Midnite - Victron - Other - Help me choose

[Bigtruckin85]

I'm new to solar builds.. I've been doing research on my own for quite awhile, hoping all this would come together. Still seems like it's a foreign language sometimes. I'd appreciate some outside perspective to make sure I'm going down the right path
This is for a completely off grid property on acreage that will have a camper, cabin and eventually expand to more. Nothing big at the moment, but planning ahead. Budget is pretty open, but I'd say I'm going for best bang for the buck.
Currently plan on 48V system. Have quotes for 16 - 280K, but haven't ordered yet.
Plan on getting an inverter/charger so I can use my generator for backup charging.

I have 10 of the used Sunpower 435 watt panels. Initial rated VOC =85.6 ISC=6.43. I got these knowing the high VOC would be kind of awkward. I had been looking at the Midnite SCC's already, so I knew I could work with them if I didn't find anything else.

Plugging the numbers into the Midnite sizing tool with 2s5p configuration seems pretty ideal as the panels max out the PV wattage and gives me room on the VOC even without the HyperVOC kicking in. Biggest downside to Midnite is price, but I understand they're supposed to be good quality. I'm in Washington, so I could probably go knock on their door if something went wrong. Besides being a solid unit, I don't know what all the bells and whistles are compared to Victron. Just trying to get the numbers to work out at this point and then decide between units.

Another option I looked at was the Victron 150/35. Using the Victron calculator if I only went 1S5P, I'd stay within the VOC and current limit. I'd need 2 of these units, so benefit would be redundancy. Would save a little $ over the Midnite. Victron 250/70 price is pretty high, so didn't really consider it.

Also looked at the growatt 3000's, but the max input current seemed low (18amp?) so the configuration wouldn't really work from my understanding. Upside is price is decent for an AIO and I would be done with inverter charger at the same time.

Or there's the Epever's or Ampinvt that are decently priced. Some people love them, some hate them. I'd need 2 for most of them I think too.

So I'd like some other perspectives, maybe something I haven't thought of that will be my AHA moment so I can move on with this project.

 

[Steve_S]

Welcome to the forum.

SunPower Panels = Two Thumbs Up ! Good Purchase. Going to be tricky configs ut you aready figured that out.

48V from the start, that is the best way, upgrades ate PITA and Costly, best to start with a solid foundation to build on.
* sorry but to be blunt & save misery, Do get Fully & Properly Matched/Batched cells, most especially if you will be ading more packs over time. the few extra bucks today will have LOT of headaches later. I can suggest Luyuan Tech who is a well-known Good Vendor who get's only Factory Direct Cells with reports. You do need to open a Chat/Messenger session to get a proper quote as t shipping guesstimator is way of whack.

Yes Midnite is pricey BUT it is Tier-1 Product and TBH well worth it, simply put Damned Good Stuff. That said, the Classics are also a tad "long in the tooth" and they are cooking more product but like everything else, delays & parts are a nightmare.

Victron also Tier-1 Top Notch, reliable solid & great support and a large family of interoperable components with intelligent management. Can't go wrong with Victron either.

Growatt is an excellent Tier-2+ Product Line, well known & supported and a very good value for the money. MPP is similar but not the same, (Most Chinese AIO's are similar in appearance & basic functions).

EPever is Tier-2 and has some Tier-3 "Value" gear as well. Reasonably good, well supported and they actually have good support.

IF I was building "today" Victron #1 then Growatt #2 choice unless Midnite gets the new stuff out.
BTW, I am a Midnite Owner Classic-200, MNKid, EPanels etc.. (lot of bits) with Samlex EVO Inverter/Charger system.

I am posting my Signature Links below for you, as apparently signatures don't show up for many folks - browser issue or something, not sure. Do check out the links there is a heap of info there, and likely much of it may be of help to you and your pondering & Planning.

ALSO A WORD OF EXPERIENCE !
STOP BUYING STUFF ! Seriously. Without a Solid Plan, You get a Plan to Fail (always costly and can break a marriage too), NOT KIDDING ! You need to look at not only the Short Term but the longer run as you will grow this beyond the camper trailer support to Cabin & then a House. To that end, it may be more prudent & wise to build a separate Power-House to handle the Solar Gear & Batteries closer to the panels and then run AC underground to your camper and beyond. I am far up North (Algonquin Park Ontario Canada) and have a separate Powerhouse/pumphouse combo which is heated in winter and stay's cool in summer which uses a recovered Direct Vent Furnace from an RV (it's 12V and has it's own battery & solar Panel and backed up by my solar banks as well.)

NOW, a SHOCKER to the Senses !
Water Heating is the Bane of Electric Systems.. Tanks are PIGS ! Think of it as having your car idling 7/24/365 in your driveway just because you might need to take a 15-minute drive somewhere... That is what tanks & resistive elements do, waste, waste & more waste. The alternate is On-Demand and that works quite well both Electric & LPG. BUT Solutions are Abound and some quite Mature but with new tech updates and next year a whole new family of water heating systems come available in North America. Similar variants exist and are in use elsewhere. Check out the Link (good general overview) and DON'T SCOFF AT IT (normal 1st reaction BTW as it hits some sensibilities based in the past).

120 Volt Heat Pump Water Heaters Hit the Market & Make Gas Replacements Even Easier - CleanTechnica

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News! Updated: Editor’s note – a previous version of this article stated that the Rheem 120 V water heater was already for sale. This water heater is expected to hit the market in the first ... [continued]

cleantechnica.com

LINKS: About My System (updated Dec-17-2020) Major revision being done, will be updated Jan-2022.
Luyuan Tech Basic Lifepo4 Assembly Guide
STATUS of ESS / Storage Cells being purchased. (commodity cells)
General LiFePO4 (LFP) Voltage to SOC charts/tables 12/24/48V
Calibrating Voltage of your system to ensure Optimal Operations. SCC, Inverter/Charger, voltage matching.

---

Samlex EVO Inverter/Charger : Dual AC and Solar Controller inputs, Fully programmable
NEW Midnite Solar DIY Series SCC & AIO's.
Midnite Solar Classic and Classic SL Comparison Chart.
Midnite Solar Lithium Battery Configuration info

Hope this helps you, Good Luck.
Steve

 

[chrisski]

Another option I looked at was the Victron 150/35. Using the Victron calculator if I only went 1S5P, I'd stay within the VOC and current limit. I'd need 2 of these units, so benefit would be redundancy. Would save a little $ over the Midnite. Victron 250/70 price is pretty high, so didn't really consider it.

The amp limit on the controllers is also amps out, so 35 amps for that VIctron. 5 panels could have an input of 30 amps with a potential battery charging amperage of 60 amps, but this controller would clip the max output to 35 amps. If you have 10 panels, to capture the full output you might need more than two of these.

In actuality a couple of hours a day my panels tilted into the sun get 80% - 100% of output, a lot less time at 100%, so you’d not lose a much as 25 chargign amps, but closer to 15 amps to 20 amps. For my flat panels its a lot less. They typically peak at 60%, so that would still be about 5 chargoing amps lost.

@Steve_S is right about the 48 volt right away. I started with a 12 volt with the intention to upgrade to 24 volt or 48 volt, but settled on a 24 volt upgrade because some costly components already installed would not be capable of a 48 volt upgrade. For starters, Three of my SCCs max out at 24 volts, so those would need to be replaced.

 

[Bvillebob]

I've got 3 of the Midnite Classics running, they're solid units, very well built and well supported. Made in the US by people concerned about quality. I just bought the third from Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, they had a good price, think it was $635 or so, prices on them are all over, you have to shop around.

There used to be a saying in the computer business, "No one ever got fired for buying IBM", I kind of feel that way about Victron. Good stuff, they sell tons of it and it seems to work well with very few issues.

If you're in this for the long term spend the money now so you don't have to spend it again replacing parts, it's cheaper in the long run,

 

[Bigtruckin85]

Welcome to the forum.

SunPower Panels = Two Thumbs Up ! Good Purchase. Going to be tricky configs ut you aready figured that out.

48V from the start, that is the best way, upgrades ate PITA and Costly, best to start with a solid foundation to build on.
* sorry but to be blunt & save misery, Do get Fully & Properly Matched/Batched cells, most especially if you will be ading more packs over time. the few extra bucks today will have LOT of headaches later. I can suggest Luyuan Tech who is a well-known Good Vendor who get's only Factory Direct Cells with reports. You do need to open a Chat/Messenger session to get a proper quote as t shipping guesstimator is way of whack.

Yes Midnite is pricey BUT it is Tier-1 Product and TBH well worth it, simply put Damned Good Stuff. That said, the Classics are also a tad "long in the tooth" and they are cooking more product but like everything else, delays & parts are a nightmare.

Victron also Tier-1 Top Notch, reliable solid & great support and a large family of interoperable components with intelligent management. Can't go wrong with Victron either.

Growatt is an excellent Tier-2+ Product Line, well known & supported and a very good value for the money. MPP is similar but not the same, (Most Chinese AIO's are similar in appearance & basic functions).

EPever is Tier-2 and has some Tier-3 "Value" gear as well. Reasonably good, well supported and they actually have good support.

IF I was building "today" Victron #1 then Growatt #2 choice unless Midnite gets the new stuff out.
BTW, I am a Midnite Owner Classic-200, MNKid, EPanels etc.. (lot of bits) with Samlex EVO Inverter/Charger system.

I am posting my Signature Links below for you, as apparently signatures don't show up for many folks - browser issue or something, not sure. Do check out the links there is a heap of info there, and likely much of it may be of help to you and your pondering & Planning.

ALSO A WORD OF EXPERIENCE !
STOP BUYING STUFF ! Seriously. Without a Solid Plan, You get a Plan to Fail (always costly and can break a marriage too), NOT KIDDING ! You need to look at not only the Short Term but the longer run as you will grow this beyond the camper trailer support to Cabin & then a House. To that end, it may be more prudent & wise to build a separate Power-House to handle the Solar Gear & Batteries closer to the panels and then run AC underground to your camper and beyond. I am far up North (Algonquin Park Ontario Canada) and have a separate Powerhouse/pumphouse combo which is heated in winter and stay's cool in summer which uses a recovered Direct Vent Furnace from an RV (it's 12V and has it's own battery & solar Panel and backed up by my solar banks as well.)

NOW, a SHOCKER to the Senses !
Water Heating is the Bane of Electric Systems.. Tanks are PIGS ! Think of it as having your car idling 7/24/365 in your driveway just because you might need to take a 15-minute drive somewhere... That is what tanks & resistive elements do, waste, waste & more waste. The alternate is On-Demand and that works quite well both Electric & LPG. BUT Solutions are Abound and some quite Mature but with new tech updates and next year a whole new family of water heating systems come available in North America. Similar variants exist and are in use elsewhere. Check out the Link (good general overview) and DON'T SCOFF AT IT (normal 1st reaction BTW as it hits some sensibilities based in the past).

120 Volt Heat Pump Water Heaters Hit the Market & Make Gas Replacements Even Easier - CleanTechnica

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News! Updated: Editor’s note – a previous version of this article stated that the Rheem 120 V water heater was already for sale. This water heater is expected to hit the market in the first ... [continued]

cleantechnica.com

Thank you for your input here.
The batteries I would order should be matched to my understanding. I asked Amy for a quote a few days ago, but didn't hear back. Jenny at Docan has quoted the 16 cells and price is in line with what I have heard from others.
A separate power house is a great idea. That would work great for this situation since I plan to expand outwards once I have a basic setup. I do not plan to buy any components until I know everything matches and will provide what I need for at least the foreseeable future.
I agree that water heaters are the biggest waste of energy. The power my regular home water heater uses, accounts for half of my consumption. I had not looked at the heat pump water heaters yet, but I already knew I would be finding an alternative to a regular hot water heater. Another member here built a solar hot water heater that I plan to try, but it gets a little colder here, so may not be a good option in the winter. My winter heat source will be from a wood stove, and I'll have backup heat/cooking/ hot water from Lpg in the camper if I really mess up. I know it has to be done safely, but I would like to try to build something to heat hot water with my wood stove.

The amp limit on the controllers is also amps out, so 35 amps for that VIctron. 5 panels could have an input of 30 amps with a potential battery charging amperage of 60 amps, but this controller would clip the max output to 35 amps. If you have 10 panels, to capture the full output you might need more than two of these.

In actuality a couple of hours a day my panels tilted into the sun get 80% - 100% of output, a lot less time at 100%, so you’d not lose a much as 25 chargign amps, but closer to 15 amps to 20 amps. For my flat panels its a lot less. They typically peak at 60%, so that would still be about 5 chargoing amps lost.

@Steve_S is right about the 48 volt right away. I started with a 12 volt with the intention to upgrade to 24 volt or 48 volt, but settled on a 24 volt upgrade because some costly components already installed would not be capable of a 48 volt upgrade. For starters, Three of my SCCs max out at 24 volts, so those would need to be replaced.

This is something I have had a hard time understanding so far. So 5 panels parallel would have about 30 amp input, how does it get to potential of 60amp? The midnite 200 calculator says that with my configuration of panels, max allowable output current would be 65. So that's not even up to what the 2 victrons would put out if I'm doing this right. All these numbers are beyond me. Hopefully I'll get to the point where this is easier to understand the relationships.

I've got 3 of the Midnite Classics running, they're solid units, very well built and well supported. Made in the US by people concerned about quality. I just bought the third from Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, they had a good price, think it was $635 or so, prices on them are all over, you have to shop around.

There used to be a saying in the computer business, "No one ever got fired for buying IBM", I kind of feel that way about Victron. Good stuff, they sell tons of it and it seems to work well with very few issues.

If you're in this for the long term spend the money now so you don't have to spend it again replacing parts, it's cheaper in the long run,

The one additional thing I like about Midnite is they are from the same state as me. Opposite side of the state but I have friends and family where they are. So that's nice. Are the additional functions of the full classic worth the extra over the SL version? From their website "The Classic SL-150 MPPT Charge Controller is a simplified SOLAR ONLY version of the Classic 150 with streamlined menus. The Classic SL-150 has a graphics panel and ground fault but no arc fault or Ethernet capabilities." I don't necessarily need it to do wind or hydro power, but I don't know about the other things that are dropped. Looking at their website and forum, they are working on things that I didn't look into very much because it's been overwhelming just to look at things that are already out.

 

[OffGridGuy]

Howdy,

I totally agree with the early posters. And I'm from Western Washington.

I am a long time Midnite user. I am very happy with their Classic 150. Built like a battle ship. Easy to set up and then forget. I monitor them daily, but haven't touched them in years....

I also have a few smaller sites on my property and I'm using smaller Victron controllers. As a mid-range controller they are great. They constantly upgrade firmware to add features.

On one of my sites, winter sun was not keeping up with my needs. I had some odd panels that could not be mated with the others. So I bought another $130 Victron controller. Victron has a $30 voltage/temp monitor that can act as a server in a mini-network. So I was able to get both systems linked together and my problems were solved.... wow neat stuff....

I've also just received 8 EVE272 from Docan's Houston warehouse. Excellent service, Great price and Fast shipping.

And good luck with the Sunpower solar panels. I have 16 275 watt panels up on the roof for the past 5 years....

Hey, looks like your trying to copy my system..... ;-} Enjoy !!!!

 

[chrisski]

This is something I have had a hard time understanding so far. So 5 panels parallel would have about 30 amp input, how does it get to potential of 60amp?

I have a Victron 100/30. It can take 100 volts from the panels at 30 amps, so 3000 watts, but it can only put 30 charging amps to the batter. A setting won’t let more than 30 amps out. So at 14 volts and 30 amps for a 12 volt battery, 420 watts is the max delivered. At 24 volts that’s 840 watts.

Your 85 volts X 30 amps = around 2500 watts of possible energy, but a charging at 56 volts X 30 amps = around 1500 watts.

To get the full 5000 watts from all10 panels to four batteries you’ll need 3 or 4 SCCs.

 

[Bigtruckin85]

I am leaning towards the Midnite Classic 200. The sizing tool says with this configuration of Panels, I would need 1.2 Classics. They recommend adding a classic if that is above 1.2. So I believe I should be overpaneled to just the right amount considering conditions aren't perfect. If I expand my PV array later, I could add a Midnite SL or something else depending on size I guess.
Are you guys with Midnite's using the whizbang thing? I don't know yet if that is needed in addition to a shunt or how that stuff works.

 

[rmaddy]

I have a Victron 100/30. It can take 100 volts from the panels at 30 amps, so 3000 watts, but it can only put 30 charging amps to the batter

This is not the correct way to interpret this. The 100 is the max input voltage. This comes from the panel Voc. But panel wattage is Vmp (not Voc) times Imp. Look at the panel specs and multiply Vmp x Imp and it will be the panel wattage. If your panels in parallel give a total Imp of 30A, you can't multiply that times the max possible Voc that the SCC can take in. The two values aren't related.

So at 14 volts and 30 amps for a 12 volt battery, 420 watts is the max delivered. At 24 volts that’s 840 watts.

This is correct. The max supported panel wattage is simply the max charge current (30A in this case) times the battery voltage (which of course changes between a full and empty battery).

Your 85 volts X 30 amps = around 2500 watts of possible energy

Again, this is not a valid calculation.

but a charging at 56 volts X 30 amps = around 1500 watts.

If you have a very full 48V battery then you can use 1680W of panels with the 100/30.

To get the full 5000 watts from all10 panels to four batteries you’ll need 3 or 4 SCCs.

The OP has 10 435W panels. That's 4350W. With a 48V system that's at most 90A (at 48V). That can be done with 1 SCC but it will be an expensive one. But the panels are used and will likely not ever put out over 4kW. A 70A SCC would probably suffice.

 

[chrisski]

This is not the correct way to interpret this. The 100 is the max input voltage. This comes from the panel Voc. But panel wattage is Vmp (not Voc) times Imp. Look at the panel specs and multiply Vmp x Imp and it will be the panel wattage. If your panels in parallel give a total Imp of 30A, you can't multiply that times the max possible Voc that the SCC can take in. The two values aren't related.


This is correct. The max supported panel wattage is simply the max charge current (30A in this case) times the battery voltage (which of course changes between a full and empty battery).


Again, this is not a valid calculation.


If you have a very full 48V battery then you can use 1680W of panels with the 100/30.


The OP has 10 435W panels. That's 4350W. With a 48V system that's at most 90A (at 48V). That can be done with 1 SCC but it will be an expensive one. But the panels are used and will likely not ever put out over 4kW. A 70A SCC would probably suffice.

The way I worded obviously confused people. Perhaps you can word it better than I did. This is the concept:

"The OP showed 5 panels to a Victron 150/35. He has a 48 volt battery system. He is plugging panels that have 35 amps input at 85 volts. What I'm trying to explain is the 150/35 can not make anymore than 35 amps out. 35 amps X 48 Volts = 1575 Watts. If he took the same 5 panels and split them between two 150/35, he would produce more than 1575 watts.

Your input is welcome, because the concept I'm explaining about that particular SCC is valid.

If you have a very full 48V battery then you can use 1680W of panels with the 100/30.

My two 100/30s won't charge a 48 volt system. Only 12 votl and 24 volt. Perhaps a 48 volt model is available, or the newer model does.

 

[Rocketman]

In my RV, I have used Victron and I really love it.

One of the best Victron features is how all the equipment communicates together. Before buying watch some YouTube on the Victron Cerbo and what it does for reporting information to you.
I think that information is important to me - other people have different wants/needs. That to me is the endgame on the system.

 

[rmaddy]

My two 100/30s won't charge a 48 volt system. Only 12 votl and 24 volt.

This is true. I only mentioned the 48V battery because you made mention of charging at 56V at 30A. So I thought you were still talking about your 100/30.

The OP showed 5 panels to a Victron 150/35. He has a 48 volt battery system. He is plugging panels that have 35 amps input at 85 volts. What I'm trying to explain is the 150/35 can not make anymore than 35 amps out. 35 amps X 48 Volts = 1575 Watts. If he took the same 5 panels and split them between two 150/35, he would produce more than 1575 watts.

Where is this "35 amps input" coming from in your statement? The "35" in the "150/35" has nothing to do with the panel input. And if the OP has 5 panels in parallel with a current of 6.43A each, that's 32.15A. Did you just round that to 35A or is your 35A something else? Just trying to understand what you are saying.

With a 150/35 on a 48V system, you can use 35A x 56V = 1960W. When the battery is at low SOC that might be more like 1700W. The OP's panels are 435W so in 5P that's 2175W. But they are used panels. The OP will be lucky to get 2kW from them. So the 150/35 will actually work just fine with those panels in 5P. With two 150/35 the OP could use all 10 panels. 5P with one SCC and 5P with the other. Or the OP could get a 250/70 and put all 10 panels in 2S5P. The 150/35 is $324 so $648 for two. The 250/70 is $736.

 

[chrisski]

With a 150/35 on a 48V system, you can use 35A x 56V = 1960W. When the battery is at low SOC that might be more like 1700W.

That is part of what I’m saying.

I think if we keep posting on this it is derailing the OP’s thread.

 

[Bigtruckin85]

Howdy,

I totally agree with the early posters. And I'm from Western Washington.

I am a long time Midnite user. I am very happy with their Classic 150. Built like a battle ship. Easy to set up and then forget. I monitor them daily, but haven't touched them in years....

I also have a few smaller sites on my property and I'm using smaller Victron controllers. As a mid-range controller they are great. They constantly upgrade firmware to add features.

On one of my sites, winter sun was not keeping up with my needs. I had some odd panels that could not be mated with the others. So I bought another $130 Victron controller. Victron has a $30 voltage/temp monitor that can act as a server in a mini-network. So I was able to get both systems linked together and my problems were solved.... wow neat stuff....

I've also just received 8 EVE272 from Docan's Houston warehouse. Excellent service, Great price and Fast shipping.

And good luck with the Sunpower solar panels. I have 16 275 watt panels up on the roof for the past 5 years....

Hey, looks like your trying to copy my system..... ;-} Enjoy !!!!

After contacting Midnite, I'm debating trying the MN5048DIY over the Classic 200 - Still not sure. It's a 450V input (up to 500V), I'm told that is similar to the hyperVOC of the classic. It only has 18A input though. This would mean I would need to go 5S2P for 428V and 11Amp. Which is basically the opposite of how I would configure the Classic 200. https://www.midnitesolar.com/produc...DIY Series&productCat_ID=57&sortOrder=1&act=p
Has inverter/charger also.
I saw that there were some posts where the DIY series was frowned on as being the same build as cheap imported stuff. I don't really like the China part, but being somewhat near the Midnite facility here in Washington, I could always go stand outside the door until they help me. Lol.

 

[Bigtruckin85]

@JoeHam
An image of Page 8 of the manual is posted below. That's where I initially got it, and when I asked Midnite about it, they said "The high voltage charge controllers such as the one in the 5048 are less able to tolerate high amperage inputs as this is offset by allowing higher voltage to obtain the same overall wattage." Honestly I usually don't know what I'm looking at as I'm pretty new to this, so I would be glad to be told it's not actually 18A input.

 

[Bigtruckin85]

I had also been looking at the Growatt 3000, but it also had the 18A input limit. The difference here is now the Midnite has 450+VOC, instead of 250 for the Growatt.

 

[OffGridGuy]

It will be easier than you think.....

I saw that there were some posts where the DIY series was frowned on as being the same build as cheap imported stuff. I don't really like the China part, but being somewhat near the Midnite facility here in Washington, I could always go stand outside the door until they help me. Lol.

Both of the head honcho's at Midnite are active members on this forum. If you search through the recent Midnite threads, you'll find there was an open invite to forum members to stop by and get the 30 cent tour of the factory.

They are really great guys. BobO and Robin... they started Trace, the original great inverter manufacturer over 20 years ago.

And numerous companies since...

So take the tour, enjoy and report back !!!

BTW, This message is being powered by my 20 year ole Trace SW4024, still running great !!!

 

[chrisski]

The difference here is now the Midnite has 450+VOC, i

Was on Midnite’s site today and did not see a 450 volt SCC. I did see a 250 volt.

 

[Hedges]

I think the SunPower 435 has a voltage sufficient to charge a 48V battery, but not too high a Voc for a 145V max SCC.
I have the 327W model. It takes two in series to charge 48V battery, and that is OK for a 145V SCC only in moderate climate, not extreme cold.

You'll have to evaluate whether 2s of your 435W is OK into Midnight 200. Because it has HyperVoc, it should protect in rare conditions where Voc might go too high.

Midnight 150 gives more amps charging per dollar. But you'll have to wire the panels 1s, so heavier wire.

Do you have any other components yet? If not, look into systems with 600VDC limit on PV (or maybe some a bit lower, like 450VDC). Longer strings, thinner wire. There are high-voltage SCC, hybrids, and AC coupled systems. I use 8s 327W for my 600V GT PV inverters. I think it would be 6s if I had 435W.

There is Sunny Boy + Sunny Island, which I use. I think Outback Skybox and Schneider are two more which can AC couple to GT PV inverters which do frequency-watts (Sunny Boy, Fronius, some Enphase, many others.) SolArk is a hybrid has high voltage PV input and also does AC coupling.

 

[Bigtruckin85]

It will be easier than you think.....


Both of the head honcho's at Midnite are active members on this forum. If you search through the recent Midnite threads, you'll find there was an open invite to forum members to stop by and get the 30 cent tour of the factory.

They are really great guys. BobO and Robin... they started Trace, the original great inverter manufacturer over 20 years ago.

And numerous companies since...

So take the tour, enjoy and report back !!!

BTW, This message is being powered by my 20 year ole Trace SW4024, still running great !!!

I really feel like once I get started and physically am working with this stuff, it will all make sense. Just like starting a new job. I can think about it all I want, but it won't click until I'm actually doing it.
I've read through a lot of the posts by Bob and Robin, I don't have any reason to not think whatever I get is going to be fine from them. I'm about 5 hours away from their facility, which from where I'm from (middle of nowhere), isn't that far. The new 5048DIY should be available in a few weeks, and I've spoken with a place here in Washington to get it. I'm curious as to the monitoring tools compared to the classic though. The Classic has the localapp thing, I'm not sure what the DIY series has or if it will need to be all through a shunt of some kind.

Was on Midnite’s site today and did not see a 450 volt SCC. I did see a 250 volt.

Product - MidNite Solar

MidNite Solar Product Page.

www.midnitesolar.com

This is the new one. No vendors have it listed, but they do have it coming.

I think the SunPower 435 has a voltage sufficient to charge a 48V battery, but not too high a Voc for a 145V max SCC.
I have the 327W model. It takes two in series to charge 48V battery, and that is OK for a 145V SCC only in moderate climate, not extreme cold.

You'll have to evaluate whether 2s of your 435W is OK into Midnight 200. Because it has HyperVoc, it should protect in rare conditions where Voc might go too high.

Midnight 150 gives more amps charging per dollar. But you'll have to wire the panels 1s, so heavier wire.

Do you have any other components yet? If not, look into systems with 600VDC limit on PV (or maybe some a bit lower, like 450VDC). Longer strings, thinner wire. There are high-voltage SCC, hybrids, and AC coupled systems. I use 8s 327W for my 600V GT PV inverters. I think it would be 6s if I had 435W.

There is Sunny Boy + Sunny Island, which I use. I think Outback Skybox and Schneider are two more which can AC couple to GT PV inverters which do frequency-watts (Sunny Boy, Fronius, some Enphase, many others.) SolArk is a hybrid has high voltage PV input and also does AC coupling.

I don't have any other components, although I did order the 16 LF280K's yesterday from Jenny at Docan.
2S would be 172VDC. I have rarely seen it below -5F here, so the Classic 200 checks out and with the HyperVOC should never be an issue.
With the 5048DIY from Midnite, the whole thing is reversed so 5S2P would put it at 428VDC/ 11Amp. Rarely could push 450V, but it seems to also have the similar hyperVOC up to 500V. They don't call it the hyperVOC with the DIY for some reason, but it seems to be there from what I'm told by Midnite sales. The 5048 has a HF inverter though. I had been looking at the LF inverters, but I don't really know how much it matters if they are built right.
It was mentioned earlier that my 10 used 435 watt panels will be lucky to ever see 2KW coming in, so I'm not sure if I am at risk of anything being overpowered.