diy solar

diy solar

Inverter. Charger. B2B.

Zolar X

New Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2021
Messages
4
First post. I did a bunch of searching, both on this forum and on the web in general, and seem unable to arrive at a satisfying answer. Though I have a tech background, the intricacies of solar generation and storage in a vehicle are slow in coming.

Right now, I'm hung up on one question (cluster): Does using an inverter/charger, rather than a plain inverter, remove the need for a B2B charger? Is that the "charger" in its name? If not, what does the charger portion do? What stand-alone component does it replace? And if so, how do I compare the specs/capabilities of the internal one with those of a stand-alone model?

Thanks for your help
 
Inverter/charger will generally be adding the inverter function and replace the converter or battery charging component.

B2B charger is generally used to control the current and voltage coming from another battery power system such as the alternator and chassis battery to the house battery of an RV.

There are some models that incorporate all these functions together and maybe even a solar controller too. Need to know the context too as some of this is made for mobile such as RV, some for grid tie systems, and possibly an off grid cabin etc.
 
Did I not mention the vehicle? It'll be in a vehicle. On the road. Camper van. Looking at 400-600W of solar panels, 416 Ah of LiFePO4, Victron Multiplus, and a Sterling 1260 if I need it. Think I do?
 
The solar to battery ratio seems good. Multiplus inverter/charger can allow you to run a high load appliance with limited power such as a small generator or 15 amp utility connection while managing the battery charge level. Assuming you need all those functions it is a great unit.

The 1260 I believe will pull 60 amps from the alternator to charge your LFP battery and that is fine as long as you believe the alternator has that much power in reserve. 20% to 30% of the alternator rating would be the max I would go. Sterling has a 25 or 30 amp unit if that is a better fit.
 
The van has dual alternators, so I'm not worried about that aspect.

But as helpful as all this is, my original question stands: In an inverter charger, what stand-alone component does the charger portion replace? Were I to get a plain inverter, rather than the Multiplus, what additional component(s) would I need? Apparently, the charger does not replace the B2B charger, so what does it do?

I'm looking more for understanding of how this all works, than for an evaluation of my current, preliminary design (although that's appreciated too).
 
If you just had a separate inverter you would not have a charger to charge the battery from a generator or from utility power. If that matters you would need a separate battery charger. If the solar/alternator is plenty to keep your battery full then you may not need it. Or add the charger if needed. No sun for a week could put you low on battery charge unless you take a drive. Most any 10+ amp battery charger could get you through a pinch.

An existing RV would always have this charging function when built. But I assume your van build does not have any existing charging system.

There are 100 correct ways to do this. Best will be to evaluate your needs. And you may hit everything perfect or may need to upgrade in the future. Depends on the budget too.
 
So the charger in an inverter charger will charge the house battery from shore power or from a generator (which I don't have, and am not considering), or from some other AC source.

But that's all. It does nothing with DC sources like solar panels or alternators.

OK, I can work with that. Thanks much. And if that's not it, if I'm still missing it, please tell me.
 
Back
Top