My 48V PIP-3048LV-MK MPPSOLAR project with 400watt panels stumble, need some help

[mattnyc]

Hi Guys,

I have received all of the stuff I ordered including the 48v PIP-3048LV-MK MPP Solar 3000watt Inverter All-In-One system. I purchased these Trina 400watt panels which output like 41~v and intended to hook 6 of them up in parallel. I've built the battery bank with BLS LifePo4 Cells configured in 48v no problem.

The MPP Solar Unit wouldn't detect PV input so I contacted support and they pointed out that these units require 60-115v~ MPPT Range.

So, I am thinking that from the videos I heard will say we need to build in 400,800,1200,1600 watt systems connected in parallel. My interpreation from the MPP Solar response is to connect these in series bringing it up to 80v, but that's not what I've read anywhere so I'm not going to do something like that until I feel confident that is the right thing to do, as its SCARY! I am a complete newbie to this. But I'm a overall tech savy, and a software dev by trade so.... I think I got everything right from the videos.

Can anyone shed some light on what I should do? This is being mounted in a 29' Class A RV and I'm test setting it up on my lawn ATM.

solar panel specs pic: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13N3Ub1qMGddgmyBjB3-cK85N3TQP6p-u/view?usp=sharing
PIP-3048LV-MK specs pic MPPT Range in manual data sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M1RrrXu4KMlYZZLIrf58_G8PxhkvV3rE/view?usp=sharing

 

[nwillitts]

bring the pv voltage up,series your panels.i did same thing.you'll be fine.

 

[Craig]

Yes hook them up 2s then 3p of those you will be fine and it may even produce a weeeee bit more energy over the course of a full day.

 

[DASH]

Yes hook them up 2s then 3p of those you will be fine and it may even produce a weeeee bit more energy over the course of a full day.

Actually, that's the only way You can do it, and still stay in the voltage specs.

 

[mattnyc]

Thanks! I did it and it's working. I can only fit 5 of these on the roof, was going to have 1 for the ground. Didn't plan on this series wiring for the roof. Oopse. Is there anything I can do for that 5th lonely 400 w panel when the ground panel isn't connected?

 

[ghostwriter66]

Thanks! I did it and it's working. I can only fit 5 of these on the roof, was going to have 1 for the ground. Didn't plan on this series wiring for the roof. Oopse. Is there anything I can do for that 5th lonely 400 w panel when the ground panel isn't connected?

You would have to run it to its own separate SCC and then connect that to the battery bank also

 

[Craig]

Thanks! I did it and it's working. I can only fit 5 of these on the roof, was going to have 1 for the ground. Didn't plan on this series wiring for the roof. Oopse. Is there anything I can do for that 5th lonely 400 w panel when the ground panel isn't connected?

Not really since it doesn't make 60volts to charge the battery. You could possibly get a boost mppt controller but probably not worth the hassle

 

[mattnyc]

OK, so if i wanted to stick with 1 SCC can I get different panels to connect on the roof, maybe 6-8x 12v's 100's total of like 600-800watt and then connect those in series, and then connect that one to the other 400w+400w 2s 2p units?

Since the 2s array on the roof is a 80v max system, does that mean I can add any panels that add up to 80v? so my 40v 400w panel, + 4 12v 100w panels?

I'm thinking where to go from here to make up for the lost panel space on the roof thats now available? I can fit up to 8 12v 100watt compact renogy ones if I needed to. Or, maybe I can keep the 400w on the roof, and then add 4 100 watt 12v panels and stick them around the places, wire those in series and then that in series to the 400w extra, and then series that to the 1600w array.

That all is, using the same 80a charge controller I have in the unit.

Then I'll just take the other 2 400w units and connect those in series on the ground, and wire into the charge controller with a parallel cable attached directly to the ingress.

Attaching image of what I'm proposing.

I quess the

 

[ghostwriter66]

OK, so if i wanted to stick with 1 SCC can I get different panels to connect on the roof, maybe 6-8x 12v's 100's total of like 600-800watt and then connect those in series, and then connect that one to the other 400w+400w 2s 2p units?

Since the 2s array on the roof is a 80v max system, does that mean I can add any panels that add up to 80v? so my 40v 400w panel, + 4 12v 100w panels?

I'm thinking where to go from here to make up for the lost panel space on the roof thats now available? I can fit up to 8 12v 100watt compact renogy ones if I needed to. Or, maybe I can keep the 400w on the roof, and then add 4 100 watt 12v panels and stick them around the places, wire those in series and then that in series to the 400w extra, and then series that to the 1600w array.

That all is, using the same 80a charge controller I have in the unit.

Then I'll just take the other 2 400w units and connect those in series on the ground, and wire into the charge controller with a parallel cable attached directly to the ingress.

Attaching image of what I'm proposing.

I quess the

so the answer to some of your questions is YES ... The trick to maximize your SCC potential is to lay out your panels to get to about 80%-90% (depending on manufacturer) of the rated voltage by putting your panels in series .... and then once you hit that - start another row of PV's in series and tie those in parallel ... BUT both rows in series needs to look virtually identical to each other from a voltage stand point .....

does that make since ??

 

[Fred S]

Admittedly less fun, but another way to look at it is that, in the original plan, the only time you'd get a benefit having the 5th panel is while the 6th panel is not deployed. So, if the 6th panel will be set up most of the time, then having the 5th panel sitting in its originally-planned spot on the roof might not be so bad. While traveling, you'd only be charging with 4 instead of 5, but maybe that's not a big deal overall. Then you're back to only having to keep up with one ground panel.

 

[mattnyc]

so the answer to some of your questions is YES ... The trick to maximize your SCC potential is to lay out your panels to get to about 80%-90% (depending on manufacturer) of the rated voltage by putting your panels in series .... and then once you hit that - start another row of PV's in series and tie those in parallel ... BUT both rows in series needs to look virtually identical to each other from a voltage stand point .....

does that make since ??

Thanks, Yes it does. and I think in terms of voltage I should be looking at the max voltage per panel to try to find the closest number to 82.2v which is what my two 400w series panels adds up to in max voltage. IE. Most '12v' systems output max of 17.9, so I need to be using that max number to try to find the magic combination of panels to compensate.

Admittedly less fun, but another way to look at it is that, in the original plan, the only time you'd get a benefit having the 5th panel is while the 6th panel is not deployed. So, if the 6th panel will be set up most of the time, then having the 5th panel sitting in its originally-planned spot on the roof might not be so bad. While traveling, you'd only be charging with 4 instead of 5, but maybe that's not a big deal overall. Then you're back to only having to keep up with one ground panel.

Thanks, yeah but then I have to run a separate cable pair to the roof of the RV just to support that one lonely 400watter up there, in order to create a series pair with the ground unit, which completes the series right? Not so bad.

I appreciate at it. When I said I can do this with just the video's I didn't count on all the uht-oh moments and adventures in perceived risk taking. Helps so much to hear from you all. Much appreciated.

 

[brandonoh777]

i am about to buy a PIP-3048LV-MK and install it with some used Canadian solar 250W panels. The main complaint i have heard about the mpp solar units is the high idle consumption (mainly with the LV5048) which the 3048 seems to just be half of one of those? Do u have any good #'s on what the idle usage is?

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[mattnyc]

can't remember what it was when I tested. I thought like 30w. I'll do it again shortly and let ya know.