How to use 400W solar panel to charge 12V battery?

[Chester Gal]

I have some 400W bifacial solar panels (37V 13.78A). I would like to have some power in various locations on my little homestead like the greenhouse and animal shed. How do I rig up a panel to use with a 12V deep cycle battery? Or should I say, can I use these panels in a small and cheap 12 volt system.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Any 30A+ MPPT (per panel)

 

[Rocketman]

Since I like Victron look at the Victron mppt 100/30, if you will never have more than one panel on the charge controller (or want to move it to 48v battery).

There are other brands out there too.

 

[chrisski]

Whatever brand you choose, should limit charging. Victron allows you to adjust max amperage down.

The max charge rate of a “regular” flooded lead acid battery is around 10 amos per battery, a 400 watt panel could deliver 25 amps.

 

[Chester Gal]

Since I like Victron look at the Victron mppt 100/30, if you will never have more than one panel on the charge controller (or want to move it to 48v battery).

There are other brands out there too.

Thanks. I'll check it out.

Whatever brand you choose, should limit charging. Victron allows you to adjust max amperage down.

The max charge rate of a “regular” flooded lead acid battery is around 10 amos per battery, a 400 watt panel could deliver 25 amps.

This is why I asked the question to begin with. Every video I see using 12V batteries, the people always use a bunch of 100 watt panels. So I figured there had to be something very specific to using larger panels. I was looking at some cheap 12V LiFePo4 100Ah batteries on Amazon for around $200. Thought that was cheap enough to set up small satellite power stations around the place. If the charge controller and inverter were cheap enough.

 

[Rednecktek]

Pretty much any 40a MPPT will handle that panel and a LFP battery. They all turn solar DC into battery DC

 

[chrisski]

Thanks. I'll check it out.

This is why I asked the question to begin with. Every video I see using 12V batteries, the people always use a bunch of 100 watt panels. So I figured there had to be something very specific to using larger panels. I was looking at some cheap 12V LiPo4 100Ah batteries on Amazon for around $200. Thought that was cheap enough to set up small satellite power stations around the place. If the charge controller and inverter were cheap enough.

Lithium batteries should handle a 400 watt panel. It’ll all be in a battery spec sheet.

Flooded lead acid deep cycle batteries probably can’t.

 

[Chester Gal]

Lithium batteries should handle a 400 watt panel. It’ll all be in a battery spec sheet.

Flooded lead acid deep cycle batteries probably can’t.

Good to know. Thanks for the answers