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  • Post in thread: 800 watts solar need a parallel branch connector?

    Take a photo of the datasheet on the back of your panels or link to them here so we can help you more easily instead of guessing at your panels output. I'd also suggest using the beginners corner for any future questions or reading up on basics for solar setup. There are a lot of helpful people...
  • Post in thread: Can I exceed 500 V on EG4 3KW?

    You can put 4 panels on each roof face in series and connect each series string in parallel. I would ignore north facing panels as they won't produce much. Let's say that leaves you with 4 strings of 4 panels so 4s4p configuration. You will want to use a combiner box to combine the strings...
  • Post in thread: Rate my battery: 280ah 24V

    It's double sided taped quite strongly to the HDPE, I wanted to keep access to the terminal in case I needed it.
  • Post in thread: 2 400 watt panels 2 200 watt panels

    These are going on the roof of an RV I assume? Both at the same angle, I really don't understand why you don't just save a lot of hassle and connect in series. Also again, if you can return these panels and buy normal 400w ones do it. You've been ripped off, sorry.
  • Post in thread: Giandel inverter neutral-ground bond in off-grid system

    Nothing in your quote from the manual states there is a ground /neutral bond. You're mistaking the bond from chassis screw to earth output. Neutral is not mentioned. You should still connect neutral to ground in a single location, preferably behind a gfci/rcd device.
  • Post in thread: Charge controller sparks every time i hook it up

    Do you not have breakers or atleast a disconnect switch between your solar panels and charge controller? What if you need to turn it off during the day? Just pull out a live high voltage cable? That's crazy.
  • Post in thread: Is there such a thing as a Class K PV wire? Can any 10 AWG single conductor wire be used as PV wire?

    I was just typing out this exact suggestion.
  • Post in thread: Heavy duty ring terminals?

    Amazon is full of rubbish cheap products. Find a decent electrics company, failing that I've had better luck with ebay, often the companies selling there are "real" with their own stores too.
  • Post in thread: Grounding for shed with solar

    Ah that's £100 just to get him out, anything beyond a quick once over would be extra. Consulting from the start with certification at the end even if I did all the work would come to much more. For anything to be officially inspected it has to be checked by a licensed electrician, they can...
  • Post in thread: Wiring size mistake?

    I tried to find the datasheet for your mppt model but failed. That's the problem with random amazon products sadly. Most mppts will only pull the current they need so can be safely over panelled. If in doubt just disconnect the third panel once the input starts to get near to being clipped...
  • Post in thread: 800 watts solar need a parallel branch connector?

    Listen to what the people with real experience and knowledge are saying to you and weigh that against your lack of experience. Learn when given the opportunity to and disregard preconceived ideas that you have no evidence for.
  • Post in thread: Shed Consumer Unit Wiring

    HI, yes I have had it up and running for a couple of months now. Pity about the complete lack of sun at this time of year in the UK :D I chose not to use a contactor and instead just connect the neutral going in to the RCD directly to the earth. This should work as the ATS should not let the...
  • Post in thread: Old side of the road inverter, use or don’t use?

    Unless you enjoy the idea of electrocuting your local linesman I would set it up as off grid. That's assuming it works at all. If you want to feedback to the grid then you'll likely need to get approval from your utility and the install checked over by a licensed electrician.
  • Post in thread: Wiring size mistake?

    If I were you I would just see how you get on with your current mppt wired in parallel. Yes it will clip at 390w but you might be surprised at how little that matters with a 600w array laid flat in winter :)
  • Post in thread: Advice wanted plugging into home fusebox

    FYI it takes years of lessons and apprenticing to become a qualified electrician in the UK, not a few hundred quid and some weeks of courses. I'll be installing a DIY solar install into a new shed but I wouldn't consider feeding back to the house without consulting an electrician.
  • Post in thread: Can you use 24V Panels to charge 12V LiFePo4 Battery using MPPT.

    Yes this is what an mppt charger does, converts high voltage PV into the correct voltage to charge your battery at. You don't need to restrict yourself to any particular panel voltage so long as the total series string voltage is over 16~V and the VoC is lower than 100V.
  • Post in thread: Idle 'no load' Consumption: Specs vs Your Personal Observation

    That's it's peak, average consumption when the GPU isn't in heavy use is around 200-250w. I'm looking at the Giandel 1.5kw inverter, they seem very efficient and 1.5kw is probably plenty for the office. I've heard that in general you'll get better efficiency with separate devices, so a separate...
  • Post in thread: Bidirectional EV charging is getting closer to reality. Pretty cool stuff

    Presumably it's taking DC directly from the EV and there will be an inverter in the charger. That's the only way they can do that as not every (many?) cars have an inbuilt AC inverter. I am lucky enough to have an MG4 that does but it's still a rare feature.
  • Post in thread: Diy 3kw for power cuts

    I'd double check your maths here. The op has 130ah @ 12v, changing to 48v means just 32.5ah, divided by 5 is 6.5A. Max charge maybe 10A with some fudging, that would indicate that the existing 2kw solar array is too much for these batteries. I'd also recommend returning the batteries if possible...
  • Post in thread: ok crazy thing. New here.

    The table he posted does explain it. At 12.48v you are just under 14% SoC.
  • Post in thread: Grounding for shed with solar

    Yea that was my other possibility, just using the earth from the house. I don't like the idea of a lightning strike hitting the panels and having to pass through a lot of earth cable, buried cable and then back through the house circuit and to the mains ground connection. Can I have an earth...
  • Post in thread: Rate my battery: 280ah 24V

    Interesting thank you, I'll look for new lugs and replace the ones I have, I assumed pure copper would be the best conductors.
  • Post in thread: Looking for reliable battery monitor suggestions

    Can you connect to your BMS via uart? I use an esp8266 and ESPHome to send the data to my home assistant server but you can do something similar to log it elsewhere if you aren't running home assistant. https://github.com/syssi/esphome-jbd-bms
  • Post in thread: Plz Critique My 48V RV Solar Wiring Plans

    10kwh storage and 6kw inverter capability is enough to power a small home, I'm just wondering what you're planning to power with it in an RV?
  • Post in thread: 1st solar system.

    Have you picked out an inverter yet or is this purely for 12v loads?
  • Post in thread: Another newbie beginner question - wire size reducers

    Save your expensive 4awg cable and buy some that is the right size for the controllers output.
  • Post in thread: Victron 100/20 sizing questions

    2S2P arrangement would work best then. You could even add more but there's not much point unless you're really trying to max out the charge controller in winter which would be hard anyway.
  • Post in thread: Bought Litime 230AH 12v battery for full time vandwelling, good or bad?

    Sorry I meant 50Ah at 12V. Missed the "h" and assumed 12V was implied from the calculation.
  • Post in thread: Grounding for shed with solar

    I can't believe I forgot about your amazing guides that I found quite a while ago @FilterGuy https://diysolarforum.com/resources/grounding-made-simpler-part-1-ac-houshold-grounding.157/ Just re-reading them now and they might well answer my questions. I also found this information which...
  • Post in thread: Rate my battery: 280ah 24V

    Thank you, the heat shrink colour is intentionally that way round as it indicates the negative side of the battery on the left going towards positive on the right.
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