I have fried 2 charge controllers! Please help!!

[Al D]

I built a tiny house so… Everything within reason.

What are the specifications of your battery bank?

 

[MushroomMan67]

What are the specifications of your battery bank?

 

[MushroomMan67]

I have four connected as a 24 V bank.

 

[JRH]

You sent somewhere in the neighborhood of 350v to a MPPT controller with a max rating of 150v.

Work backwards from there

First thing, is you have to measure voltage before you connect anything again. Pretty sure there is a rule here if you blow up three CCs people are forced not to help you anymore.

Least I thought it was a rule.

Haaa, I don’t know about that comments validity on helping others , but it’s funny…?

 

[MrThisIsME]

Haaa, I don’t know about that comments validity on helping others , but it’s funny…?

I consider "work backwards" as teaching a man to fish.

 

[MrThisIsME]

Here in Southern Ohio, extreme temp, 3 below Fahrenheit

I will do 5 in parallel.

One last question. I have a total of 10 panels I would like to utilize. So my best option would be to have two sets of 5 panels in parallel connecting to their own charge controllers.

Is this correct?

This is your panels in a 5P2S configuration using the defaults not provided (courtesy of Midnight Solar).



Pick a controller from there.

 

[Al D]

You're looking for a CC that can handle at least 2kW. If you connect in a 5p2s, the current parameters can be 30A or greater. If 10p1s, you'll need a 60A or better.

 

[hankcurt]

The specsheet of the manufacturer does not say the Voc temp coefficient on their website, which is a pity

If the solar panels are the Mega200 Max panels on Rich Solar's website, they have all of the temperature coefficients in the manual for the solar panels. I attached the manual from their website. A clip of the temperature data is:

 

[efficientPV]

What do you intend to do with the old charge controllers?

 

[pollenface]

10–200 W panels at 24 V in series.
Tracer 4215BN charge controller


Everything was hooked up correctly

On the contrary, everything was hooked up incorrectly

2000w of pv is fine for these controllers. If you READ the manual Epever state that they are more worried about you wasting money on having more panels connected than neccessary and suggest pv power 1.5x the charging power as an example of overpaneling, 2s5p seems a likely scenario enabling you the use of all 10 panels.

Use this table to calculate your VOC at your coldest hypothetical environmental temp (eg. @ 40-32F multiply voc by 1.1x) and make sure your final calculation is UNDER the max input voltage of your controller.

I'm sorry for your loss but consider it a learning experience

 

[MushroomMan67]

What do you intend to do with the old charge controllers?

I have no idea.

 

[MushroomMan67]

The information all of you have given me his amazing. Thank you for not shutting me down and calling me a dumb ass from the get-go. ?

First I’m going to connect two panels and series and connected to my new charge controller. Just so I have the confidence that I’m not totally incompetent.

On the contrary, everything was hooked up incorrectly

2000w of pv is fine for these controllers. If you READ the manual Epever state that they are more worried about you wasting money on having more panels connected than neccessary and suggest pv power 1.5x the charging power as an example of overpaneling, 2s5p seems a likely scenario enabling you the use of all 10 panels.

Use this table to calculate your VOC at your coldest hypothetical environmental temp (eg. @ 40-32F multiply voc by 1.1x) and make sure your final calculation is UNDER the max input voltage of your controller.

I'm sorry for your loss but consider it a learning experience

Wow! I wish I would have met you guys two weeks ago. I have one question for you Pollenface.

You state 5 panels in parallel and 2 in series = 7 panels? Or 5 panels in parallel and two sets of panel in series = 10 panels??

 

[MushroomMan67]

The information all of you have given me his amazing. Thank you for not shutting me down and calling me a dumb ass from the get-go. ?

First I’m going to connect two panels and series and connected to my new charge controller. Just so I have the confidence that I’m not totally incompetent.


Wow! I wish I would have met you guys two weeks ago. I have one question for you Pollenface.

You state 5 panels in parallel and 2 in series = 7 panels? Or 5 panels in parallel and two sets of panel in series = 10 panels??

Oops…9

 

[MushroomMan67]

Oops…9

The information all of you have given me his amazing. Thank you for not shutting me down and calling me a dumb ass from the get-go. ?

First I’m going to connect two panels and series and connected to my new charge controller. Just so I have the confidence that I’m not totally incompetent.


Wow! I wish I would have met you guys two weeks ago. I have one question for you Pollenface.

You state 5 panels in parallel and 2 in series = 7 panels? Or 5 panels in parallel and two sets of panel in series = 10 panels??

I meant to say a total of 9 panels. I just want to be absolutely sure because you said I could utilize all 10 but it’s not adding up.

 

[MushroomMan67]

You're looking for a CC that can handle at least 2kW. If you connect in a 5p2s, the current parameters can be 30A or greater. If 10p1s, you'll need a 60A or better.

Will this work?

 

[MushroomMan67]

Has to be at 24v?????

Yes

 

[MushroomMan67]

Will this work?

 

[MushroomMan67]

Your charge controller can only accept 1040W. With ten 200W panels, you have double the rated power input that your charge controller can handle. You have too many panels.

You are able to put 3 in series and still be under the 150V. Your panels are 24V nominal, but have a VOC of somewhere near 40V (assuming they deliver 5.2A as you stated).

In order to get the most power into the charge controller, I would recommend 5 in parallel. That allows the max power and you're still within the voltage and current ratings of your charge controller.

Thank you very much. We are coming up with the same conclusion. However, I might just up my charge controller. Will this work?

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Deleted

 

[A.Justice]

With a 60 amp controller, at 24v, you will be limited to 1440w. It would be better, but would still underutilize your panels.

For 2000w at 24v you would need a charge controller capable of ~85a to fully use your PV power.

If I had 2000w of solar, I would go with a 48v system, or use two separate SCC's. One SCC for each 5p string. Two 40a controllers would work, but be slightly overpaneled, or two 50 amp controllers would leave headroom. There's other totally valid ways to do it, but that's how I would, given the circumstances.