diy solar

diy solar

Search results

  1. ianganderton

    New product - Epever Tracer CPN 30A - waterproof, Bluetooth

    Had an email from Epever detailing their new solar charge controller https://www.epever.com/product/tracer-cpn/ Looks interesting. Solid aluminium case with lots of heat dissipation fins. Waterproof and Bluetooth for control Epever have fulfilled the solidly good enough and cost effective...
  2. ianganderton

    Marking mega fuses?

    Morning The Victron mega fuses for the lynx distributor don’t have a clear identification method. Pictured are 250A and 60A fuses I’m keen to put some sort of visual identification on them but just wanted to check in to make sure I wasn’t causing a problem E.g. keeping heat in or something...
  3. ianganderton

    SSC Load Terminals - To use them or not to use them, this is the question ?

    So I'm planning to use the load connection for my DC loads in my camper vans system but it seems to have folks I've shown the diagram pretty fired up. I figured it was worth asking the question specifically here and outlining why I think its ok in my use case and then request a reality check...
  4. ianganderton

    Should I parallel 2 x 125A fuses?

    Good morning ☕ I’m trying to minimise connections in the system I’m installing and have found this https://www.bluesea.com/products/7748/SafetyHub_150_Fuse_Block I have a 12v 2000W epever inverter https://www.epever.com/product/ipower-plus-220-230vac-pure-sine-wave-inverter/ In the...
  5. ianganderton

    DC breaker newbie questions

    Wiring in DC breaker newbie questions I’m just putting together my campervan solar system 480W solar (4x120W panels) 12V 200Ah Lifepo4 battery Epever tracer 40A Epever 2000W inverter 12V loads off the SCC load connection (for control) to a fuse box. Questions: Where is best to use...
  6. ianganderton

    How do I attach a 250A fuse to a battery terminal?

    I'm not quite sure what product to use to do this. I want to put a 250A fuse on the battery as close as possible to the +ve terminal. Its an M8 stud terminal as seen in this image
  7. ianganderton

    My Build Questions - Camper Van 480W Solar 12V 200Ah LifePo4

    Finally starting to install this system Purchased Product Specifications Battery – SunnyTech (badged Lithium Valley) 12V 200Ah Lifepo4 https://web.archive.org/web/20210130064931/https://sunnytech.co.nz/store/default/product-details/121/69/0/0 Solar Panels – SunnyTech 120W x 4...
  8. ianganderton

    Does an alternator fully charge a lead acid leisure battery?

    A lot of camper vans in the UK use a simple split charge system where their leisure battery (AGM or similar) is connected to their alternator via a VSR (voltage sensitive relay) I think I read an article once that said that this method of charging was only likely to charge a lead acid battery...
  9. ianganderton

    Recommend me a multimeter ?

    Sorry I know this question gets asked a lot and I’ve read quite a bit about it but can’t decide I’m after a multimeter for use building my camper van. DC 12V. AC 240V 50hz. 200A plus DC (2000-3000W inverter). 200Ah Lifepo4, 400W solar Is it possible to record data to understand power use and...
  10. ianganderton

    Direct solar power - what works well?

    Just wondering what use cases for direct solar power work well? Many applications require a battery to be part of the system so power can be delivered when needed. What doesn’t require a battery in the system? I guess battery charging is a good use case for direct solar power. Heating hot...
  11. ianganderton

    Is it possible/practical to build a system to grow?

    So the forum sees quite a lot of posts from folks wanting to build a system bit by bit as to suit either their growing need or as they have the finances But I’ve seen lots of advice around how it makes a significant positive difference if resources like solar panels or battery cells are...
  12. ianganderton

    Fatal accident caused by loose panel on road

    Just seen a post on another forum about a fatal road accident in Tasmania, Australia police believe was caused by a solar panel on the toad that had fallen from a caravan roof Here is a news article about the accident...
  13. ianganderton

    Voltage spike caused by BMS disconnecting

    2 threads on another forum that seem to be describing a problem where the BMSis disconnecting before the SCC and causing damaging voltage spikes https://nzmotorhome.co.nz:80/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21237 https://nzmotorhome.co.nz:80/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21330 The problem appears to be the BMS...
  14. ianganderton

    Optimum voltages for mppt?

    My current understanding has been to put solar panels in series to make the most of the efficiencies of higher voltages and lower amps I’ve just come across this graph though that shows higher mppt efficiencies for lower voltages. Are any efficiencies like this device specific? Is it swings...
  15. ianganderton

    Cross Section sizing calculations

    I'm trying to understand how to calculate a couple of things. I'm trying to create my own wire sizing spreadsheet so that I understand properly the maths behind it I've got the target resistance calculated at =A4-(A4*A2)/A6 The CSA equation is =A14/A12 For 166A I'm expecting a CSA of around...
  16. ianganderton

    The politics of hertz in Central Europe

    Just read this article and thought it worth sharing here...
  17. ianganderton

    Solar Insolation Calculations

    Does anyone have equations they know work to adapt inslaotion data for a flat panel for tilt and angle from true north/south I have a way of getting average daily insolation data by month for flat panels but I'd like to be able to calculate for specific angles Like this calculator but using my...
  18. ianganderton

    If I wanted to see and record various ins and outs how would I do it?

    I’m interested in being able to see and record over time how much energy is flowing around a system. What are the options on doing this? FWIW I know there is no real point it’s just that I’d like to be able to see it the data. Maybe a ‘point’ would become obvious. I’d like to be able to...
  19. ianganderton

    Is there a simple way to tickle charge (maintain) my vehicle battery from my solar set up?

    I’m just planning a system and looking for a solution to lead acid battery ‘maintenance’ during periods of storage or not driving. I’ll have starter battery power access on my power board via a renogy 50A dc to dc charger Only need enough charge to keep it topped up and prevent it going flat...
  20. ianganderton

    Have I got this epever tracer wiring diagram correct

    I'm having a bit of a problem getting hold of some of the components I'd like and so I'm doing another diagram. This time its the Epever Tracer BN 40A I had it in my head that the battery connects to a couple of busbars and then everything connects to those including output from SSC, Inverter...
  21. ianganderton

    Cheap LifePo4 dropin battery in NZ - can you have a look please

    Just come across these http://sunnytech.co.nz/product/12v-100ah-lithium-iron-phosphate-lifepo4-battery/ At NZ$599 they seem like good value for money. They are similar to what I would be able to build myself for around the cost of building them myself I'm considering the 200Ah version for...
  22. ianganderton

    PV panel water heater idea

    So I’m wondering if it’s possible to DIY a solar water heater on a PV panel so it’s dual purpose. We all know solar panels get hot so why not use that energy to heat a small tank in a camper van for warm showers and washing dishes. This idea is probably commercially available but I haven’t seen...
  23. ianganderton

    What happens if a AGM battery is charged too fast?

    So I was reading a product manual (wild n crazy life I lead) and saw a maximum recommended charge rate for lead acid of 0.2C Is this a good recommendation? What happens if that is exceeded on a long term basis? What is typically the maximum charge rate lead acid batteries will actually accept...
  24. ianganderton

    What the heroin industry can teach us about solar power

    “It is the story of how Afghan opium growers have switched to solar power, and significantly increased the world supply of heroin.” https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53450688
  25. ianganderton

    Where are you and what electricity do you use?

    I was wondering where in the world folks are as it seems this forum is getting pretty international. Let’s see how distributed this network is. There are distinct differences in the electrical supplies used in different regions and while some are obvious I thought it would be interesting to...
  26. ianganderton

    Share your energy audit data

    One of the key parts to planning a system is understanding your predicted power needs and doing a power audit. The problem folks have is finding the data they need to do this so I thought it might be worth folks sharing to make it a bit easier I think it needs to include a good description...
  27. ianganderton

    Off Grid LifePo4 Battery storage/standby modes

    I was thinking about options for storing batteries while they are not being used or when full storge is not required. E.g cabin uninhabited, campervan/RV in storage, a yacht is on its mooring My understanding is a LifePo4 battery prefers to 'live' around 80% for maximum life Batteries need...
  28. ianganderton

    Minimum battery charge - 10%

    I was watching a video from Pacific Yacht Systems on another thread and the guy (Jeff) mentions that not charging to a minimum of 10% of the battery rating can damage the battery I hadn’t heard of this before. Does anyone have any info they can share on this? Is it just lead acid or lithium...
  29. ianganderton

    How do I use insolation data to estimate output?

    I have the following insolation data for a location. How would I predict/estimate output for a PV panel using this data? Thanks for any input
  30. ianganderton

    Just saw this on reddit - Firebird (Solar Forecasting App)

    Just saw this on reddit and thought folks here might find it interesting On play store - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.revolve44.fragments22
  31. ianganderton

    Measuring solar potential alongside actual - is it possible

    Please excuse what might be a very dumb newbie question but I was wondering Is it possible to measure (and record) what a solar array could possibly have delivered over time? If so how? It seems that the normal way of measuring solar output (in a vehicle setting anyway) is through a shunt...
  32. ianganderton

    New Zealand based camper - first project

    Evening from a locked-down New Zealand. We travelled from Sydney just before the lockdown started and had to self isolate for 14 days, we did that in my sister-in-law's campervan. The problem is they have stuffed their 12V lead-acid battery by not looking after it. I'm thinking I'll sort this...
Back
Top