Victron MPPT 75/15 pushed beyond rating. What happened?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 พ.ย. 2022
- In this experiment I try to exceed the rated specifications of the solar charge controller.
Don't do this at home!
Victron energy Smart solar charge controller MPPT 75/15:amzn.to/3hn74Ik
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Your initial comment in the start of the video. when you multiply the voltage of the three panels and you multiply the current(amps) could be misunderstood! In series connections you only add up the voltage, the amps stays the same!!! The 15Amp limit you see, is due to the controller(not the panel connection) - when it steps the voltage down to 13-14 volts, it ups the amps at the same time, till the 15A limit.
Your experiment shows another good reason to up system voltage. If this test was made on a 24V-system you would get the full potential of the panels, because the amps would be only half and thereby within specs of the controller and not limited to the 15. So running higher voltage/less amps allows you to get by with a smaller controller. Controllers main limit (when it comes to cost) is amp rating.
Other good reasons to run higher voltage is, you get by with thinner cables due to the lesser amps, your inverter effeciency increase slightly and you have less powerloss in long run cables due to the higher voltage/less amps. (amps is where you get loss in cables)
Copy that brother, and mahalo for that great explanation. It helps me, and I'm sure other's as well. Appreciate you sharing, and participating in the conversation. Aloha!🤙
Yes, it would probably be optimal with this controller to use 4×100w panels arranged in "series-parallel" ie two series branches of two panels, the two branches being connected in parallel with each other. Consequently the whole array is at a nominal 24v.
At the MPPT point the voltage in each branch would be about 34-35v and the current about 6A maximum. So maximum input to the controller would be 35v at 12A, which matches the controller power spec. of 440w at 24v. Then the controller would output about 24A charge at 16-17v into your 12v battery.
@@nigelshindler6334 I think the cc limits the output current to 15a, so I doubt you will get 24a to charge your battery
I know this is 1yo but here's my two cents with reading up on the subject of MPPTs.
When the current (amps) produced by the solar panels exceeds the maximum rated output current of an MPPT charge controller, the controller will limit the current to its maximum rated value. Here's what happens:
1. Current Limiting: The MPPT charge controller will not allow more current to flow to the battery than it is rated for. It has built-in mechanisms to prevent overcurrent situations.
2. Excess Current: Any current that exceeds the charge controller's capacity is not used. The MPPT will only draw as much current as it can safely manage and convert to the appropriate voltage for charging the battery.
3. Dissipation: The excess energy is not purposefully dissipated as heat; rather, it is simply not utilized. The MPPT's efficiency in converting voltage to current means that very little energy is wasted as heat.
4. Efficiency: MPPT charge controllers are designed to be highly efficient, typically around 90-95%. They convert excess voltage into additional current/charge for the battery, maximizing the power transfer.
5. Protection: MPPT controllers have protection features to ensure they do not exceed their voltage and current ratings, which helps to prevent damage to the controller and the battery.
In summary, an MPPT charge controller will limit the current to its maximum rated output, and any excess current produced by the solar panels will not be converted or dissipated as heat. The controller ensures that the system operates within safe parameters to protect the components and maximize efficiency.
Yea love the experiment. Always wondered the same Thx for doing. Beautiful
Mahalo...still fiddling about ...learning everyday yeah ...Aloha 🤙
Like already mentioned, Voltage rises of you wire in series and Amperage rises if you wire in parallel.
The More Volts you get the less the Ampere is that’s needs to flow. So you will have less loss on the wire.
IMO, You should always try to max out the voltage Raiting on the Mppt. Since it will always charge the Battery with the correct value, which is set in the controller.
The controller also regulates itself if you connect too much Panels Amperage wise.
But Caution ! It is not able to handle more Voltage than what the Manual says.
Also you have to make sure that the Open Circuit Voltage of the Modules do not exceed the Mppts Voltage limit when you take the Temperature Coefficient into account.
(Voltage is higher when Temps are lower) it is about 12,5 % on top in my Conditions in winter Time.
So to do the math.
If your Panels open circuit Voltage is, for Example 20 Volts and you wire 3 of them in Series you End up with 67,5 Volts under Coldest Conditions which is fine.
I hope you could get the Point. Sry for my terrible English.
Best Regards from Munich/Germany !
I get the point, and your English is perfect! Mahalo for sharing this information with us, and taking the time to join the conversation here...aloha! all the way to Germany!🤙
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Gary R is correct. You wired the panels in series, which only add their voltage and not their amperage. The reason you are seeing almost 15amps on the lower portion of the screen is because the voltage from the panels in the top screen (48.82V) is being stepped down by about a factor of 3 because I'm assuming your set up on a 12V system (the charge controller itself).....hence 14.9Amps in the lower portion which is 3 times higher current. So, in short, by stepping the voltage down, one steps the current up in proportion. @Electroboom feel free to confirm or correct my statements I made there as you see fit 🤠
Mahalo Uncle! This is exactly why I do this channel. To have conversations with guy's like you , Gary and many other's that can explain the why, and how so easily for us. My understanding, and ability to explain what my results are, are not so easily at the tip of my tongue , or permeated my gray matter like so many of you. Gratitude to you all for helping piece it all together. Aloha!🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 anytime good buddy but, I’m working with limited capacity on my best of day here too so…. Birds of a feather right? 🙏🤠
Even when you add them in series and keeping the amps the same on the input side it still raises the output amps to a dangerous amount the controller just can't handle. That 75-15 can handle one modern panel or two 200 watt panels. If you over panel it it might take it for a bit but not long. It's gonna drop down to the 15 amps it can output and the rest will turn into heat. The heat will eventually kill it. Add a good heat sink or fan and it might last longer but it will eventually fail
@@matthewknight5641 just get a bigger charge controller
@@matthewknight5641If the charge controller is charging at the max of 15 amps, the rest of the power is NOT dissipated in heat! The solar charge controller simply allows the panel voltage to climb closer to its unloaded panel voltage therefore simply pulling less power from the panel. Most panels/controllers spend the majority of their time running at less than 100%.
Very helpful, thanks for sharing.
My pleasure! Aloha!🤙
Hello Gary, thank you so much for all your efforts and sharing your testing with us. I'm very much surprised though, for I was always under the premise that in series, you add the voltage but the amperage stays the same. So I was taken aback when the amperage too was being added. Thx
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The 14.9A was the output current of the controller. The input amps were most certainly not added unless he ran them in parallel.
I always enjoy you videos! If you had a 24v(or 48) battery system you'd get the full 300watts from the panels. Amps don't add up in series connections, one caveat though, just make sure that you aren't using a panel that has a Isc (short circuit current) higher than the controller capability. That could happen with these small controllers.
Mahalo for sharing this information with us! I am running a small 24v and 48v system too...all doing great! Aloha!🤙
really like the victron stuff... trend screen is fun to watch micro adjustable for all batteries
I really like their stuff too! Plug and play. Aloha!🤙
75 volts is a hard limit...the 15 you are reading wrong(like so many do)
15 amps is what it will output to charge batteries not a amp from panel limit...if you go over with amp input it will dissapate the heat
I wanted to know too. I've got nominal Isc 30A, but in practice about 22A max, and wasn't sure if I got the 20A model if it would survive. Great test. so I can add another panel in parallel. I'm also curious what happens with the voltage limit. Vmpp=120V, but Vmax=160V so for me, I didn't know if I could get the 150V max model.
I run this charge controller from my 48v 1100ah battery bank, instead of panels. I use the extra solar to charge an aux.12v 900ah battery bank. The most controller will allow is 14.8 volts.
I'm still worried about damage at the SCC when I overpanel. But I'm tempted to increase my harvest on cloudy days with very meager results.
I'm getting a 100/20 and like to run a array of 32pc. Old 30W panels 17.2 Vmp / 1.75 Imp. Making 8 strings of 4 panels in parallel with 960W in total with a 24V System. So I stay under 100V and 20A.
I don't mind some clipping, but don't like to damage mit Charge Controller.
I am curious if you go touch the controller if it’s shedding the overage of amps in the form of heat. In other words is the MPPT controller hot? Headed your way in 60 days for vacation. Maybe we will bump into you guys. I am planning on installing a solar panel on the roof of my truck with a power Queen mini and that controller. I will have an Anderson connector at the bumper to connect into my RV with the other 2 power Queen minis and panels. We will see how that experiment goes.
Hi Gary, Good content for sure. I agree the controller is limiting the PV to the battery at 15A max. Pausing the screen when the battery was at 13.45v and amps to battery at 14.8 equaled 199 watts to the battery about about 7 watts to run the controller. Using 3 100 watt panels and warm temperatures, you will most likely see 75% of stating rating or 225 watts in total which would give you a very efficient conversion. It would be interesting to see IF you install two controllers on the same 3 panels what the difference would be. But given you have 300 watts of PV it may not be worth the test. Luckily I now believe the specs on the controller will limit the amperage for sure. I have always heard that the killer would be IF you install 100V of PV on a 75V controller, then most likely it would break it. I did a similar test on a Midnite KID under a heavy load and the warning light would come on and eventually blow the PV fuse on the controller.....I did that by accident and got lucky! Lesson learned. In cold weather such as here in Michigan, the PV voltage can increase by about 10% once you get at freezing or below temps!
Thanks as always for sharing your experience with us! It surely helps us all and is much appreciated! 🤙
From the Victron mppt manual section 9.5.1O but its about reverse PV current since the unit IS protected against reverse polarity to an unpublished limit: Overcurrent does not necessarily damage the solar charger, but it will cause damage if the array produces too much current while, at the same time, the array has been connected in reverse polarity to the solar charger. Damage due to overcurrent is not covered under warranty. In testing on a 100/20 connected to a 12v battery the PV wattage limit is stated at 290 watts. While testing and using the controller to top balance, my array is 600 watts and all I saw was one instance of the unit producing 0 watts for 15 seconds, then went back to the max of 290-307 watts on 12 v battery. Yesterday, I rewired to 24v battery and the unit using the same 600 watt array jumped once to 636 watts before backing down to the 20a limit of 580-590. Again, probably NOT a good idea to over panel a controller, but when the unit said 0 watts, I thought oh no.....however, NO error log or event was recorded on the application.
I have the same controller, could I hook my suitcase 200 watt to the batteries directly and only use 1 controller?
Right. You only really have to be careful about not exceeding the open-circuit voltage limit on the input of the charger controller (with some provisios described below). The charge controller will regulate the output amps to keep them under its amperage limits and over-paneling in this manner is fine, it won't hurt anything. Its only (for the most part) volts that destroy charge controllers. All charge controllers will regulate their output amps.
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Charge controllers also often have input amperage limits too, which they can't regulate. If you look at the Victron datasheet the "Max. PV Short circuit current note(2)" parameter for this particular controller is also 15A. This means that the absolute worst-case current on the solar input must not exceed 15A. The charge controller cannot regulate the input current so excess current on the input may damage the controller. Note 2 on the Victron datasheet says "A PV array with a higher short circuit current may damage the controller". And that is why.
So the controller can (and does) easily regulate the output current, but cannot regulate the input current. In a series configuration this is virtually never a problem since very few solar panels are ever rated above 15A.
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However, it can be a problem in a parallel configuration, or if two series strings are paralleled. Usually you just calculate your worst-case input amps based on the assumption that the output amps will be capped while the input voltage is at the optimal operating voltage for the panel.
But can situations arise where this is not the case? Yes, it is possible, though it usually takes a pretty serious misconfiguration of the series-parallel topology. If the paralleled strings have partial shading but are otherwise in full sun, the input voltage will be far lower and the charge controller might exceed the input amperage limit trying to regulate its output at the output amperage limit. With a proper combiner box you should have a master breaker on the combined output which protects the wiring AND the charge controller. This breaker's amperage should not exceed the charge controller's maximum rating.... 15A in this case (as well as not exceed the wiring limits).
There is a bit of wiggle room there, for this particular case I would probably use a 17A DC breaker rather than 15A DC breaker just to avoid phantom trips from long-term thermals through the breaker. But it is only needed if you parallel two or more strings whos short-circuit specs add up to more than 15A.
Can it happen on a 12V charge controller (12V output?). ... probably near impossible to happen with a 12V charger controller, this is more an issue when running 24V or 48V charge controllers since the input voltage (due to shading) can wind up being lower than the output voltage under certain conditions.
Mahalo for that great information! Appreciate you spending the time to explain this for all of us. Aloha 🤙
So I have a Victron 100/50 smart controller I’m going to be using lifePo4 batteries I have four newer style 100 W nine busbar Renorgy solar panels and I have three of the older Renorgy solar panels I’m not sure I think they’re five or so busbars can I wire the new and the old panels together in series for that charge controller??? and if I can how many wired in series would be safe for that charge controller???
as an example/// got the 100 /20 ... 6x old 24v 240w panels i found IN 3s 2p maxing it out
but need to make 48v battery pack to reach that limmit abd keep the nominal specs and the max specs close to limit but safely under it
i count to self consumtion and the parrameter that panels are for sure Old enough used . it sure smells enough loss but tht charger will work less hard within that losses!!!!
!!! hopping to see the system charege a server rack batt !!! i would love to see in a good sunny day summer or winter to maintain a 5kw battery .
BTW thinking of install fans to maintain heat from system .. if this doesnt work will try with 12v new panels
I have 700 watt connected to a 30/100 on 12v. This gives me from 8:30 to14:00 a plato of 30 amp. It self regulates. I also do better if it is cloudy because it do not drop off as much. Kind regards Ben South Africa.
Great information for me Ben, and mahalo for that. Get plenty cloudy days here too. Aloha!🤙
I use a Victron solar regulator as a smart battery charger and it works well. It is connected to an unregulated 24V DC power supply. The power supply can supply much more power than Victron regulator is made for. The other nice thing is regulate can set to maximum current and it will not exceed regardless of the power supply can supply. My understanding is the only way to damage the charge controller is by putting too much voltage into the input or supplying power in revise polarity. Any size solar array could be placed on the input provide that the open circuit voltage of the regulator isn't exceeded.
In my case doubling the solar panels will overpanel the controller by 10 amps. I contacted the manufacturer, Rich Solar, and this was their response:
Rich Solar: "The controller will clip the output amperage, but it is not recommended to go over the rating. The controller will convert excess amperage into heat, and having the controller do this for long periods of time will eventually burn out the controller."
Since it would only get much over the amperage limit under peak sun, I think I'll try putting a thermostat in series with the solar panels to offload about 100 watts whenever the internal temperature of the controller gets too hot.
Wish my sky looked like that today. I’m stuck with 22 deg freezing fog and zero sun here in Post Oregon. My 3.65kw of panels are only putting out 300w right now.
I've been watching the temperature on the mainland and it almost makes me shiver sitting here! I used to live at 9,000 ft in the Rockies so I know what you're talking about. At my ripe old age I'm happy to only need a pair of shorts and a t-shirt at most! I did my time in that ice box. I miss some things about it but not that unbelievable cold where everything was stuck to the ground. Better days will be around the corner and then you'll be getting all that great reflection from the snow as well charging things up real fast! Aloha! 🤙
if the panels are in series then the voc is times 3 but the amps do not add up only in parallel do the amps add up but the volts do not add up
curious ....will the Victron throttle back to stay within voltage and wattage pv limits as well ?
I do appreciate your info, thank you
Yes it will...given you are not pushing it way over specs🤙
Aloha mai hiki iaʻu ke komo
I enjoy these electrical experiments but now I am curious as to know if I were to place a multi meter test leads to the battery and set the meter to AC instead of DC would I find AC voltage going into the battery? Hopefully not!
Aloha brother! Don't overwhelm me with another experiment yet! Haha, just kidding of course. Now you hot me thinking on that! Mahalo 🤙😉
The only time to over-panel a system is when you are having cloudier weather and still want to get as much power as possible. Otherwise, you should disconnect one of your panels so that your not working your charge controller so hard. Only problem is that you'd only really get about 160-180 watts on 2 panels.
Victron rate their controllers to be able to over panel up to 130% capacity and yes they will derate with excess temp &/or power. You have ur controller set to 13.45v in Bulk mode & your controller limit is 15Amps, therefore u get 15 x 13.45v= 201.5Watts. If u increase ur bulk charging voltage to 14v x 15A you will have a charging potential of 210 Watts and each (Lifepo4) cell will reach a 3.5v maximum if u have a decent balancer to keep them within spec as the voltage rises of each cell.
Im guessing u have Lifepo4 battery which u can charge to 14.6v (3.65v/cell max), if so, I would suggest to tweak ur bulk charging up to 14.2v, ie: 3.55v/cell, as 3.5v-3.55v/cell is ur sweet and safe charging spot to get a full 100% SOC to each cell. At 3.45v/cell (13.8v total battery voltage) you will get a full SOC but it will take a bit longer, set ur controller to 14.2v for bulk and do not leave it there for long, if at all, & 13.6v -13.8v for float mode and u will get the fastest, safe & complete charge each day, if sun allows.
If ur system was 24v, you would charge to 29.2v in bulk mode (max), and this would give u up to about 438 Watts of charging power if u have the 450+ watts of pv panels to do this, & this is one of the benefits and efficiencies of a system that uses a higher voltage, as u can see a higher output voltage through that controller will give u a better charging result with the same or thinner cabling.
Consider also, if ur controller was capable of 48v charging (which it is not!), you could potentially harvest up to 880 watts instead of 200W at 12v with correct pv panel/voltage setup. Hope this helps. Cheers
That more than helps , and I appreciate you taking the time to explain that in a very understandable way. I read what you said a few times , and it sunk in good. Yes, all LiFePO batteries running here. 12V mostly, but a little 24V, and 48V too. Much to learn. Mahalo for sharing this with us...aloha 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 have you seen “DIY solar with Will Prowse” on YT? He is very good at teaching about solar, I think you might find his channel very helpful. All the best. Cheers
@@ProjectsinParadise808remember to set float to zero as lithium batteries don't float. My lithium battery only goes to 12.5,6 so don't set anything above or you'll destroy your battery. Absorption is the goal.
I use only one 230w panel for the same setup on a pipe that can turn to fallow the sun, I would make a solar tracker if I would use more power, but so far for a tiny setup no complaints. 808 backout
Greetings! The amps isn't a problem for solar controllers but to much voltage yes.
good morning god bless you i have Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/10 Solar Charge Controller w/ Bluetooth with 1 CHINS LiFePO4 Battery 12V 100AH Lithium Battery how to set up solar panel i need.
, i need help
The wattage from the panels is not being pushed to controller. The controller is pulling the wattage from the panels. It will only take as much wattage as it is designed to take.
there is no such thing as pull
I over panel my controller 8% because most of the time the panel is producing 50% - 75% of its max power - My controller is an EpEver 20a - it starts to feather off the current at 18amps - it does this by shifting from the max power point effectively making the panel less efficient - There are marginal gains buy using a slightly undersize controller in that mid-power output the unit will be running near maximum efficiency though after 75% when things get warm a bigger control;er would perform better
I would like to see this experiment with an additional panel to prove that this is really holding back.
Will it regulate voltage down if you add another panel or 2 in series?
No
Interesting to see how the Victron handles over paneling. It looks like the controller reduces the panel voltage to throttle the power into the controller. What I don't understand is why the array current to the controller was so low. In an ideal world even at voltage below the Vmp the current from the array should be close to or perhaps a bit above Imp. Was your sun angle less/greater than optimum? It would be interesting too see what the output from the panels is when connected to a higher capacity controller such as the 100/30. In other words would you get the full 300 watts from the array and would the array amperage be closer to 6.25 amps?
It also appears that total wattage is being effected by the battery voltage. You should see an increase in wattage through the controller as battery voltage increases. That controller is rated for 220 watts, which would give 15 amps at 14.67 volts. If the battery was really flat (say 12.2 volts) the controller should only pass about 185 watts to the battery. A quick calculation suggests that the controller will pass the following wattage as a function of battery voltage (using the 14.9 amps you saw as maximum output): 12v - 179w, 12.5v - 186w, 13v - 194w, 13.5v - 201w, 14v - 209w, 14.6v - 218w. So based on that alone, over paneling is not an efficient use of panels.
volts by amps gives gives watts. amps are low because panel volts are high..
Making the most efficient use of panels is not really as high of a priority as it used to be.
Back in the 80s I paid just under $5000 for 6 120 watt panels, I wanted to get every watt possible out of them. Now panels are cheap and over paneling is a good way to get thru cloudy times without having to start the generator.
@@andreblanchard8315 Getting maximum output is still desirable in some situations. For example I have solar on my boat, but the size of the array is quite limited, so I would like to get ever watt I can out of the panels I have.
Because that is the maximum power point... MPPT
I have 1040w array and 100/30 charger.24V. It goes up to 30A 800w. Time to bye a bigger controller.
In a MPPT, amps are irrelevant. You can only blow the unit by exceeding the operating voltage at the input.
15amp x battery voltage equals the watts it will charge with
Next experiment is to hook two batteries in series for 24 volts. You will see the wattage go up with same charge controller. Been there done that.
That's something I have yet to try, but I will! Aloha!🤙
I did that differently and not with victron either. I get half a day of shadow daily (when it's not raining) and it all added up to never charging my one 200Watt portable power supply fully. I have 4x 18vpanels, each supposedly putting out a max of 120Watts. All in 18v parallel. That's 18/24 volts with 480 watts possible, but never bringing in more than 20 watts daily because of clouds! I added 2 more 18/24volt panels 100watts each again in parallel, but when I switched them in, the 18 volts dropped to 16 volts and did nothing to increase the watts taken in by the Portable Power supply, which can accept 800W input according to the Specs.. I'm a beginner in Off Grid just trying to cut down consumption. Not happening!
Wouldn’t it be better to run just 2 panels in parallel and still get around the 15amp mark
You haven't exceeded the input rating as your series panels are only capable of putting out 6.5 amps short circuit current (In series the current rating is the single panel rating). You could add another series string of these panels in parallel and your short circuit current would still only be 2 x 6.5 = 13 amps and within the input rating. It wouldn't be very cost effective though as you'd be using 600 watts of panels to get a max of 220 watts at 12 volts. In this case 300 watts of panels in series seems like a good match especially in areas with variable weather.
It looks like this controller can actually use 440 watts for 24 volts in which case 6 x100 watt panels in two strings would be optimal and not overload the charge controller (as each string contributes 60 volts and 6.5 amps giving you 60 volts and 13amps total).
If you are in a location that gets hours and hours of full sun then it would be worth matching the solar panels to either 220 watt or 440 watt depending on your battery voltage. For 400 watts you'd want two strings of 2 panels. 4 panels in series would give 80 volts open circuit exceeding the 75 volt input rating.
Obviously these figures only apply to these 100 watt panels with a 20 volt open circuit voltage and 6.5 amp short circuit current.
Rule of thumb.
Dont exceed voltage.
Dont exceed Amps on PV string rating.
So the 75/15 is:
75 Volts limit for string input. (Can cause damage)
15 Amps over 12V output max. (Cannot cause damage) = 180W max but this MPPT can actually output 220W.
🤙
Why would the blue light be flashing on and off on this model? Mine started doing this
Blue light flashing indicates it’s in charging mode, or bulk .🤙
Nope, still 6+ amps. They are in series, voltage goes up, current stays the same.
So what about the 14+ amps, or holding 300 watts at 200? 🤙
In series, volts are additive but amps are not. Volts push, so never go above the 75 (VOC), whereas amps are pulled, so no need to worry that you will go over 15 amps. Amps greater than the 15 simply won’t be used…wasted, or over simply over paneled, which is useful on overcast days.
@@ProjectsinParadise808 Input volts X input amps = watts into the controller. I think you were close to 48 volts and 4.2 amps or so. The charge controller steps that down to battery charge voltage and the charge current goes up. You will loose a couple of watts in the controller as heat. I bring in 230 volts under load but only the 10 amps the panels are rated at. You are just not going to get more than 300 watts out of your panels no matter how you wire them.
@@ProjectsinParadise808 The 14+ amps comes from the controller (not the panels) when it steps down the voltage to meet the battery voltage. When it does that, it converts the "overvoltage" to amps. Gary is right: it is not your panels letting 15 amps in. (Not if you serie connect) The limit you meet is the controller letting max 15 amps out(after it convert the power to meet your battery voltage)
I was looking at the spec sheet of the Victron MPPT 75/15 charge controller and the only protection it says the controller has is short circuit and over temperature. Your three panels do have the potential of exeeding the max amperage of the panels by a few amps but the tolerances of the controller is likely to allow a bit more than the rated current and you maybe lucky enough that it won't complain too much. It won't however limit the current and automatically keep it below a safe level for it's operation meaning if you added a fourth panel to the array you would likely blow your controller. Being that you live in Hawaii and your temperatures will likely never get down where the panels will approach their maximum power output you might be safe with your current array as is unless you should have a bright sunny day along with uncharacteristicly cold temperatures. Adding a forth panel is not recommended for this 12v system as it would certainly lead to you exceeding the controllers rating far to often for it's rated capabilities. The spec sheet says it only supports 220 watts of solar on a 12v battery system however it will support up to 440 watts of solar panels if you change to a 24 volt battery.
That was obvious. It’s stated in the booklet that the controllers regulate till the max limit. Yes you can add a panel until you reach the max PV voltage .. in this case 75 volt.
More panels means more efficiency with less light available. More panels at less light = max watt available sooner.
So your experiment you could do in paper.
Victron is not stupid and does test there systems the same way
When setting the parameters on my charge controller is possible to to program it so that I don't get a high voltage warning?
And is that a problem?
High voltage warnings are there for a reason mate. If you slam a voltage in to your controller that is above the rated VoC the controller can handle, then there is a good risk you'll fry the controller. If you go over the specs for charging lead acid (unless you're doing an equalisation) then chances are you might hurt your batteries. Overvolting a Lifepo4 should see the BMS shut it down, but that's not a guarantee. Unless you have a specific use case for your controller that you wish to ask about, I would stick to the recommendations of your equipment manufacturers . Edit: Remember equalisation is high voltage but low current for a relatively short period of time in the case of Flooded Lead Acid.
Manufacturer recommended setting is 28.4v . I program in 28.2. And want to go lower, but I don't really understand the meaning of the other setting and understand that they need to go proportionally together.
Any help please!
@@boscodog4358 what model controller are you using, and what battery chemistry. Obviously a 24 volt system, if I know the controller model and battery type I can be more helpful. Also how many amp hours is your battery bank, and what size is your solar array.
@@Drewboo1968 awesome man.
I have a 6415an controller Epever.
A Reliable 3k watt inverter.
2. 12.8 v. 100amh batteries 24v configuration.
4-- 310w panels series/ parallel configuration. Output 73v. And app. 9 Amp
My problem is over voltage to the batteries getting alarm at 28.2 v
Is that normal
It appears that the controller is slow in closing down the charging to the battery
That should hold around 15 amp max. Now if you set for 24V you should get the full 300 watt peek. I am not Shure if that model can do 24V . would be the way to run it on 24V. now over voltage the input from solar array may damage the unit. also if that MPPT heats up to much it will limit output as well . make Shure you have space around the3 MPPT to let the heat out. looks ok. 😀
I looked at my MPPT 7510 controller and is does 24V . great way to charge that 100 ah 24V battery. looking at info I got with mine and the USB connect for lap top I can do A custom firmware up date for outher battery's like NiCad or nickel-Iron . I wont be doing that on this small on. just 12/24V for camping 120watt folding panel . you should be able to run 24 just fine on what you got 300 watt array.
@@robertmeyer4744 I have the 75/15 , it only does 12 and 24, I use it in conjunction with the boost converter, just to swap power around to different lithium batteries, You can push all the amps at it all u want, it's just going to give you 15, cuz that's what it's rated for. I've never went past 70V though.
@@WCO3 the guy hear has time USB 24V battery . this will be great to charge it.
😀
Having fun now with this higher voltage! Can't wait to share with you. Wow, what a difference! 🤙
I'm dialing it in now!🤙
I have the same controller, it is ok to over panel Victron mppt controller, no harm can be done with what your doing, just be sure to stay under the input voltage limit, what your seeing is called clipping during peak solar power available, not all manufactures of MPPT controllers can handle over panelling or clipping, be careful read the manual. If you were to add a 4th panel then you would need to put 2 and 2 in parallel then put the 2 parallel sets in series, 4 panels in series would exceeded the 75volt input limit, Alarm Input over voltage comes up @75.05v and stops charging, clears once you go below 73v and starts charging again.
Great advice, mahalo! 🤙
No it is not ok! You can’t go one the input voltage limit in this case 75v.
@@allisonking785 What he showed us is perfectly ok, he’s not exceeding the voltage, he’s exceeding the output current, which is ok to do on victron mppt, but not ok on some other mppt controllers, I’ve updated my original comment to address this.
Shockingly, small shadows can have HUGE effects on total output. Only speaking for my 4500w array, small shadows take 180ADC right on down to 10-50ADC instantly albeit only temporarily. Doubt that's your production issue but.....could be?
Those results were in full sun at the end of the clip.🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 I’d be interested in seeing you test each panel individually and then in a couple different configurations ie 3S vs 3P
PERC+ half-cut panels are a good choice. 420 W but only 99 euro. Half-cut is not so sensitive for shading.
I believe you have a 15amp limit at 70volts or potentially 1050watts your controller provides 2 sources of power 1 that charges a battery and another load that can feed an inverter. If this is correct your not really close to the limit for power you can probably connect 3 parallel sets of 3 series 100w panels and stay safely under the limit. 9 panels 900w below the limit, less than 70 volts and about 15 amps.
This controller is only capable of 24v system. So, assuming a charging voltage of approx 28.8v x 15A is about 432W max output.
You can't measure with the same controller. The input it shows will be always equal with the output plus some internal loses. It will just take from the panels the max power it can handle and just not use all the panels can give.
People with no formal electronics training rarely understand current (Amps) You do not push amps you cannot exeed the amp rating of that controller, All you can do is exceed the voltage rating if you connect too many panels to it in series, The flow of amps is controlled by the resistance of the internal circuitry and the amount of voltage applied, reduce resistance more amps flow, increase voltage more amps flow, you can do neither with that controller as it regulates those things
I always overpanel For shitty Kauai Winter weather, and let the victron put the cap on the amps
Yeah, I'm just going to leave that panel on now I have better understanding of it. Plenty dark rainy here too brother. Aloha 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 Don't let people scare you and say it's going to hurt it. I've never killed one yet. And they sit on the ground in a jungle underneath a tin roof. Overvoltage may Fry it though idk. 😂
How many isc over and watts over do you overpanel?
The extra 100 watts is turning to heat and will kill it over time. Careful cause victron stuff aint cheap. Yep a fan or heat sink will probably help but it will eventually die
add another identical 12v battery wired to make 24v and that charge controller will charge at upto 440w.
Victron is the best charge controller
Best I've ever used by far! 🤙
I laugh at the ignorance of the comments that think a charge controller amperage is rated at the panel voltage. Dudes, a solar charge controller is rated at the batter side amperage.
would double that if you used 24V battery though... 15A 24V = 360W
I do use 24v battery on the coffee maker lately, with no problems. 🤙
victron 100/50 specifies max input current of 60 amps - I give it 2400w (70v x 36amps) controller never shows anything higher than around 60v x 12 amps combo (700w) which converts to a solid 50amp output.
wondering how the excess current damages the controller - if I supply 4800w (70v x 72 amps) should remain at 60v x 12 amps at the unit. I assume the controller just can't throttle more than 60 amps, gets hot, wears and burns out. can't find a precise answer and not willing to set fire to my equipment for science.
Docs say your 75/15 should have no greater than 15amps input from the array - if you are willing to pump 20 amps or more, I will happily watch :)
The 75 is the watts you can use directy from the controller without a battery connected. Its on the far right where there is written "load
The 15 is the maxs amps it is capable of charing your battery
🤙
75 is the max pv open circuit voltage and 15 is the max amps the controller will deliver.
i used 75/15 for 2 years on 360 watts of solar - Lose out on extra power panels can make mid day - besides that it will work - I had zero problems
Working well here too! Aloha!🤙
Exceeding the watts and amperage is fine, but the operating voltage should never be exceeded.
the 15 amp has nothing to do with the input amps. it has to do with the output of the controller.
Maybe your panels are bad. With the 100 I get 220 to 240 with one 300 Watt panel, its was not even that sunny today
I’m shocked that you are multiplying amperage of each panel by 3…..wrong….max 6.5 amps if you’re lucky after all those wire and connection loss(es)…..
24 v battery would be better
🤙
You can't exceed the amperage, the charge controller will only take what it is rated for, you can put 2000 strings in parallel giving you 20000A....the charge controller will only take what it can.
What you can't do... is overvoltage...
You should delete this video because when you connect in series, the voltage adds but the amps stays the same.👍
you have not exceeded the ratings
- need to read the specifications for the ratings
Victron Specifies The Max current spec for the unit is the "Short Circuit Current" of the panel set
- this depends on how the panels are wired (series vs parallel)
Now, I take an educated guess that this is because of internal switching circuits or wire size on the panel side
- As you observe the units will self regulate down to the 15A (in this case) max current output when the panel set is slightly oversized
- Oversizing of the panel sets will result in better poor weather performance at the expense of not getting peak potential output on full sun best case days
10 minutes I'll never get back
Get yourself a real cc with higher amp rating! 40amp. Epever BN 40 costs $30 (Aust $) more. $20 (US $).