Bus bar location and size

[Cardude]

My inverter manual calls for a 600amp bus bar, but it’s only a 3000w inverter at 48v. Two eg4 48v batteries. Does that sound right?

I bought these off Amazon, but now I’m wondering if they are real copper.https://a.co/d/bUFu9SB I looked at the blue sea 600amp bus bar but they only sell them in black? Is it cool to run positive wires to a black bus bar?

As far as location, I was planning to mount them right above the batteries on a plywood sheet, but this is a mobile application and I’m wondering if they somehow came loose and fell down onto the batteries that could be really bad. Should I mount them off to the side or something?

 

[Sennen]

Man that's a confusing description. I bet this thing gets hot over 100a

Current: 400A-600A
Material: Copper
Base Material: Nylon
Terminal Material: Stainless Steel
- The contact plate is made of nickel plated brass material

 

[seneysolar]

Those that you bought should be fine.

Id recommend some cushion clamps as strain relief on the cables for mobile applications. I use Adel clamps.

Also, cover your batteries or at least the terminals for anything that might fall on them. Murphys law, you might drop a wrench some day...

 

[Cardude]

Those that you bought should be fine.

Id recommend some cushion clamps as strain relief on the cables for mobile applications. I use Adel clamps.

Also, cover your batteries or at least the terminals for anything that might fall on them. Murphys law, you might drop a wrench some day...

Thanks. Yeah I guess with all the cables secured to the plywood in multiple places the chances of the bus bars falling off is pretty slim.

Good idea on covering the batteries. These two 48v eg4 batteries are going to stand on their ends and be secured in their own wooden rack to the floor and to the wall. I can definitely put a “lid” on top of them to protect the open terminals.

 

[Cardude]

Man that's a confusing description. I bet this thing gets hot over 100a

Should I just get the Blue Sea 600a bus bars? Is it strange they are only available in black, and they don’t seem to have a cover? Running red wires to a black bus bar seems so dumb to me, and the lack of a cover seems odd.

 

[Sennen]

Should I just get the Blue Sea 600a bus bars?

Your (Current) load seems to indicate a need for 62.5 amps max. Maybe some peaks above that, but nothing heavy. If you plan (or don't plan, but think) you'll expand the system to 15KW+, I'd look at heavier bars.

Running red wires to a black bus bar seems so dumb to me, and the lack of a cover seems odd.

I ran out of Red wire partway through my build. I have plenty of red heat shrink, though.

 

[seneysolar]

Amazon is famous for horrible descriptions. Most are translated by AI or at best a person who has no idea what the product is. If you aren't willing to try it and monitor, essentially being your own quality control, then buy from a reputable source.
Chances are those are fine for your application, but again dont be surprised if they get hot or the stud breaks off from vibration...

 

[wheelman55]

Victron 600 amp bus bars come in black only, like Blue Sea. Both are quality. Victron comes with covers.

 

[AshleyL]

Victron 600 amp bus bars come in black only, like Blue Sea. Both are quality. Victron comes with covers.

The price are amazingly expensive too. Any alternative that doesn't break the bank?

 

[rhino]

Amazon is famous for horrible descriptions

as well as knockoffs and unsafe products. Unless you know what you are doing or given a direct link by a reputable person to a product someone knows is good I would avoid purchasing any solar equipment from Amazon. One other item to be aware of is the weak points on those type of busbars is how the bolt is actually fastened to the base material and I noticed they did not post a picture of the bottom. Cheaper ones will be unable to torque the nut enough because the bolt will start to turn. Brass can be used but requires 3 times the amount of material to equal the equivalent copper variation. Note the Victron 600A busbar is thicker then that busbar even though the Victron one is pure copper.

 

[rhino]

The price are amazingly expensive too. Any alternative that doesn't break the bank?

Copper is expensive, that's why you have these cheap brass busbars that make outlandish claims that will likely catch something on fire if you used their specs.

 

[EG4_Jared]

My inverter manual calls for a 600amp bus bar, but it’s only a 3000w inverter at 48v. Two eg4 48v batteries. Does that sound right? View attachment 200375

I bought these off Amazon, but now I’m wondering if they are real copper.https://a.co/d/bUFu9SB I looked at the blue sea 600amp bus bar but they only sell them in black? Is it cool to run positive wires to a black bus bar?

As far as location, I was planning to mount them right above the batteries on a plywood sheet, but this is a mobile application and I’m wondering if they somehow came loose and fell down onto the batteries that could be really bad. Should I mount them off to the side or something?

With only two batteries, a 250a bus bar would suffice. However, if you are wanting to add more in the future, I would recommend going with a 600a bus bar.

 

[Cardude]

Yes, I could possibly add another battery, so I guess I will stick to the big bus bar

 

[Vigo]

It's all well and good to minimize losses with oversized components but 3000w @ ~50v = ~60amps and if your connections between each battery and the inverter are remotely equal that's only 30-something amps a piece. That amazon bus bar could be made out of cast iron and still have no trouble passing 30-60amps without getting excessively hot, so i think chances are VERY good that its sufficient for this application even if its NOT copper.

Having said that, if cost were no object then by all means buy something that you are actually confident is made out of copper.

You can buy copper bars on Amazon and make your own if so inclined. There are charts showing what dimension of copper bar is appropriate for what current level.

 

[rhino]

It's all well and good to minimize losses with oversized components but 3000w @ ~50v = ~60amps and if your connections between each battery and the inverter are remotely equal that's only 30-something amps a piece. That amazon bus bar could be made out of cast iron and still have no trouble passing 30-60amps without getting excessively hot, so i think chances are VERY good that its sufficient for this application even if its NOT copper.

My only issue is that he paid more for a "cheap" brass busbar that lied about its capability then if he had paid for a properly specced 100-150A copper busbar from Victron/blue sea or other quality busbar.

 

[Vigo]

I guess you're saying a 150a copper busbar from a better vendor would have been cheaper? I suspect the Amazon unit is capable of much more than 150a, but i also think it's overpriced for what it is, so i guess we're just valuing different things here. I dont like the Amazon unit because i think its overpriced for a chunk of metal with 4 studs in it, you don't like shady business practices that I accept as semi-inevitable.

 

[rhino]

I guess you're saying a 150a copper busbar from a better vendor would have been cheaper?

250A Blue Sea one was still cheaper: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-MaxiBus-BusBar/dp/B006VELFDK

 

[seneysolar]

Look up Pike Industries, they make a decent buss bar , rated to 400A.

 

[Cardude]

It's all well and good to minimize losses with oversized components but 3000w @ ~50v = ~60amps and if your connections between each battery and the inverter are remotely equal that's only 30-something amps a piece. That amazon bus bar could be made out of cast iron and still have no trouble passing 30-60amps without getting excessively hot, so i think chances are VERY good that its sufficient for this application even if its NOT copper.

Having said that, if cost were no object then by all means buy something that you are actually confident is made out of copper.

You can buy copper bars on Amazon and make your own if so inclined. There are charts showing what dimension of copper bar is appropriate for what current level.

I don’t understand why the manual showed a 600 amp busbar with two 48v batteries attached.

 

[seneysolar]

I don’t understand why the manual showed a 600 amp busbar with two 48v batteries attached.

Yeah, sounds like a typo. I wouldnt sweat it.