paneling will get you more power, from a given array, during the worst solar potential time of the year. It's not a matter of personal opinion, although anyone can choose to do whatever they want, but over-paneling gets you more output, all other things being equal. If more output isn't what you want, then just buy more charge controllers to get less output, I guess?

  • @jameswilsin5348
    @jameswilsin5348 วันที่ผ่านมา

    You can have 2000 watts solar panel you will not get 2000 watts I know I did my research I got 4 systems and got 400 watts getting 100 percent Sun and most I get is 295 watts

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  วันที่ผ่านมา

      Sorry, incorrect. I've gotten quite a bit more but have good poly panels

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  วันที่ผ่านมา

      th-cam.com/video/p-cBVeg0Fag/w-d-xo.html

    • @ZuluHour
      @ZuluHour 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Currently using/testing Ecoflow products. Have two 400W panels that can power and charge the system on perfect sunny days, inputting (combined) over the “maximum” 800W.
      Respectfully, if you aren’t getting maximum wattage, it’s most likely operator error.

    • @TheOldJarhead
      @TheOldJarhead  14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Or poor quality panels perhaps but yes.

    • @mr.monitor.
      @mr.monitor. 13 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@TheOldJarhead You either don't understand mathematics or have magical panels. There is always that one guy that gets 20 mpg with his stock 3/4 ton 1980s V8 while everyone else gets 8 mpg mysteriously 🤣 . You are about the only person claiming panels regularly put out over their rated wattage.