John Deere Gator EV solar panels

[Microbiologycory@gmail]

Hey guys,
I know this might seem a little odd but my EG4 48V-100Ah battery seems like it always needs charging (battery is 100Ah but BMS restricts discharging to 10% and charging to 90%, yielding an 80Ah battery) so I’m considering a solar panel for my EV-Gator either in the bed/on the roof or both to top it off when I’m not using it (my bed is 44x45” inside), the roof and s a less good option as I live on the side of a hill and it’s common to have 30-40mph gusts. After doing a little research I’m going to need a “boost” solar charge controller, but the problem is that they are all under powered for the panels. Renogy, Eco-Worthy, solarevsystems.com and others make these but they range between 8-12Amps before they blow a fuse and the 20x40” panels are usually 100-150 watt and 15 Amps each, would either put both in the bed (the dump-bed tilt would help keep it facing the sun). Even if I ran two boost controllers (1 for each panel), I’d have to lay a towel over them to keep the panels from receiving 100% light transmission, so am I overthinking this with the inefficiency of panels, the decreased power in heat (I’m in central Texas), etc.. Also, if used in bed, would a thin layer of Lexan/plexiglass kill the efficiency of the panel, or maybe just lower it to the right level for the 12Amp boost controllers. If there is any way I could get around a boost controller I’d love to as all the other MPPT controllers are much nicer and have more options, BT apps, etc. though I do have the Renogy shunt 500Amp energy monitor.

Here are some of the items I’m considering:

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Solar-Compact-Design/dp/B07GF5JY35/ref=pd_aw_fbt_vft_none_img_sccl_2/138-3042870-3039041?pd_rd_w=4PUzI&content-id=amzn1.sym.1383228f-ab5d-4064-97d6-80297ffcccd8&pf_rd_p=1383228f-ab5d-4064-97d6-80297ffcccd8&pf_rd_r=QXF6QMG9FX2C43DQY3KP&pd_rd_wg=Tsx8H&pd_rd_r=64cbdf2e-c7da-4261-958e-4636b7a6fd42&pd_rd_i=B07GF5JY35&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/ECO-WORTHY-Controller-Regulator-Lead-Acid-Batteries/dp/B0B4SL5C2X/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Controller-Adjustable-Waterproof-Regulator-Protections/dp/B0B5HPPZDP?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1QOJDO0BPKIE9#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Controller-Compatible-Flooded-Batteries/dp/B08QMS7GMR/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=17OD6WEXXL91C&keywords=renogy+boost&qid=1686189372&sprefix=renogy+boost%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-3

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[justinm001]

Those renogy panels are 24.3v 5.21a the boost controller shows it'll easily handle 2 of those panels. I'm thinking it's measuring the amperage at 48v and you're doing it at 12v.

BTW I have a bunch of those renogy panels and they're great

 

[HRTKD]

On my Polaris Ranger 900 I would have ripped a roof mounted solar panel off long ago.

I would lean towards a set of ground deployed panels that, wired in series, get you to the right voltage to begin charging.

 

[justinm001]

On my Polaris Ranger 900 I would have ripped a roof mounted solar panel off long ago.

I would lean towards a set of ground deployed panels that, wired in series, get you to the right voltage to begin charging.

I'm with you. I have an X3 and the wife has a Yamaha 1000 and both roofs are scratched up. The wife has a tendency to flip hers

 

[Renogy Solar]

Thank you for liking Renogy's products. From your needs, although you need a controller with MPPT technology, we would recommend you to buy our WND10 controller, which uses PWM charging technology, but it really meets your needs the most

 

[meetyg]

Thank you for liking Renogy's products. From your needs, although you need a controller with MPPT technology, we would recommend you to buy our WND10 controller, which uses PWM charging technology, but it really meets your needs the most

Are you for real? Using a PWM SCC for a Lifepo4 battery is a big No-No !
The higher PWM voltage (basically connecting the solar directly to the battery at a high switching rate) might cause the BMS to trip, or worse, destroy the cells.

As for the OP: There is this 20A Boost MPPT SCC from Aliexpress:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004966703221.html

I recently bought it for a mobile solar project. I started playing with it, and so far so good.
I can really give much information regarding efficiency, since I have yet to test it fully. I put it aside for now, because it's a larger than I expected, and my little project is space constrained.
But it might be a nice solution for you, as it goes up to 80v.