Charging power station with a solar panel - a noob question

[drabina]

I have a BigBlue CellPowa 500 power station which I use in the car for day trips or camping. I usually just have a small refrigerator connected to it to keep the food and drinks cold in the summer. The power station has a built-in ability to charge via a solar panel so I would like to install one 100W panel on the roof of my car. Now, according to the manual, there is MPPT controller built in so I assume I could connect the solar panel directly to the power station, correct? But the manual also states that the power station supports 12-30V 4A (110W max) and they want the user to disconnect the solar panel once the battery is fully charged. So here is the question: Is there a way I could come up with a system using the power station and one solar panel (with or without any additional hardware/electronics) that would allow me to keep the power station in the car and constantly connected to the solar panel? I do not really want a system that will require manual intervention (turning on or off) depending on whether the battery is charged or not.

Here is a link to an owners manual:
BigBlue Cellpowa 500 Owners Manual

 

[rodrick]

reading thru the manual I question the safety of this unit if it were mine I wouldn’t charge, store or use in or near anything not fire proof

 

[drabina]

Anybody with an actual solution or thoughts?

 

[mikefitz]

According to the instructions all charging sources should be removed once the unit is fully charged. Most equipment, if correctly designed, allows chargers to be permanently connected.
It may be the true meaning has been lost in translation.
A typical 100 watt panel will produce just over 5 amps maximum so exceeds the limit of 4 amps.

It's your risk but I would be inclined to leave connected the 100 watt panel and just use the unit.

Mike

 

[drabina]

Thanks Mike.

I am using this power station for about a year now and while never charged via solar, I have charged it thru 120V outlet and also via 12V car outlet. In both cases, I left the charging cable connected for days after the power station was fully charged. Nothing bad happened. Not sure if solar is similar or not.

I just need the solar panel to provide charging during the day when I use the refrigerator. Hoping for the sun power to equal the load of the refrigerator. Otherwise, the power station lasts only about a day in the summer. With the solar panel charging, it could probably keep the battery charged so the battery would have enough juice to last thru the night until sun comes up to charge it again.

 

[drabina]

I have contacted the BigBlue Tech that makes the power station and according to them, I cannot charge and use the battery at the same time. Pass thru is available only when using 120V or 12V chargers. I guess the station can somehow determine when the voltage coming in is from solar or other type of charging device. So I guess I am back to square one.