We are fine my friend. Still chasing the sun with our family of power-packs and two solar panels. Plus we concentrate on the cheaper parts of our economy 10 energy tariff on cloudy days. Been a long while since I had so much fun.@@DADvinci
Morning Adrian, Great job, thank you for showing us how it’s done. I have finally moved into my new place and now have the following set up, it might help some of the community. I have a Aferiy 2000 watt solar generator and 4no Renogy 100w panels linked in parallel, the best I have seen so far is 420w input which seems incredible coming out of a 400w set up? 😳 The Aferiy runs my 60” TV, my Freeview box, my sound bar, my Apple TV box, a counter top freezer and a new heat pump tumble dryer, so far the lowest it has got down to is 48%, I just make sure I run the tumble dryer in the afternoon when the sun is in the best position for my panels. Im pretty sure I could possibly run a fridge as well, we’ll have to see in the winter months how this set up fairs. At present my smart meter says I’m consuming approximately £2 a day in gas and electric 👍🏻 All the above knowledge was gained through watching your videos Adrian, thank you. Kind regards Tony
@LRDefender1968 Hey Tony! You're most kind, thank you 😃👍. I like to repair or recycle equipment and components where possible. It's not the most exciting video, but every panel saved and all that... That's a solid setup and it's great to see it working now you've moved. You're spot on about sharing what you've tried and are using as it's a continuing topic for an ever-growing community. The cost of your daily grid consumption is impressive too! In terms of solar generation, it can go higher than the panel rating, usually in perfect conditions like a cool day when the sun is directly overhead. What's the max solar input voltage for Aferiy? All the best, Adrian
Hi Adrian, The maximum input is 500w, I would have liked to have had 6no 100w Renogy panels but I was concerned about the amps, I know you can over amp but I don’t know by how much?
@LRDefender1968 Thanks Tony. The max input voltage is the key. As long as you stay under that, it should pull what it needs in terms of amps (clips at its limit), assuming it's a MPPT controller. It's just a matter of adding together the open circuit voltage of each panel to see how many you can connect in series (keeping under the voltage limit with a little bit of headroom for cold weather where panel open circuit voltage can increase) and then you can parallel series strings together, similar to what I did in the EB150 video. Cheers, Adrian
Hi Adrian, The Aferiy can take the following: 500W of solar input 48V max 20A max My Renogy panels are the following: 100W 24.3V Open circuit voltage 5.21A Short circuit current…………this is the figure I used to calculate? 😬 20.4V optimum operating voltage 4.91 A optimum operating current I would like to get as close as I can to 500W input. At present I have 4 panels in parallel so I don’t go over the voltage input as I know this damages the solar generator, so I’m fine on the voltage and slightly over on the amps which I understand is acceptable???? I would like to add 1 more panel or even 2 all in parallel, do you think I would be pushing it too hard on the amps? Regards Tony
@LRDefender1968 Thanks Tony. That makes sense in what you're likely to see with your 4 panels all in parallel 4 x 4.91A = 19.64A (so pretty much at 20A in good conditions). Then 20.4V x 19.64A = 400W (in good conditions), with the higher input wattage you saw in perfect conditions (cooler panels + good sun). The max solar input voltage is a pain at 48V, as you can't really put 2 panels in series x 2 and then connect the 2 series strings in parallel as open circuit voltage would end up as 24.3V x 2 = 48.6V (in normal conditions, higher in cooler conditions). The amps aren't the problem (takes what it needs), it's the voltage. I wouldn't bother adding any more panels in parallel as the max current it can pull is 20A and you're at that now with the 4 panels in parallel (might provide slightly better input watts on cloudier days with another panel). Larger panels would help you achieve closer to the limit, but that's extra and unnecessary spend with what you already have working well. I hope this helps? Please shout if you have any other questions. Cheers, Adrian
@jimdaly5077 Thanks Jim, I always appreciate your kind feedback 👍😃. It's not the most exciting video, but 'Save a Panel' should be a campaign in my mind. Cheers, Adrian
@@DADvinci Hi I appreciate this type of info because it is easy to think that ( we are dealing with electrical things and so everyone watching knows what to do) I am one that doesn’t 🙃and yes go Green save on waste reuse. 👍🌞🐝
@traveloonietoons4175 You're too kind, thank you 😃👍. I've been unable to find the original order for the spanners, but I've added a link to an alternative in the video description. I hope this helps? If not, please let me know. All the best, Adrian
Is the tab at the middle is negative? I've tested mine and it has continuity with the first and both second and third tab. But no continuity with second and third tab. So the first is positive and the second and third are negative?
@ianendangan7462 Thanks for your question. It's probably easier to show the general circuit design for a panel (this 36 cell panel) www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/modules-and-arrays/module-circuit-design. It doesn't show the bypass diodes but gives you a good idea of the layout, this does show them (under Bypass Diode Protection section) www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/photovoltaics/bypass-diode.html. This also might help to show if one isn't working photovoltaikbuero.de/en/pv-know-how-blog-en/checking-bypass-diodes-on-solar-panels-part-1/. Essentially, as the wiring is in the diagram, the cells are connected in series to make up the panel. I hope this helps. All the best, Adrian
@pizaianandariday8503 Thanks for your question. There are four clips at the side of the junction box and I use a screwdriver to unclip each one, then the back plate comes off. Need to remember to only do this when the panel is covered otherwise there will be voltage inside. All the best, Adrian
Another informative video, many thanks for showing us how it's done.
@sidneybowerman558 Hey Sid! Always too kind, thank you 👍😃. I hope you are well? All the best, Adrian
We are fine my friend.
Still chasing the sun with our family of power-packs and two solar panels.
Plus we concentrate on the cheaper parts of our economy 10 energy tariff on cloudy days.
Been a long while since I had so much fun.@@DADvinci
@sidneybowerman558 Great to hear Sid 😃
Morning Adrian,
Great job, thank you for showing us how it’s done.
I have finally moved into my new place and now have the following set up, it might help some of the community.
I have a Aferiy 2000 watt solar generator and 4no Renogy 100w panels linked in parallel, the best I have seen so far is 420w input which seems incredible coming out of a 400w set up? 😳
The Aferiy runs my 60” TV, my Freeview box, my sound bar, my Apple TV box, a counter top freezer and a new heat pump tumble dryer, so far the lowest it has got down to is 48%, I just make sure I run the tumble dryer in the afternoon when the sun is in the best position for my panels. Im pretty sure I could possibly run a fridge as well, we’ll have to see in the winter months how this set up fairs. At present my smart meter says I’m consuming approximately £2 a day in gas and electric 👍🏻
All the above knowledge was gained through watching your videos Adrian, thank you.
Kind regards
Tony
@LRDefender1968 Hey Tony! You're most kind, thank you 😃👍. I like to repair or recycle equipment and components where possible. It's not the most exciting video, but every panel saved and all that...
That's a solid setup and it's great to see it working now you've moved. You're spot on about sharing what you've tried and are using as it's a continuing topic for an ever-growing community. The cost of your daily grid consumption is impressive too!
In terms of solar generation, it can go higher than the panel rating, usually in perfect conditions like a cool day when the sun is directly overhead. What's the max solar input voltage for Aferiy? All the best, Adrian
Hi Adrian,
The maximum input is 500w, I would have liked to have had 6no 100w Renogy panels but I was concerned about the amps, I know you can over amp but I don’t know by how much?
@LRDefender1968 Thanks Tony. The max input voltage is the key. As long as you stay under that, it should pull what it needs in terms of amps (clips at its limit), assuming it's a MPPT controller. It's just a matter of adding together the open circuit voltage of each panel to see how many you can connect in series (keeping under the voltage limit with a little bit of headroom for cold weather where panel open circuit voltage can increase) and then you can parallel series strings together, similar to what I did in the EB150 video. Cheers, Adrian
Hi Adrian,
The Aferiy can take the following:
500W of solar input
48V max
20A max
My Renogy panels are the following:
100W
24.3V Open circuit voltage
5.21A Short circuit current…………this is the figure I used to calculate? 😬
20.4V optimum operating voltage
4.91 A optimum operating current
I would like to get as close as I can to 500W input.
At present I have 4 panels in parallel so I don’t go over the voltage input as I know this damages the solar generator, so I’m fine on the voltage and slightly over on the amps which I understand is acceptable????
I would like to add 1 more panel or even 2 all in parallel, do you think I would be pushing it too hard on the amps?
Regards
Tony
@LRDefender1968 Thanks Tony. That makes sense in what you're likely to see with your 4 panels all in parallel 4 x 4.91A = 19.64A (so pretty much at 20A in good conditions). Then 20.4V x 19.64A = 400W (in good conditions), with the higher input wattage you saw in perfect conditions (cooler panels + good sun).
The max solar input voltage is a pain at 48V, as you can't really put 2 panels in series x 2 and then connect the 2 series strings in parallel as open circuit voltage would end up as 24.3V x 2 = 48.6V (in normal conditions, higher in cooler conditions).
The amps aren't the problem (takes what it needs), it's the voltage. I wouldn't bother adding any more panels in parallel as the max current it can pull is 20A and you're at that now with the 4 panels in parallel (might provide slightly better input watts on cloudier days with another panel). Larger panels would help you achieve closer to the limit, but that's extra and unnecessary spend with what you already have working well.
I hope this helps? Please shout if you have any other questions. Cheers, Adrian
Hi great job well did, thank you. 👍🌞🐝
@jimdaly5077 Thanks Jim, I always appreciate your kind feedback 👍😃. It's not the most exciting video, but 'Save a Panel' should be a campaign in my mind. Cheers, Adrian
@@DADvinci Hi I appreciate this type of info because it is easy to think that ( we are dealing with electrical things and so everyone watching knows what to do) I am one that doesn’t 🙃and yes go Green save on waste reuse. 👍🌞🐝
@jimdaly5077 That's a great point Jim and thanks for reminding me of that fact 👏👍
hi adrian great video as always
have you got a link to the spanners you used to tighten the cable glands thanks
@traveloonietoons4175 You're too kind, thank you 😃👍. I've been unable to find the original order for the spanners, but I've added a link to an alternative in the video description. I hope this helps? If not, please let me know. All the best, Adrian
Is the tab at the middle is negative? I've tested mine and it has continuity with the first and both second and third tab. But no continuity with second and third tab. So the first is positive and the second and third are negative?
@ianendangan7462 Thanks for your question. It's probably easier to show the general circuit design for a panel (this 36 cell panel) www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/modules-and-arrays/module-circuit-design. It doesn't show the bypass diodes but gives you a good idea of the layout, this does show them (under Bypass Diode Protection section) www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/photovoltaics/bypass-diode.html. This also might help to show if one isn't working photovoltaikbuero.de/en/pv-know-how-blog-en/checking-bypass-diodes-on-solar-panels-part-1/. Essentially, as the wiring is in the diagram, the cells are connected in series to make up the panel. I hope this helps. All the best, Adrian
How open junktion box of a solar panel
@pizaianandariday8503 Thanks for your question. There are four clips at the side of the junction box and I use a screwdriver to unclip each one, then the back plate comes off. Need to remember to only do this when the panel is covered otherwise there will be voltage inside. All the best, Adrian
Promo_SM 😊