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How to Install Off-Grid Solar Yourself
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- Опубликовано: 12 авг 2024
- We have been asked again and again to show how solar panels are wired into an off grid system. In this video we wire up solar panels and a charge controller into a 12v battery operated off grid electrical system. I hope you see that it's really quite easy to understand. There is actually very little to it once you see the wiring laying on a table and not installed with all the other systems most installations entail.
NOTE: the batteries in this video aren't simply in parallel. They are of different chemistry as putting them together would require care and has issues.
Next week's video will show how we connect them. Spoiler, it's with one of these.
www.emilyandclarksadventure.c...
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Link to the inverter used in this video (discount on Amazon)
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With an mppt charger, putting the panels in series means the voltage gets to the point of charging earlier in the day. There is in general a wider range of solar input that is usable with series. Your point about shading is well put and I guess in my case I have not have that issue (no sails) so far. That is about to change (bought sailboat). What I have done, however, is to use 4 panels is series/parallel. I have put two series sets so that each set gets about the same view of the sun. Two charge controllers would be better but I don't have the room. That said, The panels are mounted flattish on a slightly curved deck and the 400 watts of panels provide over 300 watts much of the time (so long as we have a load that demands that much) which I would consider pretty good for a 45degree angle of incidence. Breakers should be DC rated mostly. AC breakers are often rated for 48V DC which is ok for 24 V systems but not "48v" systems which charge at higher voltages. Two 12v panels in series can have an open voltage of over 40v. This is just barely within that 48 volts range. So use a breaker as a panel switch with care. With an mppt controller it would seem that the controller should be close to the battery (or closer) as there will be more current there than from the panels... but make room for the inverter to be even closer. This is another reason for the panel voltage to be higher than the battery voltage, the panels are often mounted in a place where the wire runs will be longer anyway (we didn't have that choice).
Hi, great comment thank you for that you touched on something that I also wanted to comment on and that's series vs parallel and partial shade. I'm not trying to assert that I'm right here just looking for the truth as I had a disagreement with a friend over it.
In the case of parallel if one panel is partially shaded wouldn't its drop in voltage tend to want to drag the other panel's operating voltage down with it therefore reducing its power output? That just makes sense to me given everything I know about electronics and I thought that was the whole idea of mppt that it allowed each panel in series to operate at its best voltage vs current point without effecting those around it. Hence 2 panels in series would be less effected by partial shade on one than if they were in parallel..
if you think that my reasoning is unsound please feel free to correct me and if you have time to explain why I'd really appreciate that.. I'll then go and apologize to my buddy as well 😊. Best regards
@@sailingshiloh My understanding is that a solar panel should be treated like a current source rather than a voltage source. Properly designed solar panels should not "back feed" so two panels in parallel should just add the current together. If one panel is shaded, it's current will be lower than an unshaded panel but the current will still be additive. If the the panels are in series, the current at the whole series panel voltage has to travel through both panels and therefore can only be as high as the lowest current panel. So where one panel is shaded, the current flowing through that panel is the limit to both panel's current when they are in series. So for shading of one panel, parallel should provide more power.
When using multiple panels, in my case four of them, I have split them into two series pairs in parallel. I have connected them such that any one series pair is unlikely to have only one panel in the shade. This means I start to make power earlier in the day because my charge controller needs at least 12v just to start. It means on a cloudy day, my current will be lower but because the voltage, even if a little low, is still higher than 12v, generally over 20V (40v plus in the sun) And so I can make the most use of what power is there. MPPT chargers are great, 12 to 43 or so volts in and 12 to 14 out to my batteries (lead based) and system so long as there is light. Anyway, it keeps the fridge cold and the lights running 24/7. It must have been mostly sunny last summer though, we can see the boat in the water on Goggle Earth :)
Thanks for that answer Len (And the question Shiloh). These are informative and so nicely polite. I'm "pinning' these to the top of the comment section.
@@lenwhatever4187 Add a Diodes between panels to protect your solar panels from back feeding
@@MR.E820 I was not thinking about back feeding so much as the idea that I might be able to get more energy from the shady side with it's own controller. I would have to have that second controller to test if that is so though.
Thanks for taking your car apart ...your router apart ... your moms camper apart ! great info,
now you can re assemble everything , nice camera work Emily .😊
You're very welcome Glen. Thanks for commenting.
So grateful for your well organized and explained videos!
Your presentation and method of teaching is absolutely on point 👍👍
Great video! Simple and informative.
So helpful. Thank you.
Have watched a fair few similar and have a well known book… but you explained a few bits in a way I had never understood before.
Great job as always! Really appreciate you guys sharing your knowledge and producing professional level videos!
Thanks Charles
Great video Clark! I love your technical boat videos!!
Thanks Bill
Another great tutorial! Thank you Emily and Clark! Happened to buy the EPEVER MPPT charge controller 6 years ago for our first solar system on the boat and it has been working flawlessly. Looking forward to the real-life experience on the Redodo LPO battery, maybe they achieve the same price/quality position as the EPEVER! Looking forward to next week´s video!
Great post Clark. I appreciate all the information you are sharing here. 🌞🌴⛵️
Thanks Gef
Thank you so much. This was another easy to understand and so very educational RUclips.
My "Bank Manager" arrived!!!! Now I am just waiting for my relay/switch/contactor to arrive. I did see it was shipped Thanks!!
Thank you for your advice and guidance. You are a great teacher. Please keep it up!
So nice of you to say Thero.
Hope you choose to subscribe and look through our back catalogue of videos. We have been making similar videos for about 5 years now.
Fantastic presentation Clark
Thank you
MAESTRO! Your teaching/presenting this video is super! Thanks for this really cool lesson. 😊🤓 good details and super-fluid explanation!
Thank you
The fluid explanation is Emily's editing
Great video! Thank you for the in depth explanation!
You're welcome John
3 yrs ago I helped install a 640w PV system on a sailboat that ran $1/w or $640. Two 320W REC solar panels in parallel, a 60A Make Sky Blue MPPT with WIFI (chosen for budget reasons as it was $130, but it does have cooling fan) plus MC4 connectors, wires and circuit breakers. Power fed into 12v golf cart house battery bank. The Make Sky Blue has performed well in marine environment and can be checked via screen on unit or smart phone via free app. A 60A DC circuit breaker used going to battery, it was an off brand and triggered at much less than 60A so switched to better brand with no subsequent problems. Definitely go for rigid panels and bifacial on sturdy davits.
Nice video, awesome introduction to the world of solar and DC system. I have a small system on my CLC teardrop with 50ah AGM battery, PWM charge controller and some foldable solar panels. I found that where I camp (mostly state parks) my camper is in shade, so being able to move the panels is helpful. I would also say because my power demands are so low, LED lights, fans etc I am thinking about just using a solar power station, (Rockpals, Jackery etc) that basically has battery, charger, inverter all built in. Prices are coming down, and makes sense for lower power demand. Thanks again for the video!!
Thank you.
Yes one of them might be very useful for the system you describe. We have reviewed two of them.
As I say in the reviews buy one based on LiFePO4 batteries only. Beyond the safety issue they have a significantly longer useful life than li-ion.
Thanks Clark. Yes, much appreciated👍🏻.
God Bless🙏🏻⛵⚓
Hi Clark, I think you need to mention that you really need to have a DC rated circuit breaker between the solar panel and the charge controller. Solar panels are always "ON" !
Do you mean not using one that is based on a triac? Yes
I use circuit breakers here just because they are the cheapest way to buy a high amp switch. But cheap means thermal so DC is ok.
@@EmilyAndClark He means a circuit breaker designed for DC. AC circuit breakers don't work reliably (or at all) with DC circuits. DC circuit breakers have to break electrical arcing from continuous current, so they are a bit more complex than AC circuit breakers which more or less automatically break the arc when the current passes through the 0 point (100-120 times a second due to the AC waveform). DC circuit breakers have special ARC extinguishers, typically magnetically aided.
Great video thanks Clark. just last Friday I completed installing a remote solar powered UHF radio repeater here on a mountain top in the wilderness.
Note : Inverters, solar controllers and switch mode power supplies are notorious for causing RF interference on HF and VHF radio in vessels so equipped. Be aware and prepare to shield. :-)
Yep fast switching and a coil. Basically a radio jammer isn't it.
Another super good video!
Thank you Sezai
I installed a small solar system (800 watts) to run a deep water well. I debated using an AGM or a LiFePO4 battery. I finally settled on the Lithium battery and purchased Redodo 12v 200ah plus.
Good stuff, cheers Clark.
Thanks
Now you need to do the solar panel series/parallel research to figure out which is better under what conditions. Personally I'm betting on the series set up winning out over all.
Thank you. Perfectly clear.
Glad you liked it. Next week's video is a follow-on
I have that battery a 200amp hour great but got the 410 Amp hour this is in my rv works great
Boondocking - I just bought a new Nucamp Ciruss 2022 820 truck camper and I placed it on my 2007 Ford F-550 Flat bed truck. The truck has 2 batteries and the truck camper has two LA Exide batteries and 200 watts of solar supporting the 2- LA batteries. I am considering buying a Pecron lf 2000 and adding 3- solar panels on the roof rack for it and also setting up alternator charging through an inverter for the Pecron (needs AC Charging) when the truck in travelling. My plan is to plug the Pecron into the shore power of the camper to provide AC power to the micro-wave and as a supplemental battery source. The Pecron is portable and expandable. It will also support the AC window air conditioner I cut into the back of the cab of the truck (Red Neck Move) 700 watt unit. I guess my question and challenge is setting up the inverter charger for the pecron off the truck alternator, and selecting panels for the pecron DC charging. I have a Honda 1000 and 3000 eu too for emergency. I am not sure any of this really make sense but it is fun to ponder it.
Great video
Thanks Brad
@EmilyAndClark your welcome. Been watching yall for a long time now. Still got about 5 year's till we move to a sailboat
Thank you!!!
You're welcome
A battery with good potential LoL that sounded like an unintentional voltage joke. :)
massively informative as usual. The thing I am still missing conceptually is where and how in the circuit you'd add a shore power configuration (both 110 and 240 for bluewater boats). I know that's not "off-grid" but many of these installations, especially mobile ones such as boats and vans, would include this anyway.
All charge sources go through some sort of regulator or charge controller and are simply connected to the positive and negative bus.
In the case of the shore power charger. The battery charger is both the power converter(charge sources) and the charge controller.
@@EmilyAndClarkhow do I buy the bank manager, gonna be in the Rio to January
Chris . .
Right here. You may need to look into reship.com
www.emilyandclarksadventure.com/bbms
21:50 i think you are right, but that is where diods come in, to open up the flow around the shaded panel and reduce the resistent that the shading creates in the whole circuit.
the Diode efectively is an automated switch to make single panes Paralell to the rest of the searies.
Hi Clark love this video! We are new to solar. How does the charge controller handle the two different battery chemistries? Thank you!
That is what next week's video is about. I should have said that in the video.
Here's a spoiler.
www.emilyandclarksadventure.com/bbms
This video is just the best explanation of a solar setup ever. Thank you so much.
I have a question I hope you can answer:
Given that inverters use power (when switched on) even when there is no load, and bigger inverters use more. than small ones, would it be more efficient to have several small inverters dedicated to the load device/s. e.g. one inverter dedicated to the galley, say, and another dedicated to the computer station, etc.or even one inverter for the induction stove and one inverter for the kettle or toaster etc. and only switch on the inverter when that device is required. (This could be simplified with the use of relays attached to the device on/off switch.)?
Thank you,
Yes that would help and it's often done for things like computers but don't go overboard. The savings aren't enough to go full dedicated inverter for things that are seldom used.
Another way to have great savings (that I often do) is to use a boost converter of adequate amperage to power laptop computers and other higher voltage DC devices directly.
eBay is the best place. Type boost converter into the search bar.
@@EmilyAndClark
👍
Basic Basic, good for those that need to understand.
I never know where to aim with these more basic videos. But I was asked for this so many times.
Hope I started low enough but still presented some information to this audience.
It's so much easier to talk about something I just figured out and is still relatively a new idea. Like the awning, or air conditioning.
@@EmilyAndClark What was literally childs play for some of us is still elusive concepts for most. From multiple talks to others they frequently don’t understand electrical basics. This becomes very important the more powerful the system. Everyone has to start somewhere.
Just a couple of questions. I noticed that you didn't talk about shunts. Does that EPever box take care of that our are you just not using one? You also didn't discuss low temp protection for the battery. I know that most sailors don't have this issue but us land lubbers in RVs do. Do either the charge controller or the battery have low temp cutoff that you are aware of? Over all really, really good information and I'm glad your not in love with the blue stuff like a lot of folks are. Keep the good stuff coming.
Hi again Johnny,
I'm going to assume you have watched this. ruclips.net/video/VZSr6o5fLHE/видео.html
For the rest of my answer.
Well you see the shunt in the system. No epever doesn't have that capability but I'm only using it as a lead charger so not an issue.
I think that eventually I'll add a cold weather charge shut-down to the BankManager. It will be like a year out though at least. As you say is boaters don't have to worry much. Even it it's cold it seldom freezes in a boat that is floating
For now you need to address that in other ways. Shit down BMS... Heater in battery... Shit down chargers...
This can help rural families in villages that can use this knowledge! I'll share with my Nepali families!
Great.
Oh, and thank you for not perpetuating the idea that one must use Victron products. Some of us are not millionaires. and do not have room for 40 boxes to mount (exaggeration on purpose). The controller you have there is generic... there seem to be a whole whack of them with the same case and everything, but I have heard that the one difference is in the terminals that the battery connects to is too small on some manufactures products. (mine looks the same as that one)
Yes. When I designed the BankManager I made sure it worked with everything. I don't like the idea of forcing users to buy all the same color stuff.
Thanks Clark. I have a recently purchased 1968 Hughes that is an electrical nightmare.
My plan is to convert to electric propulsion and planning for 5 to 6 hundred AH at 48vdc with about a 200 AH 12vdc house bank. All Lithium Iron Phosphate.
As I am slowly doing the changes for financial reasons I am wondering about the buck or boost MPPT charge controllers.
The epever is one of those.
If I was doing what you are doing I'd scrap there 12v batteries and use a buck converter for my low voltage needs
Check my "powering a laptop" recent video for a discussion on these or my Duffy for use of one in a 36v prime mover battery bank system
Great video. One question, how do you get all the new gear to the boat? Ours is in Tortolla and I'm betting it is expensive and slow. We live in GA and I am thinking about waiting until our Boat gets to the east coast in 2024.
Usually it's difficult but the DR has two great options. Boxpaq and Carmon Cargo
I agree with you.... but please add High current Diodes between solar panels to protect your system, back-feeding voltage between panels is bad for them. Each panel will receive some random Shading during the day.
Are you referring to "bypass" diodes? Most of the panels I have come across seem to have those already installed.
@@EmilyAndClark If you have blocking (if you don't use a charge controller) and Bypass diodes in your installation... Congrats... but not all panel come with this option. here is a video on why you add diodes. ruclips.net/video/o8wirT3RwYI/видео.html
Any opinion on using buck converters in place of chargers, or in addition to, assuming an all lead bank? Far as I can tell the only meaningful difference is that the charger sometimes goes to 14.4 temporarily (which is said to prolong battery life - I would need to test and compare to know if this is true or worth it) while the buck stays at a steady 13.8, which is a safe permanent charging voltage.
I use a buck between a solar panel and a lead battery in my dinghy. The battery is only responsible for the bilge pump and lights. I set the voltage quite low (13.6 maybe)(see my video on the laptop boost converter). If you want to move a bunch of current into lead it's kinda important to charge at high voltage but then to drop to a float voltage to not boil out the water.
Cheap pulse width solar controllers are available but it can be hard to find one with a float phase.
If you use a buck you are essentially using one of those.
Did you use a switch to each battery chemistry from the charge controller? If not, can a switch be used to select the battery to be charged by the solar panel?
We filmed a longer video that day and cut it into two parts
Next week we will likely release the other part. It's all about the li and lead.
Spoiler. This is how we do it
www.emilyandclarksadventure.com/bbms
Great video Clark,
Well presented and easy to follow.
As this is geared toward beginners, a caution regarding state of charge being equal before parallel connecting LiFePo batteries might be in order.
Next week's video will go into joining them with my BankManager. (It's on the table hiding behind the charge controller)
But you are right. Should have plainly stated that the li isn't being used yet in this setup.
I get so confused doing videos. I'm really not an extrovert.
@@EmilyAndClark thank you for the video~ looking forward to the BankManager video -- is it available to buy/check out on some website?
Again thanks for your heads up. I've added a note to the description of this video. Since I warn everyone that I miss stuff hopefully people will read the note.
Sure. We have sold about 150 of them they all seem to be working in the field (details on next video)
I put the manuals up at www.emilyandclarksadventure.com/bbms and you could buy one there.
@@EmilyAndClark thanks~ in your videos on the page it seems like you're mainly talking about connect lead and lithium batteries together for the purpose of solar charging -- would the setup look any different if you would also want to charge your batteries using the engines alternator? -- basically the BBMS seems to connect the batteries together for solar charing -- but I'm not where the negative and positive cables should go to power the boat from the batteries? is there a separate positive output from the BBMSPlus that the boat/house/inverters should use? Maybe you can address/talk about this in your next video (unless the video is already taped I'm not sure) -- thanks~
It's taped and answers this (I hope)
You can also learn a lot from the operation manual especially the schematics at the start.
The BankManager doesn't care where the power comes from. Alternators are fine. In fact this setup solves a major problem with Lifepo4 and alternators where the alternator diodes get destroyed and the resulting voltage surge could destroy other system electronics.
Victron charge controllers are now as cheap or cheaper so ya know
Also you should have talked about fuses/breakers/ switches and shunts!!! Plus cable size
Watch our other videos. It's there.
What is that little white box with bunch of wires?☺️....are you going to have part 2...3...etc🤓
Yep. I filmed part two the same day.
Yep, thats when I pull out that box
Hi Clark! Greetings from Brazil!
I have three 170w solar panels and an Epever controller I want to install in my sailboat. Turns out I know very little about it, and doing some research on RUclips I run into your videos. I also have a Xantrex 2000 inverter. Your video came in handy, but I’m still have some questions about how to do it. Is it possible to get the wiring in writing? Thanks!!
Yes it's in the epever install manual
I've seen video that suggest in order to get the befits from one panel getting shade or dirty, etc. you need micro controllers on each panel. I would like to know more about this.
Me too. Doesn't seem worth the effort, cost, losses and risk of failure for a small install where you expect shading
If you know anything about this product tell us it's name. (No links as RUclips sees links as spam)
@@EmilyAndClark search utube for: "Microinverters - The Future of Home Solar PV?"
Dimitris, Seems RUclips flagged even your title of a video. I wish it wouldn't do that.
For anyone reading this he suggested the video ruclips.net/video/q6t0AAi5Jws/видео.html
I don't think that would be practical as with batteries we don't want to go to AC and back down. That costs power.
@@EmilyAndClark Noted but maybe there are mini controllers that maintain the 12V or 18V output, or even can have variable/you can control outputs; I just haven't come across any so far.
If you find one, please share it with me.
Thanks, Clark! A couple of questions from a total noob. 1st... I've seen another reason given for placing a fuse or breaker between the MPPT and the panels. Off-grid Garage says, if a panel shorts out it could overheat and burn when in parallel with other panels. Let me know if you think that's a valid concern. 2nd... is there any reason to use a smart shunt in this setup, or does the MPPT serve the same purpose?
1 I really don't think so. Panels are by design current limited devices (given a basically fixed distance from the sun and it not going nova). So you need to wire them (fuse included) for their max ability. Any fuse that works on a bright day will never blow.
I use circuit breakers because they are the cheapest switches that can pass a bunch of amps.
2 I'm not a fan of shunts. They work by voltage drop and at 12v we should all avoid voltage drops whenever possible. I use a hall effect current sensor in my BankManager.
What effect are you trying to get from the smart shiny?
@@EmilyAndClark I'm not sure. Maybe just the ability to monitor via bluetooth? As I said... total noob. I will have to go back and re-watch your BankManager videos. I struggle between keeping it simple and adding 'smart' features to my home. I imagine that will only become worse as a boat owner, given a budget big enough.
Yes there are a lot of Toys available. Hard to say what will make your life better and which are just something to fail.
Next week's video is going to describe the BankManager. Until then the second half of this might be the easiest to follow.
ruclips.net/video/XDLK5CuGQPo/видео.html
I really haven't done a video that describes the bank manager well. I guess it just feels too self serving, makes me uncomfortable.
@@EmilyAndClark I for one would welcome it. 👍
@@EmilyAndClark Don't worry about being "self-serving"...you put out such good content that any self service is justified. That being said, here is a way to rationalize talking about your Bank Manager: As you describe how it works and, more importantly, why it is needed, we the viewers learn more about the system's nuances. We are all grownups and can decide if we want to buy, but even if we don't purchase your device, we learn more if you describe what you've created, how it works, and why it's useful. Self-promotion is only vanity if you don't share valuable info as well. You are a river of value so don't worry about a trickle of self-promotion.
Ya know one of these day's Emily's going to right songs about you. Massive respect, READ THE MANUAL PEOPLE. If you don't understand the parts particularly with triangles that have lightening bolts through them don't proceed. Pay somebody that does. When God made electrons she wasn't messing around!
If I wanted to use a small AC battery charger to help charge the batteries when there is no or little solar, could I just hook up the battery charger directly to the battery and leave it always on, or not?
Not really since this would use the mains to fill the batteries. There would be no room for solar power really.
Better to activate the AC charger when you drop below a battery voltage
@@EmilyAndClark Is there any way to automate that process by perhaps automatically turning on the AC charger when the battery voltage falls to a certain level? After thinking about this, I think I could just put the AC charger on a timer which would come on after sunset to supplement whatever the panels were not able to charge. An intelligent charger will ramp down to a maintenance charge level, usually about 1 watt, and the BMS would additionally prevent overcharging. Based on your teardown video, I've ordered one Elefast 100 Ah mini for my initial system without panels, and I'll add perhaps 400 watts of panels later, along with another battery and additional components.
Darn it Clark, here you go again. No girls in bikini or sexy stuff 😉. I still think you're the best out there. Keep it up you two. This is a very good explanation and back to basic stuff well presented. Your point of installing a 'switch' between the panels and MPPT is a good one. Once I get back on my boat, I'll have to see it this was considered in the system. Cheers!
I've worked on boats without switches. Had to put towels over the panels.
Great video, Clark, as usual. Two quick comments... First, when you were talking about the batteries being capable of arc welding would have been a good place to remind folks to take off any metal jewelry, lest they become part of a metal shop art sculpture. It made me a bit nervous watching as you were waving your metal watch band over the terminals.
Second, to your question about series vs parallel panels. I have a small 2-panel off grid system here at home, intended to recharge batteries that would be used during power outages. While waiting for an outage, I'm using the solar power to run things like the computer and ham radios, thus paying for itself over a few years. Surplus (used) 250watt rigid panels, 35 volts open circuit. The MPPT is good for 100v, so I can configure it either way. Initially I went with parallel, since there are trees that cause partial shading for a good part of the day, and didn't think the commercial panels had internal diodes. After watching one of Will Prowse's videos on the subject I tried going in series, and sure enough, that works too.
Which is better? Not super clear, but I think the nod goes to series. The parallel operation worked very well with both panels contributing what they could, and even with only one panel in full sun I got what I expected out of the other one. For the series arrangement there are definitely times where I can tell that only one panel is making all of the power (input to the MPPT is in the low 30's), and times where I know there's some shading on both panels but the voltage is still up in the 60's and the net is producing usable power. There should be a penalty with the diodes in the shaded panel letting current flow, but each will have the proverbial 0.7v diode drop on the overall output (2.1v total). Not a lot, but it's there. It's hard to know from such an uncontrolled test, but after watching this thing operate for a while it appears the series array can operate somewhat better with various partial shading scenarios, ones that would probably have reduced output with the parallel configuration. I think this is the more important benefit, for example, when there is one column shaded on each panel. That could have reduced the parallel configuration to not having enough voltage to operate the charger, especially with 18v panels where there's no headroom to spare. In series, there's still plenty. With both panels under full sun I'm limited by the 20 amp MPPT that I have, so I can't measure the effect of the higher voltage on peak efficiency.
If nothing else, the series configuration requires a bit less wiring (no "Y" splitters to buy), and fewer connections to go bad. For what it's worth, I've left the panels connected in series.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks Greg.
And for anyone reading his first paragraph. What he said.
thanks! Is the charge controller also the BMS?
No. The BMS is in the battery case for the redodo. It needs voltage information for each cell.
Next week's video will show how I mix the li into this equation. I do that with my BankManager (a BBMS). So the li is protected by a charge controller, a bbms and a BMS. All doing different things.
Hello
Hi
On channel, "Sailing Turtle 26, their charge controller stopped working, and it took them a while to source a replacement, so they went a while without being able to charge their batteries. My question is this: Can you charge a battery directly from the solar panels without using a solar charge controller, IF you carefully monitored the batteries state-of-charge using a multi-meter, and manually disconnecting the panels from the batteries once a full charge is reached?
Yes you can
If you were using a mppt type regulator and your panels are set for a much higher voltage you can still connect them directly but you won't get any more amps like you did with the mppt.
You become the regulator.
Sorry to be asking now as your video is a year old. Currently it is 7/25/24. A couple of questions. I did not see you or hear you
explain the Lithium battery hook up. It seems the wood board in the middle of your demo had a switch or some type of breaker.
I just was not sure if the batteries were connected together somehow or connected separately to the Charge Controller.
The wooden board in the middle is where I got lost. I think I understand the rest pretty well. I am buying a boat that the prior owner purchased solar panels but never installed them. I hope all the books are still on board.
Thanks for any clarity you can give.
I think the easiest answer to your question might be the electrical diagrams near the beginning of the manual for the BankManager.
www.emilyandclarksadventure.com/bbms
😎
Clark i have a few 12v 200 ah lithium and a 100 ah lithium and a few 100 ah agm can i mix all of these together with the bank manager?
It depends on the batteries.
The different ah size of the lithium is fine in itsself but if some charge at a different rate that could be less than perfect.
Mixing in the AGM is exactly what the BankManager approach requires.
@@EmilyAndClarkok, how do I find the different charge rates? Just by charging them?? Sorry for the beginner questions. I have purchased a solar kit and a was able to get some batteries at a good deal.
Anyway, enjoyed your videos and your approach is easy to understand. Are you a teacher in the "real world?"
No I'm an engineer.
I think next weekends video will be on mixing li batteries in parallel. So more answers coming.
I'll show a test you can do and maybe a workaround.
Can i parallel connect AGM and Silver calcium
I don't know. Not my thing
Cool video... but when it gets to -6c in my off grid abode, its not going to work too well. What sort of battery would be best for me?
I'm not recommending this battery for you necessarily but in this video I do a fair presentation of my feelings on cold charging of li.
ruclips.net/video/odhuEauAvLU/видео.html
@Emily & Clark's Adventure have you ever used nickel hydride 200ah batteries LOL?
Nope I've never owned a NiMH that big.
Did you find the part in that video where I talked about cold? Did it help?
@@EmilyAndClark I will watch it again. Its just that I have been advised that lithium batteries are like bricks when they freeze. No reason why I couldn't dig a deep hole. I'll watch the video again.
How to program controller charger victron to tell you the status of your battery
You need to read the Victron manual
I doubt their charge controller can know the status of the battery it's charging.
For that you need a battery monitor or a BankManager
You did not mention diodes on solar panels or Fusing or circuit breakers .
Nope I don't .
I don't usually fuse as solar panels are current limited devices. If they suddenly put out double power we have bigger problems than a wire fire like the sun just exploded!
I like to switch the line from the solar panel to the charge controller for maintenance purposes and lately I use a crappy Chinese circuit breaker as they cost less than a decent switch.
The purpose of a solar system for me is just to charge: AAA batteries, drone batteries, tool batteries, phone, Kindle, iPad via USB; MacBook. All DC.
All the USB charging cables that I use are plugged into an AC 110/240 plug.
Inverters have a power cost.
In this setup, shouldn't I have a direct DC to DC charging system?
Sure
"the battery has good potential" ... 😉😆
Yes I'm looking forward to installing it in Temptress. It's a bit of an experiment (though I know the outcome). One shouldn't use batteries from different manufacturers (different BMS) in parallel and likely shouldn't use batteries of different ages.
My BankManager can allow this as long as you get one BankManager for each different li bank.
Going to verify this with this battery and my old Battleborns.
@@EmilyAndClark Thats a bit confusing as I thought bank manager's purpose is to connect two different banks, or are you talking about three banks. I used small load ,balanced solar system off grid on sailboat for over decade. set up from Nigel Caulder's book. Loved the Gel batteries for 7 years. Will Prowse did test of charge controllers from $15. to severe l hundreds and seemed to like all of them.
Best way to think of a BankManager is it adds a LiFePO4 bank to a lead bank.
I'll be adding a second LiFePO4 bank to Temptress. So yes three banks.
It's probably not absolutely necessary but the test will tell me how different the two li banks are. I expect to hear one disconnect as fully charged.... Then some small time later the other will be seen as full.
If they both click off at about the same time the second BankManager would prove itself unnecessary. But I doubt that will happen.
I ama total non engineer but the battery you are using, the manufacturer says its name is "Red" O.D.O. They say o d o is not a name, but each a letter like O....D....O. So its pronounced
" RED O. D. O."
Just thought you'd like to know :))
Need to shorten video. Spend more on wiring.