I got my second lithium battery.

[JeremyG]

Hello solar enthusiasts.

I started with solar January 2022.
It's been almost 2 years.

I started with lead acid, because that's what the guy at the hardware store put on the counter.
A year and a half later...I found lead acid to be frustrating, maintenance heavy and didn't hold a satisfying charge.
My experience with lead acid wasn't pleasant.
I sold the lead acid batteries and tried a lithium.

I bought a 100ah 12v "power queen" lithium.
This lithium battery is amazing!
It was super exceeded my expectations.
It's wonderful!!

I've got 8x 230watt panel's.
1850 total.
3 panels on the front of the house
2 panels on the top of the house
3 panels on the back of the house.
Given the shadows, there are 5 panels always in the sun.

I just got the second one (same battery)

I plugged in the second via parallel.
Red to red
Black to black

I've got a victron 100|50

I'm using the system for 12v appliances.
. Fridge
. Tv
. Washing machine
. Laptop
. Usb device's

My question is, is it as simple as plugging the batteries in parallel?

Is there something I need to do in the victron menu to accept the second battery?
Or, does it do it on its own?

Can I keep adding a 3rd, 4th, 5th?

Is there anything I need to know, maintenance wise, for lithium batteries?
(I've learned I just need to keep it in a cool place)

Thank you, solar enthusiasts, for being patient with a guy just learning about this solar stuff.

 

[Rocketman]

With 2 batteries- connect the positive’s together and the negative’s together- then battery1 positive goes to your system and battery2’s negative goes to the system. (Or vise-Versa)

For 3+ batteries it is best to use bus bars with equal (total) length cables. I used a Victron PowerIn on my brother-in-laws setup and it worked very well for his three batteries (has a spot for a fourth battery).

Solar array - how do you have it configured? Series-parallel- the Victron mppt100/50 maxes out at about 700w. You may be better splitting the array into two and getting another mppt. Put the three on front and three on back into the same array, and then the two on top into their own mppt 100/30 or 100/50. You will gain more solar that way. Also fyi if you have 3+ panels in parallel they each string need to be fused.

Good Luck

 

[JeremyG]

Rocketman

Thanks for your feedback.
Given how the sun moves around the house, it'll hit 3-5 panels at any given time.
The shade in the morning covers the back 3 panels.
The shade in the evening covers the front 3 panels.
So, it's about 690-1150 watts worth of panels through the day.

I'm satisfied with the performance.
I just wanted to know if I have to do anything special with the victron (menu) for it to acknowledge the second battery...or will it do it by itself?

 

[Brucey]

Rocketman

Thanks for your feedback.
Given how the sun moves around the house, it'll hit 3-5 panels at any given time.
The shade in the morning covers the back 3 panels.
The shade in the evening covers the front 3 panels.
So, it's about 690-1150 watts worth of panels through the day.

I'm satisfied with the performance.
I just wanted to know if I have to do anything special with the victron (menu) for it to acknowledge the second battery...or will it do it by itself?

The Victron doesn't know about the second battery. It just sees one big battery. The only time you'd need to make an adjustment is if you had a smartshunt to track battery state of charge, in which case you'd adjust from 100Ah to 200Ah. But for just an SCC no changes needed.

 

[JeremyG]

Rocketman

Solar array - how do you have it configured? Series-parallel-

(Parallel.
I hope this makes sense.
The front porch roof has 3 panels.
230watts each.
They're all attached to 1 black bus bar and 1 red bus bar.
Thus. 3 black wires on the black and 3 red wires on the red.
Then, those are fed down, under my porch and into my basement, through the basement ceiling joists to the main busbar.

ROOF TOP has 2x 230watt panels.
They're fed through the roof (drilled a hole through the roof), covered with an solar wire entry gland, very well caulked).
From the attic, they're connected to the same style of red and black bus bars, in the attic.
Then, down the chimney (we don't use the chimney), to the main busbar.

The back room roof has 3x 230watt panels. They're also connected in parallel, through the ceiling and through a hole in the foundation to the main (basement) bus bar.

So, all 8 panels are connected to eachother. They all meet together at the basement busbar.)


the Victron mppt100/50 maxes out at about 700w. You may be better splitting the array into two and getting another mppt. Put the three on front and three on back into the same array, and then the two on top into their own mppt 100/30 or 100/50. You will gain more solar that way. Also fyi if you have 3+ panels in parallel they each string need to be fused.


(I'll consider another mttp after your feedback on the complex setup)