5280W solar max for the Mppt charger. can i exceed?
- Thread starter theVlog
- Start date
Couldn't agree more.
I had three points I was trying to get across before things devolved.
1. Total wattage is not a very helpful spec with a SCC. You need to consider the Amperage and Voltage limits separately.
2. You NEVER want to exceed the Voltage limit of a SCC.
3. Exceeding the amperage limit is a bit more forgiving in the real world.
Hope someone finds that helpful.
I like this.....
Do not exceed manufafturer specs.....
And ill post some inverter and charge control specs that show ther may be a limit on the pv input reached before you would ever be able to run max volts, max amps. Its there, i didnt design it so i dont know exactly why, but i can assure you if you install these for people on your liability you will be honoring manufacturer specs or you are likely to cause some people a terrible experience and it get lead to a law suit........ real world.
Do not exceed manufafturer specs.....
And ill post some inverter and charge control specs that show ther may be a limit on the pv input reached before you would ever be able to run max volts, max amps. Its there, i didnt design it so i dont know exactly why, but i can assure you if you install these for people on your liability you will be honoring manufacturer specs or you are likely to cause some people a terrible experience and it get lead to a law suit........ real world.
It doesnt get more real.......
On the scale? Whats a scale? And please do, it would be nice to see what products to avoid.
And remember its already been qualified for mppt function so I hope youre not confusing excessively high voltage array currents. We're all aware 50A at 160v can exceed a controllers 100a/12v rating.
And remember its already been qualified for mppt function so I hope youre not confusing excessively high voltage array currents. We're all aware 50A at 160v can exceed a controllers 100a/12v rating.
Last edited:
It has nothing to do with the output amps..... that is the other side of the control.... if the manual will say only 60A on the pv input terminal either the terminal or something behind it is going to have issue if you apply 100A it has relay contacts many times befor the fets amd stuff you can hear them switch and watch the power flow in right then.
So is it ok to expose relays and contactors to overcurrent just because you assume the controller is a 100A conductor?
Dont see a reason for the tude, dude.....
And you cant get 100A out of 60A without buck converting excess voltages. Either its false advertisement or youre confused about the specs meaning. Im sure its not false advertisement.
Current input WITH mppt should not be > current output rating. That can be 20A, 60A, 99A all depending on the voltage.
Not wattage, not amperage, but current. 60A @ 18v is very different than 60A @ 240v. The latter exceeds 100A rating of the controller due to mppt function.
Does that clear it up for you?
Current input WITH mppt should not be > current output rating. That can be 20A, 60A, 99A all depending on the voltage.
Not wattage, not amperage, but current. 60A @ 18v is very different than 60A @ 240v. The latter exceeds 100A rating of the controller due to mppt function.
Does that clear it up for you?
Last edited:
Justin Laureltec
Bay Marine Supply Tech Support Manager
Wow, what is going on in this thread...
What the hell, I'll climb in: A 100A SCC is rated for output current at battery voltage, not input current at panel voltage. Just because it can output 100A to a battery at 13.5 or 14.4 doesn't mean that it can take 100A input at 75 or 100 or 150v, and it shouldn't be able to do that... this is very basic math.
A Victron SmartSolar 150/100 is rated by input voltage and output current: 150vDC input hard limit, 100A output hard limit. It cannot take 100A input from a solar array; not only does it not claim to be able to, it also shouldn't be able to, because the math simply wouldn't pan out. It has a maximum input current limit of 75A Isc from the array. This should never, ever be exceeded. It has a nominal "wattage" input rating that can certainly be exceeded in cases where it's desirable to overpanel, but the current input rating must not be exceeded.
Further examples: the 150/45, 150/60, and 150/70 have a maximum input current limit of 50A.
The big boys, the 250/60 and 250/70, can accept 35A input current (input current limit is lower because input voltage limit is higher) and the 250/85 and 250/100 can accept up to 70A Isc. That maximum Isc input current must never be exceeded... But it wouldn't ever have to be, because to get 100A of charge current to a 12v nominal battery bank, you'd only have to input ~7A at 200vDC from your solar array.
An MPPT SCC -from any manufacturer- takes high voltage, low current from an array and flips it to low voltage, high current to the batteries. This is neither buck nor boost, this is a simple mathematical function. I'd be happy to post a line drawing of how an MPPT works if that's really necessary.
I honestly have no idea whose position I'm supporting or detracting from here, I couldn't keep track on all the back and forth, but those are the simple numbers and facts.... and they don't just apply to Victron, either, you'll find the same limitations on Outbacks or MidNites or any other reputable SCC manufacturer: input current limit is not the same as output current limit.
For reference: Victron 250/60 through 250/100 SCC Datasheet
Victron 150/45 through 150/100 Datasheet
What the hell, I'll climb in: A 100A SCC is rated for output current at battery voltage, not input current at panel voltage. Just because it can output 100A to a battery at 13.5 or 14.4 doesn't mean that it can take 100A input at 75 or 100 or 150v, and it shouldn't be able to do that... this is very basic math.
A Victron SmartSolar 150/100 is rated by input voltage and output current: 150vDC input hard limit, 100A output hard limit. It cannot take 100A input from a solar array; not only does it not claim to be able to, it also shouldn't be able to, because the math simply wouldn't pan out. It has a maximum input current limit of 75A Isc from the array. This should never, ever be exceeded. It has a nominal "wattage" input rating that can certainly be exceeded in cases where it's desirable to overpanel, but the current input rating must not be exceeded.
Further examples: the 150/45, 150/60, and 150/70 have a maximum input current limit of 50A.
The big boys, the 250/60 and 250/70, can accept 35A input current (input current limit is lower because input voltage limit is higher) and the 250/85 and 250/100 can accept up to 70A Isc. That maximum Isc input current must never be exceeded... But it wouldn't ever have to be, because to get 100A of charge current to a 12v nominal battery bank, you'd only have to input ~7A at 200vDC from your solar array.
An MPPT SCC -from any manufacturer- takes high voltage, low current from an array and flips it to low voltage, high current to the batteries. This is neither buck nor boost, this is a simple mathematical function. I'd be happy to post a line drawing of how an MPPT works if that's really necessary.
I honestly have no idea whose position I'm supporting or detracting from here, I couldn't keep track on all the back and forth, but those are the simple numbers and facts.... and they don't just apply to Victron, either, you'll find the same limitations on Outbacks or MidNites or any other reputable SCC manufacturer: input current limit is not the same as output current limit.
For reference: Victron 250/60 through 250/100 SCC Datasheet
Victron 150/45 through 150/100 Datasheet
Justin Laureltec
Bay Marine Supply Tech Support Manager
Have you read the warranty? Like as almost all other posters have said they can take even more amp input. Maybe 25%. The difference is when youre at limit and you have high voltage panels it will be wildly over the controllers limit. Hence a spec of 1/2 input amperage vs ouput.
Amps or watts alone does not a story make. When its rated for 20a and you throw 20a at 15v into it, its rated to handle it. If you put 20a at 40v then no.
Amps or watts alone does not a story make. When its rated for 20a and you throw 20a at 15v into it, its rated to handle it. If you put 20a at 40v then no.
Last edited:
