200w solar system expectations...

[Entwicklung34]

Status at 15:30 ... Overcast.

Battery seems at full charge now as it never goes above 14.4... I'm sure it's set as the maximum on the SCC.

I'm looking at ordering a mppt controller this week... Spotted some with Bluetooth links to an app you can check on your phone which I like the sound of!

 

[MichaelK]

I turn my inverter off every night, to stop battery drain.

I have an Iconica all in one, so when the sun/light hits the panels in the morning, it starts charging the battery without it being on, so no drain from the inverter.

I've had mine set up for nearly 4 weeks now, only ran out of electricity once and had 4-5 non-solar electricity days so far ?

UK weather hey! ??

What exactly are your battery and panel specifications of your system. This really sounds like a case for over-paneling. With grid-tie panels so cheap today, I myself am very overpaneled, but I find that I still get fully charged batteries in the rain because of it. I can keep my amps down on bright sunny days by facing some arrays SE, SW, and one array fully due West. A total of 5500W of panels on a system that was designed for 3600W.

Last rainy day that I went out and measured output, I made a total of 2700Wh (2.7kWh) in the rain, or more or less 0.5sh.

 

[StuartV]

What exactly are your battery and panel specifications of your system. This really sounds like a case for over-paneling. With grid-tie panels so cheap today, I myself am very overpaneled, but I find that I still get fully charged batteries in the rain because of it. I can keep my amps down on bright sunny days by facing some arrays SE, SW, and one array fully due West. A total of 5500W of panels on a system that was designed for 3600W.

Last rainy day that I went out and measured output, I made a total of 2700Wh (2.7kWh) in the rain, or more or less 0.5sh.

INVERTER MODEL
Iconica 1000W 12V Hybrid 40A MPPT
1KVA
Max. PV Array Open Circuit Voltage = 102 Vdc
PV Array MPPT Voltage Range = 15~80Vdc
Charging current = 60A

Then I have 2 of these:
Trina 340W panel:
Peak Power Watts-PMAX (Wp) 340
Maximum Power Voltage-UMPP (V) 34.2
Maximum Power Current-IMPP (A) 9.94
Open Circuit Voltage-UOC (V) 41.1
Short Circuit Current-ISC (A) 10.6
Module Efficiency ηm (%) 19.9

And a Ultramax 100ah 12.8V Lifepo4 battery ?

From the specs on the all in one, I've maxed out my panel allowance (nearly).

The 2 panels I have mounted on pallets with wheels and deck chair like arms so the panels can be tilted throughout the day, and moved around the garden to get best sunlight ?

 

[MichaelK]

INVERTER MODEL
Iconica 1000W 12V Hybrid 40A MPPT
1KVA
Max. PV Array Open Circuit Voltage = 102 Vdc
PV Array MPPT Voltage Range = 15~80Vdc
Charging current = 60A

I'm a little confused by the specifications listed here? It has a 40A MPPT controller, but the max charging current is 60A? I did a search, and found what I thought was your AiO, but in the specifications it states it has an PWM controller?

Could you provide a link direct to your actual unit? I don't want to give you faulty advice.

Well, I have to admit that this is just about the smallest AiO you can get, so there's not much you can do, expansion wise? Yes, I can see why you have to do a shutdown every couple of days. Sorry about that!

 

[StuartV]

I'm a little confused by the specifications listed here? It has a 40A MPPT controller, but the max charging current is 60A? I did a search, and found what I thought was your AiO, but in the specifications it states it has an PWM controller?
View attachment 95553
Could you provide a link direct to your actual unit? I don't want to give you faulty advice.

Well, I have to admit that this is just about the smallest AiO you can get, so there's not much you can do, expansion wise? Yes, I can see why you have to do a shutdown every couple of days. Sorry about that!

No, no, mine has MPPT. I put 60A as thats what it can charge with mains & solar combined. I specifically went for the MPPT version as its better ?

Heres the link for my unit:
https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en...T-solar-controller-and-20A-mains-charger.html

The instruction manual is on the documents tab. Its basically the same as those MPP solar units, same menu system and connections etc.

Expansion, yes. another 12v battery is in the pipeline, along with a 2 maybe 3kw AiO for the future.

 

[MichaelK]

I'm guessing that that is is just a trial system to explore solar? Nothing depends on the power you're making? I tend to look at things from a totally different perspective, because I am totally off-grid, and I wholely depend on my system to supply all my power. Things will die if I loss power.

So, I don't think you need to be as hard-core about this as I would. Yes, I suppose you can double your batter capacity, and maybe also add more panels at the same time. The way I would do it it to create two equal panel strings, but face them in different directions, say SE and SW. That way you wouldn't exceed your amp limit on bright sunny days because only 1 string will be at full output at a time.

This will really make a difference though on cloudy days, when the lower light is more scattered, and both arrays would be at about the same (low) power level. It will also allow you to get to full power a bit earlier in the day, and extend full power a bit longer in the afternoon.

Do you have local sellers marketing panels in your local area? Here in the US, I never buy panels from commercial stores or online any more. I buy from cash and carry sellers I find on Craigslist, our local sales posting site. I'm finding that I can get ~4W/USD in California. About the best you can do with online shopping is ~1W/USD. Hope you can find the same?

 

[StuartV]

I'm guessing that that is is just a trial system to explore solar? Nothing depends on the power you're making? I tend to look at things from a totally different perspective, because I am totally off-grid, and I wholely depend on my system to supply all my power. Things will die if I loss power.

So, I don't think you need to be as hard-core about this as I would. Yes, I suppose you can double your batter capacity, and maybe also add more panels at the same time. The way I would do it it to create two equal panel strings, but face them in different directions, say SE and SW. That way you wouldn't exceed your amp limit on bright sunny days because only 1 string will be at full output at a time.

This will really make a difference though on cloudy days, when the lower light is more scattered, and both arrays would be at about the same (low) power level. It will also allow you to get to full power a bit earlier in the day, and extend full power a bit longer in the afternoon.

Do you have local sellers marketing panels in your local area? Here in the US, I never buy panels from commercial stores or online any more. I buy from cash and carry sellers I find on Craigslist, our local sales posting site. I'm finding that I can get ~4W/USD in California. About the best you can do with online shopping is ~1W/USD. Hope you can find the same?

I get you ?

I'm working from home full time now, so want to use as little mains electricity while working from home. So bought the Iconica AiO etc, now I work from solar & battery, then after work and weekends, use solar & battery to watch TV etc. The plan was to get solar to run the washing machine as well, but found out the hard way that the w/mach uses more than 1kw of ele! ?? (its uses 1.7kw when heating up the water, then 340ish after)

I'm renting this property at the moment, but have plans and now the knowledge ready for when I get my own place ??

The 340W panels were a good deal, £215 without shipping, so work out at £1.58p a watt. Not too bad I guess. We do have ebay, but my car isn't big enough to haul large panels ??

 

[Entwicklung34]

Hey that sounds like a decent set up Stuart! And turning the inverter off each night is a possibility for me, although I'd imagined the system would manage whilst on overnight for use of lights etc if needed...

I feel I've been over ambitious with such a start-out / basic system reading about others on here.

Tonight, after having my wall lights on for a few hours (2x9w) the battery is reading 12.8v from 14.4v this afternoon. That is not adding up to me at all!!! ???

 

[Entwicklung34]

That 2a is still less than half of what a single panel should be producing. What's the weather outside look like?

Wow... Need to see what's going on here. Weather was cloudy but bright I would say ?

 

[Entwicklung34]

Your expectations are too high. The solar panels give in the best case 80% of their rated output.
The issue with your system is the constantly running inverter. My 1000W AIO inverter draws 20W idle. That means 0.5kWh per day for nothing.
So put the lights to 12V, and turn the inverter on only when needed.

Very interested in this... How can I get the lights to 12v, or does this mean buying new lights?

 

[crossy]

The 340W panels were a good deal, £215 without shipping, so work out at £1.58p a watt. Not too bad I guess. We do have ebay, but my car isn't big enough to haul large panels ??

We are in sunny Thailand (I'm a Brit by the way), until I joined this great forum I didn't realise just how badly you folks in the West, particularly the US but it seems Europe too, are being ripped on the cost of solar parts.

In September last year I got a dozen 340W Jinyuan poly panels @ 2,890 Baht (about £67) a pop retail from our local Global House (big-box DIY place). Oddly enough they are not really any cheaper buying online, and you have to wait (I'm definitely an instant-gratification chap).

Order and pay online, they call when the stuff is ready to collect, 15 minute drive to collect (we have a Ford Ranger pickup but they do deliver - free!), the Global chaps load up and back home.

I got lucky as the prices have climbed somewhat, the same panels are 3,690 Baht now from Global (they peaked at just under 4,000 Baht), if you want mono then Sunergy 410W are 5,190 Baht each.

Now of course we are closer to China, VAT is only 7% and solar stuff is zero rated for import duty (Thailand/China free trade agreement), but even so...

Did I say it was sunny here? We have 10.6kWP of panels of various ilks on the car-port.



Our batteries were full by lunch time on this rather good day so we were exporting like mad (1:1 net metering).

 

[Entwicklung34]

We are in sunny Thailand (I'm a Brit by the way), until I joined this great forum I didn't realise just how badly you folks in the West, particularly the US but it seems Europe too, are being ripped on the cost of solar parts.

In September last year I got a dozen 340W Jinyuan poly panels @ 2,890 Baht (about £67) a pop retail from our local Global House (big-box DIY place). Oddly enough they are not really any cheaper buying online, and you have to wait (I'm definitely an instant-gratification chap).

Order and pay online, they call when the stuff is ready to collect, 15 minute drive to collect (we have a Ford Ranger pickup but they do deliver - free!), the Global chaps load up and back home.

I got lucky as the prices have climbed somewhat, the same panels are 3,690 Baht now from Global (they peaked at just under 4,000 Baht), if you want mono then Sunergy 410W are 5,190 Baht each.

Now of course we are closer to China, VAT is only 7% and solar stuff is zero rated for import duty (Thailand/China free trade agreement), but even so...

Did I say it was sunny here? We have 10.6kWP of panels of various ilks on the car-port.

View attachment 95588

Our batteries were full by lunch time on this rather good day so we were exporting like mad (1:1 net metering).

View attachment 95589

Wowwww.... Now that's a setup!! ??

 

[squowse]

Get yourself a watt meter so you can measure consumption, power etc This one doesn't need tapping into the wires. It has a clamp instead.

AC 50-300V Voltmeter Ammeter Power Energy Meter Wattmeter Electric Meter 0-100A | eBay

Press and hold the button for 5 secondsto save the settings. Volage curent, power, iming. humilyCurrent electical energy,cumulative electrical energy. Electic energy and üming can be reset. Capacity: 0.01-19999Kwh.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Bud Martin]

We are in sunny Thailand (I'm a Brit by the way), until I joined this great forum I didn't realise just how badly you folks in the West, particularly the US but it seems Europe too, are being ripped on the cost of solar parts.

In September last year I got a dozen 340W Jinyuan poly panels @ 2,890 Baht (about £67) a pop retail from our local Global House (big-box DIY place). Oddly enough they are not really any cheaper buying online, and you have to wait (I'm definitely an instant-gratification chap).

Order and pay online, they call when the stuff is ready to collect, 15 minute drive to collect (we have a Ford Ranger pickup but they do deliver - free!), the Global chaps load up and back home.

I got lucky as the prices have climbed somewhat, the same panels are 3,690 Baht now from Global (they peaked at just under 4,000 Baht), if you want mono then Sunergy 410W are 5,190 Baht each.

Now of course we are closer to China, VAT is only 7% and solar stuff is zero rated for import duty (Thailand/China free trade agreement), but even so...

Did I say it was sunny here? We have 10.6kWP of panels of various ilks on the car-port.

View attachment 95588

Our batteries were full by lunch time on this rather good day so we were exporting like mad (1:1 net metering).

View attachment 95589

Nice setup.
Sawatdee krup! Welcome to Thailand.
What part of Thailand are you in?

 

[crossy]

Nice setup.
Sawatdee krup! Welcome to Thailand.
What part of Thailand are you in?

Northern outskirts of Bangkok, Chiang Rak Yai area, near the river (it gets far too close on occasion).

 

[crossy]

Wowwww.... Now that's a setup!! ??

Thanks, it's sort of mushroomed.

Like yourself we started small with 4 x 300W panels and a couple of micro-inverters just to get a taster. My good lady noticed the visible effect on our energy bill and ok'd "some" expansion to 8, then 20 and now 32 panels. We now get more than 90% of our electricity from the free sunshine (just nudging 1MWh per month).

EDIT Electricity is pretty cheap here, it's a variable tariff but averages at around 4.5 Baht (about 10p UK) per kWh. Even so we are saving around 4,500 Baht (around 100 squid) per month. Payback is currently around 5 years. If it was pure grid-tie it would be closer to 3 years, batteries (even the used ones we have) are not cheap.

We did move away from the micro-inverters, they were cheap Chinese ones, ran very hot and had a nasty habit of blowing up if the mains went off when they were generating, an easy fix (replace a bunch of MOSFETS) but I have better things to do with my time (like earning the $$$ to support Madam's gardening addiction).

Full details of the system in my Show and Tell https://diysolarforum.com/threads/our-10-6kwp-grid-tie-hybrid-system-in-sunny-thailand.28321/

 

[Entwicklung34]

Get yourself a watt meter so you can measure consumption, power etc This one doesn't need tapping into the wires. It has a clamp instead.

AC 50-300V Voltmeter Ammeter Power Energy Meter Wattmeter Electric Meter 0-100A | eBay

Press and hold the button for 5 secondsto save the settings. Volage curent, power, iming. humilyCurrent electical energy,cumulative electrical energy. Electic energy and üming can be reset. Capacity: 0.01-19999Kwh.

www.ebay.co.uk

Ordered! Cheers!!!

 

[Entwicklung34]

Thanks, it's sort of mushroomed.

Like yourself we started small with 4 x 300W panels and a couple of micro-inverters just to get a taster. My good lady noticed the visible effect on our energy bill and ok'd "some" expansion to 8, then 20 and now 32 panels. We now get more than 90% of our electricity from the free sunshine (just nudging 1MWh per month).

EDIT Electricity is pretty cheap here, it's a variable tariff but averages at around 4.5 Baht (about 10p UK) per kWh. Even so we are saving around 4,500 Baht (around 100 squid) per month. Payback is currently around 5 years. If it was pure grid-tie it would be closer to 3 years, batteries (even the used ones we have) are not cheap.

We did move away from the micro-inverters, they were cheap Chinese ones, ran very hot and had a nasty habit of blowing up if the mains went off when they were generating, an easy fix (replace a bunch of MOSFETS) but I have better things to do with my time (like earning the $$$ to support Madam's gardening addiction).

Full details of the system in my Show and Tell https://diysolarforum.com/threads/our-10-6kwp-grid-tie-hybrid-system-in-sunny-thailand.28321/

Haha that's awesome... You would be cleaning up here in the UK with the price of fuel!! Our gas/electric bill is £183/month now...

 

[conquistador]

Very interested in this... How can I get the lights to 12v, or does this mean buying new lights?

You might be lucky, most of the old halogen spots were 12V and had a transformer inside. Otherwise, just change them to 12V LED stuff. The 12V LED spots are dirt cheap, you can even get them locally in Europe nowadays at nearly the price of Aliexpress.

 

[squowse]

Very interested in this... How can I get the lights to 12v, or does this mean buying new lights?

You can change an entire lighting circuit to 12 by removing it from the consumer unit. Keep it a ring and you can connect to the battery wherever you want. Make sure you still use a fuse though.

You can get adapters for most bulb fittings so you can use a 12v GU10 or MR16 bulbs of which there are many types and fairly cheap.

Oh yeah, just checking - you're in UK? Pretty sure I can tell but I don't think you've put a location.