Help Needed To Max Out Solar Input to Ecoflow Delta Pro

[geobuild]

Current System:
EcoFlow Delta Pro with one extra battery:

• 1600 watt solar input capacity, 150V max input
• The Delta Pro and extra battery are each rated at 3600 watts storage.

(4) Rich Solar 335 watt solar panels connected in series:

• Vmpp = 34.1V
• Impp = 9.85A

The maximum solar input I’ve ever seen the past two summers is 1050 watts. I’ve never been able to charge the two batteries to 100% and every 3-4 days use my generator to top them off. More often if I get cloudy/rainy weather.

I’d like to add 1-2 solar panels to maximize input but not go over max thresholds.

I’m considering Q-cell 405 watt panel(s) and have tried diagramming the setup combining series and parallel but I’m stumped. Am I trying to do the impossible of not reaching the max voltage input of 150 or max amp input of 15?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Current System:
EcoFlow Delta Pro with one extra battery:

• 1600 watt solar input capacity, 150V max input
• The Delta Pro and extra battery are each rated at 3600 watts storage.

(4) Rich Solar 335 watt solar panels connected in series:

• Vmpp = 34.1V
• Impp = 9.85A

The maximum solar input I’ve ever seen the past two summers is 1050 watts. I’ve never been able to charge the two batteries to 100% and every 3-4 days use my generator to top them off. More often if I get cloudy/rainy weather.

I’d like to add 1-2 solar panels to maximize input but not go over max thresholds.

I’m considering Q-cell 405 watt panel(s) and have tried diagramming the setup combining series and parallel but I’m stumped. Am I trying to do the impossible of not reaching the max voltage input of 150 or max amp input of 15?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Unit is limited to 150V and 15A input.

1600W / 15A = 107Vmp on your array / 133Voc

A 3S2P array would get you pretty close to the 1600W and likely stay there for 1-2 hours/day since you'll be over-paneled by 25%.

Assuming your Voc is 44.3V, your array will exceed 150Voc at about -6°C. These solar generators typically have some tolerance if you exceed the Voc maximum; however I would confirm that with EcoFlow before I did it.

 

[LeBud]

Thought I’d add my 2 cents even if it’s a couple weeks later. I have an EF Delta 2 with an extra battery that I use to power 4 circuits in my home occasionally. I mounted two residential solar panels on my patio cover and ran conduit to the side yard where I have a waterproof box where I can access all my cables.

With that being said, the max solar input on my delta 2 is 500 watts. My two panels are each 250 watts. The max I’ve seen from them coming into the delta 2 is 410 watts or so. I’ve wired additional portable panels into my setup just to see if I could get the max 500 watt solar input and the second you go over the max solar input, you won’t charge at all. I was hoping the software would simply limit the input to 500 watts even if I was producing 550 or something but it shuts down charging completely. Voltage is well within range.

What I would do is keep your additional panels wired up the way they are and figure out a way to add a pigtail to your existing setup where you can simply plug in/unplug the additional panel or two as needed for cloudy days or whatever. Because the second you go over the max solar input, it’ll stop charging altogether. If you keep the existing panels wired up in parallel and add one of the mc4 pigtails to allow for 1-2 more panels to be connected as needed depending on conditions, I think that’s your best bet. You can always add in one panel at a time when you have max sun and see where you end up and get as close as you can to max solar input. In inclement weather or winter just leave them all hooked up since there is no threat of going over the max solar input.

I used these particular adapters which will allow you to connect up to 6 panels in parallel. The ecoflow brains will take care of the rest. It’s entirely possible I’m doing something wrong or missing something, but the second I go over the max solar input wattage everything shuts down for me. Perhaps the software is different on the delta pro models or works differently, but my delta 2

Amazon.com

 

[timbnz]

My experience with an EF Delta 2 Max is that on reaching the 500 watt max of each PV input, the unit just clips at 500w. I have a single Performance 7 450W bifacial on each PV input

 

[LeBud]

My experience with an EF Delta 2 Max is that on reaching the 500 watt max of each PV input, the unit just clips at 500w. I have a single Performance 7 450W bifacial on each PV input

View attachment 244042

I wonder if the software on the delta 2 vs the delta 2 max was changed or improved to allow the unit to max itself out at its max input instead of just not charging altogether. That seems far more logical to me.

 

[Andrewr05]

I’ve wired additional portable panels into my setup just to see if I could get the max 500 watt solar input and the second you go over the max solar input, you won’t charge at all. I was hoping the software would simply limit the input to 500 watts even if I was producing 550 or something but it shuts down charging completely. Voltage is well within range.

You likely exceeded the voltage without realizing it.
The EcoFlow units don't just randomly stop charging unless they go into some sort of protection mode.

 

[LeBud]

You likely exceeded the voltage without realizing it.
The EcoFlow units don't just randomly stop charging unless they go into some sort of protection mode.

I’ve got 2 12v panels wired in parallel. Manual states not to exceed 60v/500w. The max voltage has never been exceed. Even if the voltage is always below 60v, my particular unit cuts off at anything over 500 watts. Software bug maybe? Issue with the built in inverter? Who knows. It works when I need it to and I get reasonably close the the max 500w input anyway so for what I use it for I’m happy enough not to sweat it and go through the hassle of sending it in to ecoflow.

 

[Glock24]

You have 335Wx4 which is 1340W. Panels usually don't produce what the label says, instead the actual energy produced is around 80% of that.

1340W x 0.8 = 1072W which is very close to the 1050W you see.

Take this into account when adding more panels.

I'd say you can overpanel to a certain degree, say 25-50%, but you must never go over the maximum Voc.

 

[ampsarus]

Just because the Delta Pro is rated for 1600W PV charge doesn't mean it should be the regular practice IMO. I think it's better to run as close to 150V as possible but keep the current at 2/3 rated or 10A.
Cooler running & longer lasting (armchair hopes)