Seanzinator
New Member
I recently purchased a new Keystone RV and it came from the factory with SolarFlex Discovery 440i package which includes (2) 220 watt solar panels, Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 charge controller, and 2000 watt power inverter.
I typically boondock the majority of the time and would like the solar to maintain indefinitely. The solar doesn't seem to keep up with all my loads, mainly a 10 cu.ft. 12 volt DC refrigerator. I noticed that the panels are rated for 5.78A at 33.2V. Why would Keystone install 33V panels on a 12V system? Is it more efficient to have higher voltage and let the MPPT convert to higher current? I am seeing the PV current peak around 8-9 amps and the MPPT charge the batteries at about 15 amps.
I am looking at expanding the solar and am interested in input on these options:
Option 1: Adding two additional panels with similar specs in parallel. I'm guessing I would want to match the rated voltage as close as possible to my existing panels (33V)? Seeing around 15 amps of charge current right now, this would probably max out the Victron SmartSolar 100/30. Depending on the current, I might have to upgrade to Victron 100/50.
Option 2: Adding two panels with a second Victron 100/30. There would be two separate PV systems with their own Victron 100/30. This would provide redundancy in case one fails or maybe one set of panels is shaded? I'm not sure how the system behaves if half of it is in the shade. I like the idea of the redundancy but as far as monitoring with the Victron app, I think it would be easier to monitor one controller instead of two. Also, it wouldn't be as critical to match the panels to my existing panel specs. Would I still want 33V panels or a standard 18V panel?
I typically boondock the majority of the time and would like the solar to maintain indefinitely. The solar doesn't seem to keep up with all my loads, mainly a 10 cu.ft. 12 volt DC refrigerator. I noticed that the panels are rated for 5.78A at 33.2V. Why would Keystone install 33V panels on a 12V system? Is it more efficient to have higher voltage and let the MPPT convert to higher current? I am seeing the PV current peak around 8-9 amps and the MPPT charge the batteries at about 15 amps.
I am looking at expanding the solar and am interested in input on these options:
Option 1: Adding two additional panels with similar specs in parallel. I'm guessing I would want to match the rated voltage as close as possible to my existing panels (33V)? Seeing around 15 amps of charge current right now, this would probably max out the Victron SmartSolar 100/30. Depending on the current, I might have to upgrade to Victron 100/50.
Option 2: Adding two panels with a second Victron 100/30. There would be two separate PV systems with their own Victron 100/30. This would provide redundancy in case one fails or maybe one set of panels is shaded? I'm not sure how the system behaves if half of it is in the shade. I like the idea of the redundancy but as far as monitoring with the Victron app, I think it would be easier to monitor one controller instead of two. Also, it wouldn't be as critical to match the panels to my existing panel specs. Would I still want 33V panels or a standard 18V panel?