Best charge controller arrangements for 8x 240w panels?

[73powerstroke]

8 santan 240w poly panels
2 epever 40amp tracer 4210an cc

240x8=1960w ÷14.4v =133amps approx.
You can get almost 33amps from just 2 panels in series on one 40amp tracer.

If I go the 2 panel per cc route that's gunna cost $560 and could harvest 160 amps theoretically.

A 100amp cc is $400 alone it's not going to get it done.
60a is $260
X2 60amp is $520
There is the mpp 2024 for like $700 but only 80 amp cc

I might want to add 2 to 4 more panels.

I really dont know how to testris this.
I currently have 4 panels on each 40a cc
I max out 40 amps on both easy under load.

 

[GLC]

Are you going a 12 or 24 volt system?
Max VOC is 92-100 volts on a 40 amp unit.
12 volt setup is 780 watt max and 24 volt is 1560 watt max.
Is the VOC 16.66 on the panels? That seems low.

What is your amp ratings on the back of the panels, I don't think it is 14.4 amps, maybe 7 or 8 amps and 30 volts?
If you get a 80 amp Trace 8415 Tracer AN, then it will cover your 8 panels.
It will handle 2000 watts with a 24 volt system.
So you could do a 4P/2S which would be 32 amps and 60 volts.
And the cost is $335
Guessing that your 240 watt poly panels are used? If so I don't think that you will over power your setup even though it looks close.

https://www.amazon.com/EPEVER-Controller-Automatically-Identifying-Regulator/dp/B081JWHV52/ref=sr_1_3?crid=FYO9CYHNGLSD&keywords=epever%2B80a%2Bmppt%2Bsolar%2Bcharge%2Bcontroller&qid=1657053552&sprefix=epever%2B80%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-3&th=1

 

[73powerstroke]

Are you going a 12 or 24 volt system?
Max VOC is 92-100 volts
12 volt setup is 780 watt max and 24 volt is 1560 watt max.
Is the VOC 16.66 on the panels? That seems low.

What is your amp ratings on the back of the panels, I don't think it is 14.4 amps, maybe 7 or 8 amps?

I'm 12v currently. I'm over paneling. So disregard the max watts.
Panels at 37.2 ocv 30.4 vpmax, short circuit amps 8.37, amps pmax 7.89
I have 133 amps possible w 12v
80amps at 24v
I guess if I go 24v batteries I could use all my panels with what I have. And I wouldn't be losing 53 amps to overpaneling. I think. If so , I may have answered my own question. Hmmm

 

[GLC]

I'm 12v currently. I'm over paneling. So disregard the max watts.
Panels at 37.2 ocv 30.4 vpmax, short circuit amps 8.37, amps pmax 7.89
I have 133 amps possible w 12v
80amps at 24v
I guess if I go 24v batteries I could use all my panels with what I have. And I wouldn't be losing 53 amps to overpaneling. I think. If so , I may have answered my own question. HmmmView attachment 101418

Think I would pretty well stay away from 12 volt setup. Epever units can be over paneled 20 to 30 percent but since the 80 amp controller using 12 volt battery bank is rated at 1000 watts you are doubling that with 8 panels or total of 1920 watts. I don't think it will be happy.
The unit I posted above will work fine and still be able to use all PV at peak power with a24 volt battery bank. 4P/2S=33.48 amps and 74.40 volts. Plus wiring at 33 amps will keep your wiring cost down and depending on the length of run you could get away with 8 gauge wire.

 

[73powerstroke]

Are you going a 12 or 24 volt system?
Max VOC is 92-100 volts on a 40 amp unit.
12 volt setup is 780 watt max and 24 volt is 1560 watt max.
Is the VOC 16.66 on the panels? That seems low.

What is your amp ratings on the back of the panels, I don't think it is 14.4 amps, maybe 7 or 8 amps and 30 volts?
If you get a 80 amp Trace 8415 Tracer AN, then it will cover your 8 panels.
It will handle 2000 watts with a 24 volt system.
So you could do a 4P/2S which would be 32 amps and 60 volts.
And the cost is $335
Guessing that your 240 watt poly panels are used? If so I don't think that you will over power your setup even though it looks close.

https://www.amazon.com/EPEVER-Controller-Automatically-Identifying-Regulator/dp/B081JWHV52/ref=sr_1_3?crid=FYO9CYHNGLSD&keywords=epever%2B80a%2Bmppt%2Bsolar%2Bcharge%2Bcontroller&qid=1657053552&sprefix=epever%2B80%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-3&th=1

I'm getting full output with them through mppt. Under heavy load I was able to get 30amps with 2 series panels on a sunny day. I retesting that now but it's overcast.
With 2s2p I get full 40 amps under load on both epever 40amp tracer 4210an units. They run just fine no problems. But im going to test 24v later just to charge 2 batteries. Maybe since I have 2x group 24 fla deep cycle batteries and one group 31 I can do a series parallel thing? Parallel the 2 smaller batteries in series with the bigger for my 24v test. I can't place a load on it since I have nothing 24v except a 1500va ups that's 24v.
I'm infact pulling full 30-33 amps under load on just 2 panels wow and bad light. These santan solar panels are great in poor conditions . It's overcast

 

[GLC]

I'm getting full output with them through mppt. Under heavy load I was able to get 30amps with 2 series panels on a sunny day. I retesting that now but it's overcast.
With 2s2p I get full 40 amps under load on both epever 40amp tracer 4210an units. They run just fine no problems. But im going to test 24v later just to charge 2 batteries. Maybe since I have 2x group 24 fla deep cycle batteries and one group 31 I can do a series parallel thing? Parallel the 2 smaller batteries in series with the bigger for my 24v test. I can't place a load on it since I have nothing 24v except a 1500va ups that's 24v.
I'm infact pulling full 30-33 amps under load on just 2 panels wow and bad light. These santan solar panels are great in poor conditions . It's overcast

Hmmm, Your out put from your panels are 40 amps , correct?
You have a 2P/2s config on your panels, correct?
That would be 16.74 amps and 74.4 volts?
That would be 1245 watts out of 4 / 240 watt panels? Which should be 960 watts?
Are you sure about all of your calculations?
Do you have a clamp meter to double check your amps and volts going to your controller?
Is the 40 amps coming from your controller to the batteries or 40 amps from your panels to your controller?
Also check your volts on your panel wires coming from panels to controller.
PV/panel output will be your amps x your volts that will give you total PV watts being produced.

 

[73powerstroke]

Hmmm, Your out put from your panels are 40 amps , correct?
You have a 2P/2s config on your panels, correct?
That would be 16.74 amps and 74.4 volts?
That would be 1245 watts out of 4 / 240 watt panels? Which should be 960 watts?
Are you sure about all of your calculations?
Do you have a clamp meter to double check your amps and volts going to your controller?
Is the 40 amps coming from your controller to the batteries or 40 amps from your panels to your controller?

40 amps to battery. For instance I saw 7amps turn to 30 with those 2 panels. I have clamp meter

 

[GLC]

40 amps to battery. For instance I saw 7amps turn to 30 with those 2 panels. I have clamp meter

Ok, that makes more sense to me now. With a DC clamp meter, check your amps from your panels to your controller and then also your voltage from your panels to controller. By doing this we will see how the 4 panels are producing. That will give you info on how to wire 8 panels for the future.
From the panels, amps to the controller x the voltage to your controller will give you watts to your controller.

 

[GLC]

40 amps to battery. For instance I saw 7amps turn to 30 with those 2 panels. I have clamp meter

Also bear in mind that 40 amps to the battery is at 12 volts. If you go 24 volt system, then your amps, with the same panel config, will be cut in half or 20 amps.

 

[73powerstroke]

Hmmm, Your out put from your panels are 40 amps , correct?
You have a 2P/2s config on your panels, correct?
That would be 16.74 amps and 74.4 volts?
That would be 1245 watts out of 4 / 240 watt panels? Which should be 960 watts?
Are you sure about all of your calculations?
Do you have a clamp meter to double check your amps and volts going to your controller?
Is the 40 amps coming from your controller to the batteries or 40 amps from your panels to your controller?
Also check your volts on your panel wires coming from panels to controller.
PV/panel output will be your amps x your volts that will give you total PV watts being produced.

I tested it just now and made a video. It's working well. 37 amps or so and poor light today. Heres a quick video

 

[GLC]

I tested it just now and made a video. It's working well. 37 amps or so and poor light today. He's a quick video

In the video, did you have 4 panels hooked per controller or 2 panels hooked up per controller?

 

[73powerstroke]

In the video, did you have 4 panels hooked per controller or 2 panels hooked up per controller?

I hooked them all back up. 2s2p on each controller

 

[GLC]

I hooked them all back up. 2s2p on each controller

Ok, gotcha. So when you made that video, you were pulling 60 volts and 8.5 amps per string of 4 panels each on each controller. That is 518 watts per string/controller or 129 watts per panel. I am sure that it was not in the best sun so they will do better. I was getting confused earlier when you were mentioning the 30 and 40 amps. I thought you were speaking about your panel amps which I thought was fantastic.

 

[73powerstroke]

Ok, gotcha. So when you made that video, you were pulling 60 volts and 8.5 amps per string of 4 panels each on each controller. That is 518 watts per string/controller or 129 watts per panel. I am sure that it was not in the best sun so they will do better. I was getting confused earlier when you were mentioning the 30 and 40 amps. I thought you were speaking about your panel amps which I thought was fantastic.

Yeah . I'm confused about most of this so I'm probably not explaining it well so I figured a video would help. These panels like low light. I think Will had mentioned that about them or the other 250w ones ?
Originally they talked to me out of buying a bunch of these panels at once and I just bought 2 and drove home and when I got them set up the next day i was so impressed with what they were able to do that I went and got a bunch more. They tell you that there are about 80% efficiency efficiency somewhere around 5 or 10 years old. But it's hard to say and where they came from probably somewhere down south where it's really nasty and hard on the panels.

 

[73powerstroke]

Ok, gotcha. So when you made that video, you were pulling 60 volts and 8.5 amps per string of 4 panels each on each controller. That is 518 watts per string/controller or 129 watts per panel. I am sure that it was not in the best sun so they will do better. I was getting confused earlier when you were mentioning the 30 and 40 amps. I thought you were speaking about your panel amps which I thought was fantastic.

I need to unhook everything and put the batteries in 24 V mode and test it out before sun get low, but I really don't want to shut off the inverter and have no air conditioning. I'm surprised that the harbor freight inverter is still working. I do have this pure sine wave bad boy over here too lol. ( it's junk) I need to get my oscilloscope out because it sure makes stuff run bad compared to harbor freight modified sine

 

[GLC]

Remember, when you go to 24 volt, change your controller settings to 24 volt also. Take new readings on everything. Also since you will have things disconnected, i would take a reading on all of your panels individually as far as volts just to make sure where they stand. Unless you have done that before.

 

[73powerstroke]

Epever auto detects the voltage. By the time I got everything hooked up it wasn't good sun any more.

 

[GLC]

Epever auto detects the voltage. By the time I got everything hooked up it wasn't good sun any more.

You are correct as long as you connect batteries first.

 

[73powerstroke]

You are correct as long as you connect batteries first.

Ok picked up 2 panels, another EPEVER 40A, a 2500w reliable 24v inverter

 

[GLC]

Ok, post what you find out. Remember to keep it below 92 VOC on your panel config if you are using the same controller.
Also check and see what the idle draw is on the new inverter with no load.