DipstickDash
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2021
- Messages
- 15
Hey all,
I'm pretty new to the solar scene.
I live in England. I'm repairing & converting what was a rusty old big van into a camper. In the meantime I'm learning as much as I can about solar power and systems. I'm using my shed until the van is ready.
I built a 12v 280AH battery pack using EVE cells from Shenzhen Basen on Alibaba. I'm satisfied with the cells and supplier. I installed a 120A BMS that goes by many names, I ordered from QUCC on AliExpress.
The MPPT I am using is EPEVER Tracer 4210AN, I purchased on Amazon.
I purchased a solar panel from Ebay (340W JA Solar). I checked the panels voltage, then I installed it to the MPPT, then the battery, using 4mm cable (which I think in US is 10 AWG)
It worked okay... I think.
I mean it's winter, the weather here has been abysmal. Wet and overcast for as long as I can remember. When the sun pokes and peaks through the clouds and makes an appearance the current goes up to around 3-4A. Which I think is fairly low for the panel size & Imp of 9.79A. Could it be down to poor positioning / location of the panel? Please advise and let me know if there's anything else that could be lowering current and how I can improve it.
I haven't added any fuses yet, I only had one panel and the Isc was almost half of the maximum fuse rating of 20A however...
I've purchased another solar panel from EBay. I plan to connect the panels in parallel. They're similar specs to each other, not quite the same. I think they're close enough so as not to cause a big issue but I could be wrong. Please correct and advise me if I am.
The new panel is a 335W. The deviation / difference between the panels is: 5W, 0.12Isc, 1.1Voc, 0.72Vmp, 0.06Imp.
My first fear is that by adding the extra panel I'll exceed the rated charge power of my MPPT (which is 520W on a 12v setup) And I could potentially damage my MPPT. After a bit of reading I think maybe it's okay, as long as I don't exceed the max PV Array power which is: 780W.
I'd hugely appreciate any advice in regards to the deviation and difference between panels. Whether my plan to wire them together in parallel would be problematic.
Perhaps more importantly. Whether my MPPT would handle the two panels?
Like I said earlier; I'm yet to add fuses. I think this now has to change. The combined Isc would be slightly above the max fuse rating.
What kind of fuse is best to add? I've seen and read people simply using inline blade fuses, I thought these were used mainly in vehicles. Forgive me if it is nonsense or silly, but would these very small wires increase resistance and decrease the current? And finally where would be the best places to add fuses and a circuit breaker?
I appreciate there is a lot to digest here & I have asked a lot of questions. I'd appreciate insight, and ay advice and suggestions are hugely helpful. If nothing else I have recapped and summarised my progress so far & I have compiled the points I need to research next haha.
Thanks for your time, and sorry for being such a noob (I'm working on it)
Daryl
I'm pretty new to the solar scene.
I live in England. I'm repairing & converting what was a rusty old big van into a camper. In the meantime I'm learning as much as I can about solar power and systems. I'm using my shed until the van is ready.
I built a 12v 280AH battery pack using EVE cells from Shenzhen Basen on Alibaba. I'm satisfied with the cells and supplier. I installed a 120A BMS that goes by many names, I ordered from QUCC on AliExpress.
The MPPT I am using is EPEVER Tracer 4210AN, I purchased on Amazon.
I purchased a solar panel from Ebay (340W JA Solar). I checked the panels voltage, then I installed it to the MPPT, then the battery, using 4mm cable (which I think in US is 10 AWG)
It worked okay... I think.
I mean it's winter, the weather here has been abysmal. Wet and overcast for as long as I can remember. When the sun pokes and peaks through the clouds and makes an appearance the current goes up to around 3-4A. Which I think is fairly low for the panel size & Imp of 9.79A. Could it be down to poor positioning / location of the panel? Please advise and let me know if there's anything else that could be lowering current and how I can improve it.
I haven't added any fuses yet, I only had one panel and the Isc was almost half of the maximum fuse rating of 20A however...
I've purchased another solar panel from EBay. I plan to connect the panels in parallel. They're similar specs to each other, not quite the same. I think they're close enough so as not to cause a big issue but I could be wrong. Please correct and advise me if I am.
The new panel is a 335W. The deviation / difference between the panels is: 5W, 0.12Isc, 1.1Voc, 0.72Vmp, 0.06Imp.
My first fear is that by adding the extra panel I'll exceed the rated charge power of my MPPT (which is 520W on a 12v setup) And I could potentially damage my MPPT. After a bit of reading I think maybe it's okay, as long as I don't exceed the max PV Array power which is: 780W.
I'd hugely appreciate any advice in regards to the deviation and difference between panels. Whether my plan to wire them together in parallel would be problematic.
Perhaps more importantly. Whether my MPPT would handle the two panels?
Like I said earlier; I'm yet to add fuses. I think this now has to change. The combined Isc would be slightly above the max fuse rating.
What kind of fuse is best to add? I've seen and read people simply using inline blade fuses, I thought these were used mainly in vehicles. Forgive me if it is nonsense or silly, but would these very small wires increase resistance and decrease the current? And finally where would be the best places to add fuses and a circuit breaker?
I appreciate there is a lot to digest here & I have asked a lot of questions. I'd appreciate insight, and ay advice and suggestions are hugely helpful. If nothing else I have recapped and summarised my progress so far & I have compiled the points I need to research next haha.
Thanks for your time, and sorry for being such a noob (I'm working on it)
Daryl