jimmy
Solar Lover
Posts: 52 
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Post by jimmy on Jan 1, 2018 17:15:29 GMT -8
Thanks I understand about 40% of that. Ill read it about 15 more times that will help. I didn't realize you could lose that much at 45 degrees off. I can adjust mine from 20 to 30 degrees max and I can go down to zero. It takes two men though. Ill get to it. Yes tattoo I only have the one controller like yours. Would like 2 more batteries but it would take a bit of rework. I see now about the voltage and the watt. It was about 28 volts when I was getting 1125. It was jumping around a lot from 825 to 1000 then 1100 back down to 950 I guess that is normal. I do have a kilowatt meter just got it hooked back up today. Moving thing around it was down for few days. I have had nothing but rain and cloud cover today and the next 2 days. The controller keeps track of the kwh per day. Cant be much now. Too cold to check. Peace, Thanks
Rabird, thanks for the vmp. So do you mean that I can only achieve that 1500 watts if my batteries are at 29.2? And because I was at about 28 that allowed me to achieve 1125?
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Post by tattoo on Jan 1, 2018 18:20:45 GMT -8
Man don't feel bad, Hell I've been doing this for a while now and I still don't understand half of what Bird post.. That's why I gave up trying to understand and went to KISS solar and that's when Solar started making sense to me....
My voltage goes up and down just like yours so don't worry about it.... My panels are at a much better angle than yours so that's why I produce more power this time of year with fewer panels... But look at it this way summer is coming and you will be making more power soon... But I would tilt them all you can now and leave them that way.....
Yea I understand about you not having the room for more batteries right now but at least you are seeing that 2 more have helped..
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Post by rabird on Jan 1, 2018 20:02:15 GMT -8
So do you mean that I can only achieve that 1500 watts if my batteries are at 29.2? And because I was at about 28 that allowed me to achieve 1125? No, I was showing what spec is, how 1500 watts is 5.29A @ 18.9v @ 15 panels is series parallel. the 1125 was all the panels would make at that time. Ya got loads, battery charging and your inverter, don't matter they are both loads. So the day starts and the CC is gonna attempt to charge to 14.6 (x2), it takes energy to do that. All the panel power will go to the batteries if there is no other load until the battery gets to 14.6 (x2). If the batteries are heavily discharged this may take all the power you can make in days depending on the sun. If your batteries are not so discharged then they slowly stop accepting energy to prevent them from going over 14.6v. The controller does this by shutting off and then on very fast. As less and less energy is needed to maintain the 14.6v, the off time increases and eventually will switch to float mode of 13.?v. It takes less energy to maintain this voltage so the panel is mostly off. You turn on the inverter and upset this process (this is not bad, it just is). Ya turn on a small load and there may be excess power so the batt is getting charged and the inverter is getting what it needs. Ya turn on a different load or a cloud comes by, there may not be enough energy for the batt to charge and the load so the battery discharges some. This is all very dynamic and changing all the time as the sun changes, the batt changes and the load changes. Others may use the system differently, discharging during the night and recharging during the day. Others may use a generator a few hrs a day if needed. ... One key is to not leave the batteries in a discharge state for too long like a few days to a week. This may mean you shut off your loads to let them get FULL on occasion, use the grid to charge, use a generator or even a vehicle alternator / jumper cables. Will ya ever get 1500 watts? likely never. That's rated spec under controlled conditions. Cold will help get more. directly pointed at full sun on a clear blue day ... Lots of inefficiencies, panels, sun, inverter, controller, wires, each connection, ... all have losses. Want to investigate best angle, try www.solarpaneltilt.com/keep playing and learning |
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jimmy
Solar Lover
Posts: 52
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Post by jimmy on Jan 2, 2018 15:33:21 GMT -8
I'm at the 29n Ocala Fl. 30 is close enough. I printed out and will use the chart to change 4 times a year. Thanks again, hope to see the sun on Thursday.
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Post by rabird on Jan 3, 2018 7:54:09 GMT -8
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jimmy
Solar Lover
Posts: 52
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Post by jimmy on Jan 3, 2018 9:33:18 GMT -8
Thanks for the solar data site I added to my favorites. Now I know what I do not know. First what I am trying to achieve is to understand for sure if I'm draining batteries or charging. Of course I need to know this because it helps know what I can use inside, cut back or go ahead. I see on my controller that I have 6 amps coming in at 26.5 volts, they are both on the same page of the controller. The 6 amp is certainly what is coming in because my external meter shows I have steadily using 40 watts inside. Also I notice it was raining a while ago and using the same watts inside solar was producing 3 amps. When it lightened up and stopped raining still over cast it went up to 6 amps. Volts went up to 26.7 still using 40 watts inside. So 6 times 26.7 =160 watts. That is what I am producing. I could burn another 120 watts inside and I would be even and not charging batteries.( Right?) What I still didn't get is how panels only supposed to produce 5.29 amps x3 or 15.9 ended up producing 40amps and without tripping the 20 amp breaker. The reading I am getting from the controller is what I am getting from the panels not what I am using in the house. (Right?)
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jimmy
Solar Lover
Posts: 52
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Post by jimmy on Jan 3, 2018 9:54:56 GMT -8
Oh Yea forgot the amps when I gave you the 40 watts. Now its 49watts at 1.97Amps going inside at 27.9 volts. Little sunshine peaking through and the controller reads 24.2a and 29.4 volts but its bouncing around. How does it get up to 24 amps when its only supposed to be 15.9 tops?
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Post by rabird on Jan 3, 2018 10:33:49 GMT -8
Panel votage and wattage, So the panel voltage should be near 95v, do you have a display for input voltage?
panel voltage is not 26, right?
Let's say you were making 1500w and the input voltage was 95v, that is 1500/95 = 15.8 amps (that is less than 20A breaker).
Now the CC TRANSFORMS this down to battery voltage, 1500 watts / 26v = 57A
49watts/95v = 0.5 amp = 2A * 24.5v
your amp reading is at batt voltage transfomed from panel voltage,
panel amps will be a lot less @95v vs 25v.
You need to understand panel wattage (input) is at a higher voltage which is BUCKED (transformed down) to batt voltage.
The output wattage is at batt voltage.
input wattage should be slightly higher than output wattage cuz the BUCKING process is not 100% eff. That is why there is a heat sink on the back, to dissipate the heat.
Do you understand that if you are using a 120 watt light bulb via 120v inverter that is 1 amp of 120vAC but the input would be 120w/24v or 5 amp of 24vDC plus the ineff of the inverter?
side note: this is why I never said whether or not you needed more batt capacity, cuz the way you want to use solar is as it is made and not to store it for later use, as best I can tell, like a attic solar vent that only 'works' when the sun shines, no battery for storage.
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Post by tattoo on Jan 3, 2018 12:18:14 GMT -8
Bird I think I read where jimmy is totally off grid day and night. Is that right jimmy?? That's why I suggested the two more batteries and that he only use half the power he is making on a clear day..
Jimmy what does your CC show how many kwh are you making now with the two extra batteries??
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jimmy
Solar Lover
Posts: 52
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Post by jimmy on Jan 3, 2018 13:40:45 GMT -8
Ok, thanks, I'm a lot closer now. Not off the grid. I put my solar panel just above my regular electric panel. Pulled some wires from some breakers and moved them to solar. Part of house is wired solar part electric. I use good extension cords for some things on cloudy days. However the extra batteries give me lights,led and tv 64w 24/7 even on complete cloudy days without going below 70%. Frig gets plugged in daytime. Dishwasher on sunny days. Toaster, pressure cooker 650w blow dryer, space heater 500/1000 watts. AC 900 watts on sunny days not at night.ect.
1.4kwh/d rained most of the day, little bit of sun after 2.
Ok lot closer pv volt is 89.4 reading 4.22A at 26.47 battery volts. Thanks for the explanation. I see the 4.22 is the battery current. What is my pv current is it always at 15.9?
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jimmy
Solar Lover
Posts: 52
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Post by jimmy on Jan 3, 2018 13:46:59 GMT -8
I didn't get more batteries because I felt the cost was too expensive. I replaced several batteries after 2 years but I was a lot dumber then. I ruined them getting too much out. I couldn't imagine having to replace 4 or 6 batteries. Right now I only have room for 4. I may expand later. I am going to keep the batteries above 60% and bring them up to 29.4 every sunny days for a couple hours.
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jimmy
Solar Lover
Posts: 52
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Post by jimmy on Jan 3, 2018 14:14:46 GMT -8
26.47 divided by 89.4 = .296 time 4.22= 1.249pv amps (Right?) Wonder why that is not on the controller readout? Bird do you know anything about relativity besides E=MC squared?
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Post by tattoo on Jan 3, 2018 14:34:07 GMT -8
I didn't get more batteries because I felt the cost was too expensive. I replaced several batteries after 2 years but I was a lot dumber then. I ruined them getting too much out. I couldn't imagine having to replace 4 or 6 batteries. Right now I only have room for 4. I may expand later. I am going to keep the batteries above 60% and bring them up to 29.4 every sunny days for a couple hours. But you did just add 2 new batteries recently though? You only had 2 when you started asking questions? |
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Post by tattoo on Jan 3, 2018 14:38:39 GMT -8
What is my pv current is it always at 15.9? I think I read bird to say that the CC converts it to dc battery volts.... That's all I ever see on my CC... |
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Post by tattoo on Jan 3, 2018 14:44:10 GMT -8
I replaced several batteries after 2 years but I was a lot dumber then. I ruined them getting too much out. . LOL So did I in the beginning but it was with in 2 weeks so I got them replaced for free.... I read that the first batteries in a new solar system are sacrificial... LOL Most people kill them with in 6 weeks... |
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