buss bar - connecting 2 batteries in parallel
- Thread starter defed
- Start date
FilterGuy
Solar Engineering Consultant - EG4 and Consumers
You don't have to use bus bars. You can use cables like this
What I showed above with the matched parallel cables and the 'diagonal' take-off for positive and negative is a 'proper' way of doing it and I try to stick with it. However, I have a sneaky suspicion that as long as you use a proper cable gauge and do good crimps on the lugs there is not a lot of difference in the limited ways you can connect two batteries.
Good question.
What I showed above with the matched parallel cables and the 'diagonal' take-off for positive and negative is a 'proper' way of doing it and I try to stick with it. However, I have a sneaky suspicion that as long as you use a proper cable gauge and do good crimps on the lugs there is not a lot of difference in the limited ways you can connect two batteries.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
Please remember to Fuse each battery pack between the battery pack & the parallel connection point.
thanks.
i had just seen some data that if you have like 4 or more batteries wired in parallel, it was better to use a buss bar due to the amount of amperage the last wires in the chain had to carry, thus they also got hot. just didn't know if it made a difference at all if just using 2...seems it wouldn't.
i had not considered that...i will look into it. thanks.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
Every Battery Pack needs to be fused and depending on your voltage you can have some options. For anything that is 36V or lower, you can use MRBF fuses or T-Class fused but over 36V you are limited to T-Class & above. FYI, if using T-Class and such, do use a proper Holder with cover for them. Some folks will "bolt" T-Fuses in-line and that is very very bad ! They cannot take ANY strain whatsoever and can even be pulled apart and that is never good...
I have some "Generic Diagrams" that people here often refer to as a basic template, I'll post them in here for you and others following along.
These are simple Common DC Bus setups for parallel battery packs in one bank.
A-Typical Component diagram | A-Typical AIO Diagram.
I have some "Generic Diagrams" that people here often refer to as a basic template, I'll post them in here for you and others following along.
These are simple Common DC Bus setups for parallel battery packs in one bank.
A-Typical Component diagram | A-Typical AIO Diagram.
thanks for the diagrams! i see in these, the banks are paralleled at the buss bar, and that's where the fuse for each 'battery' is. if i am just using 2, and daisy chain them as filterguy has shown, would you still put the fuse on the positive cable between the batteries?
i plan on using a pair of 48v @ 100ah, such as the eg4, which has an integrated breaker...does that suffice for the same purpose?
i also need to learn about shunts so i can implement one for monitoring.
i am not new to this whole thing, but it's been awhile (near 15 yrs) since i put my system together so i've forgotten most everything i once learned, so i appreciate any and all info! thanks.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
My kids always teased me for being Mr Safety... I personally Fuse each pack which all goes to a DC Breaker in my E-Panel (I do not use AIO's).
I have 2 100AH and 2 200AH Lithium batteries. I was told by a friend that in order to efficiently charge I need to use a buss bar instead of a parallel ‘daisy chain’. Am I correct in thinking this makes sense. With the buss bar, 2 100A fuses and 2 200A fuses, to the appropriate batteries.
Last edited:
