First post seeking opinions on equipment

[Frozen Trinity]

I’m hoping the people hear are more friendly than what I’ve found on spacebook groups on solar groups.
Long story short been wanting to play with solar for decades... bought a Renogy wanderer 200 watt kit and have been pleasantly surprised on what I’m seeing in winter overcast performance keeping a pair of 1000 amp car batteries up and usable for some LED lighting and occasional other needs in a remote building.
I also have been blessed to acquire 25 Hyundai 300 watt panels and 3 GPL-8DL Lifeline deep cycle batteries.
Sooo what next? Suggestions for controller inverter going series or parallel...any nice diagrams to study?
Thanks in advance

 

[FilterGuy]

I’m hoping the people hear are more friendly than what I’ve found on spacebook groups on solar groups.

We get some jerks now and then, but most of us try to keep it a friendly, knowledge-sharing experience.

Sooo what next? Suggestions for controller inverter going series or parallel.

A lot of it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Let's start with two basic questions:

1) Is it for a stationary home/barn/office/etc or is it for a mobile RV/Camper/Boat/etc.
2) What are you trying to power?

any nice diagrams to study?

Have you checked out Will's diagrams:

 

[Mattb4]

Grid tie, Hybrid grid, Grid with zero export, Off Grid with grid as backup, or completely Off grid? Roof mount or ground mount?

Your panels add up to 7500w ( BTW it helps tremendously to know the panels specifications for Voc, Vmp, Isc, Imp) which is a respectable amount of potential for powering loads. I have been covering most of my home loads (some days I can not make use of it all) with less than 1/2 that potential.

Once you get settled into a type of setup and you loading needs it will be easier for folks to advise you on equipment.

 

[Frozen Trinity]

We get some jerks now and then, but most of us try to keep it a friendly, knowledge-sharing experience.


A lot of it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Let's start with two basic questions:

1) Is it for a stationary home/barn/office/etc or is it for a mobile RV/Camper/Boat/etc.
2) What are you trying to power?


Have you checked out Will's diagrams:

View attachment 202659

I need to spend a few days on the site digging was oblivious to those charts... thank you
Will be stationary and not hooked into the grid.
Panels are rated at Voc 45.7 volts
Max voltage of 37.7
Vmpp of 8.0 amps
Lcs 8.3 amps
Max system voltage 1000 volts
Max series fuse rating 15 amp
Would be happy to run lights sump irrigation pump and fridge and washer.

 

[Frozen Trinity]

Grid tie, Hybrid grid, Grid with zero export, Off Grid with grid as backup, or completely Off grid? Roof mount or ground mount?

Your panels add up to 7500w ( BTW it helps tremendously to know the panels specifications for Voc, Vmp, Isc, Imp) which is a respectable amount of potential for powering loads. I have been covering most of my home loads (some days I can not make use of it all) with less than 1/2 that potential.

Once you get settled into a type of setup and you loading needs it will be easier for folks to advise you on equipment.

Will be stationary and not hooked into the grid.
Panels are rated at Voc 45.7 volts
Max voltage of 37.7
Vmpp of 8.0 amps
Lcs 8.3 amps
Max system voltage 1000 volts
Max series fuse rating 15 amp
Would be happy to run lights sump irrigation pump and fridge and washer.

 

[Mattb4]

There is one bit of a mismatch that you have with 3-12vDC LA batteries. Pretty much any system you wish to come up with to fully utilize 7500w of solar will likely require a 48vDC battery setup. With 2 of these batteries you could series connect them for a 24vDC, 255ah battery. However options for 24vDC setups can be limiting in total power output.

 

[FilterGuy]

Pretty much any system you wish to come up with to fully utilize 7500w of solar will likely require a 48vDC battery setup.

That's probably true for 12V AIO systems, but if the OP is willing to use external charge controllers the system can have as much Solar as he wants.
Having said that, 7500W of solar works out to be up to 625A of charge current. This can be done, but the bus bars and wiring have to be carefully thought through. The other challenge will be around the charge current the batteries can handle and/or accept. The LA batteries can probably handle 200A each, but check the spec. However, once they get partially charged, the charge current will start to rapidly go down and won't take as much current as the solar can provide.

Note: This is one of the many features of LiFePO4 over lead acid. LiFePo 4 will get a lot more out of your panels than LA will.

 

[Frozen Trinity]

There is one bit of a mismatch that you have with 3-12vDC LA batteries. Pretty much any system you wish to come up with to fully utilize 7500w of solar will likely require a 48vDC battery setup. With 2 of these batteries you could series connect them for a 24vDC, 255ah battery. However options for 24vDC setups can be limiting in total power output.

I should have stated of the panels two are quite mangled yet still show output voltage. I was shocked to see over 18 volt not aimed into the sun.
So I should actually say I have 23 panels? Or 22 panels? Equal numbers?
And can I not use all three batteries in a 12 volt set up. This is where I get a little lost the 12:24/48 aspect and the charge controller..
Like I said newbie and then some
I grasped hooking just one of the Hyundai panels to the Renogy kits controller would have not ended well.

 

[Mattb4]

If you understand Watts = Volts X Amps it helps with putting it in perspective. For example to use 1200w of solar at 12vDC means that ~100a is being carried by wire and equipment to the battery. At 48vDC that drops to ~25a. Or to look at it another way 100a at 48vDC allows you ~4800w of Solar power.

Charge controllers are rated by the charging amperage they can put out to the battery. The higher it gets the more the cost rises. As FilterGuy noted you can run multiple charge controllers and thus add up higher overall charging from more panels.

So could you use the 3 -12vDc batteries in parallel? Yes but it adds to complexity and costs. And if you have large loads it is darn hard to get an inverter at 12vDC that will operate them.

Edit: BTW Loads are what you must deal with. Solar panels do not push power, loads draw power from the panels. It is like having a 200 amp house service but you only turn on one light bulb. The service is only supplying the one light bulbs needs. Batteries are loads when they need charged and storage otherwise. It is important to keep some fundamentals in mind when building your PV system.

 

[Frozen Trinity]

That’s kinda what I was thinking and the need to go to series with the three at 36 volt but then there are no inverters are there?

 

[CaliSunHarvester]

I have seen 36V charge controllers, and I have seen 36V inverters as well. If you want an AIO, you probably have to go with 48V.

My SCC from AmpInt is a real MPPT and automatically senses 12V, 24V, 36V or 48V, provided that your battery is somewhat "full"

E.g. it could mistake a really really low/ dead 36V for a fully charged 24V in theory.

 

[Mattb4]

That’s kinda what I was thinking and the need to go to series with the three at 36 volt but then there are no inverters are there?

Yeah there are some you can find. Not as common as the standard 12-24-48 models. Tripplite makes a 3600w, 36vDC, 120vAC inverter /charger with transfer switch.