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Post by capedoryus on Jun 21, 2017 11:05:19 GMT -8
Hello folks, I have a solar system on a boat that I purchased. Could use feedback on charge controllers. Thanks. The system is old and janky. No fuses, no charge controllers. It's three panels going to a 12 volt bus bar which comes off the battery. There is a amp meter in line and I have measured the volts of the combined panels. It's never over 15 amps and volts hover around 18 to 20. The panels are old and different. No stickers you can read and the panels are hardwired together IE no connectors. I really want to straighten this mess out but am not sure where to start. Getting to the boxes on the back of the panels is a PIA and I realize I may have to do this to get individual reading. From what I have picked up so far my best bet is three individual charge controllers going into the bank. PWM would be the choice as three MPPTs would be way to costly. The battery bank is 4 Trojan T105s linked for 12 volts. So far I have not had any issue with lack of power but having three panels going into the system at a bus bar seems a bit janky. Plus i don't want to leave the boat unattended. I live on it so I can, in theory,monitor the system. On a second note: when I do an amp reading on each panel, with a clamp on meter, would I have to disconnect each panel and then connect to a battery to get an amp reading? Thanks in advance. John Conway FL as in too hot Keys
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Post by rabird on Jun 21, 2017 13:01:31 GMT -8
you can be the controller, if the batt voltage gets to 15v, disconnect the panels from the batt, that is what a controller does. You can measure amps on any single wire from a panel to gets it amps. They can stay connected unless you do as below! The most proper way to test is to short a panel (the two wires) with an amp meter to determine its current short circuit (Isc). Also, with the meter now set to volts, measure the voltage between the two wires, this is Voc or voltage open circuit. I'd use just one controller, connect all 3 panel + and then extend that to the controller input, do the same with the 3 negatives. It sounds like that is already done at the bus bar. Testing a panel one of many videos www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZf-sm3UXX0100 watt panels are ~5A Isc and 21v Voc.
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Post by capedoryus on Jun 22, 2017 9:04:23 GMT -8
Thanks for the info. Clamp on meter should be here tomorrow. Seems like magic.
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Post by capedoryus on Jun 22, 2017 9:05:41 GMT -8
Thanks for the info.
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