Milk Crate system with 400 watts

[Frank F]

Newbie here, I have two 100-watt panels now and plan to buy two more some time in the future. I'd like to do a combination of Will's 400 watt classic and the smaller milk crate system. Very similar to the milk crate system except I would use a Rich solar 40amp mppt instead of the 20amp in the design. Inverter would remain 500w only. I wouldn't put the battery in the crate. Possibly add a renogy dc/dc charger.
In the 400 watt classic system there is a 50a fuse on the mppt and a 170a circuit breaker on the inverter. The crate system has neither. I am assuming I would only need the 50a fuse, but not the circuit breaker because the inverter is much smaller? Any other considerations or anything I'm missing? Thanks

This is going to be my backup power source in case of hurricanes here in Louisiana, and use it for power/lighting in the shed the rest of the time.

 

[svetz]

Welcome to the forums!

Breakers (or fuses) should protect the wires, the wires should be sized to provide the amps necessary for the max load.
50 amp fuse at 12V is: 50 A x 12 V = 600 W max load

This is going to be my backup power source in case of hurricanes here in Louisiana, and use it for power/lighting in the shed the rest of the time.

You'll have a lot of fun with this project, check out the show & tell subforum to see the creations of other members, a lot of them have innovative ideas. I built mine in an old dead jump starter and reused a lot of the existing innards (although I use mine for running tools, I use those superbright Camping popout LED cans for emergency lighting as they're small, weigh nothing, and run a long time).

 

[Frank F]

Welcome to the forums!

Breakers (or fuses) should protect the wires, the wires should be sized to provide the amps necessary for the max load.
50 amp fuse at 12V is: 50 A x 12 V = 600 W max load


You'll have a lot of fun with this project, check out the show & tell subforum to see the creations of other members, a lot of them have innovative ideas. I built mine in an old dead jump starter and reused a lot of the existing innards (although I use mine for running tools, I use those superbright Camping popout LED cans for emergency lighting as they're small, weigh nothing, and run a long time).

Thanks!