My first two systems

[Whats-n-Watts]

Greetings all. Over the weekend I got my first system finished and got another installed enough for testing. Y'all may have taught me just enough to be dangerous of no fault of your own lol.

The interstate battery system was very simple. It's minimum use but was needed all the same due to no power at my shelter.

I installed six dc bulbs coming in at 7 watts each. I have two outlets 120vac powered by a 1,500 watt continuous duty inverter. It will never see much action especially a heavy load.
I installed 100w of solar through a 30 amp pwm controller. Before and after the controller I installed an automotive 10 amp blade fuse and a 5 amp blade fuse for the dc lighting. I didn't install any protection for the inverter to battery as it will never be on unattended anyways. Switched on and off as needed. Again a very light use little system mainly
for lights. The battery is an 80 ah deep cycle marine battery.

The next system (larger) is to power my shop. I have small power needs there. Charging power tool batteries and 226 watts of lights would be typical. I am also installing d/c lighting so the a/c will only be used should I need more light. The heaviest load this system will see is a 15 amp 10" table saw at 10 minute increments at the most.
I have a 50 amp scc as you can see and its fed by two 300 watt panels in series.
I have a 3rd panel and if needed will add another 50 amp scc and 600 watt of pv but I don't think it will be needed.
I used the guts from a new "free" meter base I got from the power company long ago before deciding to just drop some solar in.
I don't have my breakers yet and this was just a test run. I got duked by China and my so-called 12v 400ah batteries tuned out to be 12v 136ah. Yeah that hit hard in the feelings but I learned a lesson. They were $369 each and I hope they do okay.
I am posting so if you guys with way more knowledge on solar can tell me if I am on the right track or not as well as to ask you if you see any potential problems with what I have set up here. I have the batteries as well as pv disconnecting when I am not present for obvious reasons, no breakers or disconnects which are ordered.
Thanks to all for your help and input in advance.

 

[highwaypirate]

I like your setup; its a lot better than what I started out with. I'm jealous you were able to get that Victron installed (mine wouldn't even get a tight grip to my cables). How has your PWM controller been doing with the system so far?

Some protection throughout the system is definitely a must, although if you don't plan on pulling much power it willl work well as it is. If its not a portable system, I like to fuse everything capable of pulling more than 5A. Just keep on monitoring everything while a large load is being used and you should be good!

*Props to your neat wires; definitely much cleaner than the spider-web I had going lol.

 

[seneysolar]

Looks like you got it figured out!

Those Jupiter inverters aren't all bad, i have one on a portable power station that can take alot of abuse.

You may find that interstate cant be cycled too much but if it doesn't take much abuse it will be fine.

Som ANL fuses on your battery cables will keep things safe.

How are the panels mounted?

 

[Whats-n-Watts]

I like your setup; its a lot better than what I started out with. I'm jealous you were able to get that Victron installed (mine wouldn't even get a tight grip to my cables). How has your PWM controller been doing with the system so far?

Some protection throughout the system is definitely a must, although if you don't plan on pulling much power it willl work well as it is. If its not a portable system, I like to fuse everything capable of pulling more than 5A. Just keep on monitoring everything while a large load is being used and you should be good!

*Props to your neat wires; definitely much cleaner than the spider-web I had going lol.

Thank you on the neatness comment but it still looks messy to me. I plan to get it much better with cable clamps. So far the pwm is doing good. It was advertised as a mppt on eBay but its really just a pwm as it will not accept any voltage over a standard pwm in a 12v system. I will only use the lights maybe one hour a day so I am thinking 100 watts of pv will be enough.
The 6 awg wires fit great in the victron but I don't think it wouldn't accept any larger. I made some blunders in my early purchasing without enough knowledge so I am using what I have the most efficient and effective way I could come up with as the bank is empty for any more purchases. I have a 100/30 victron as well I bought. I may remove the 100/50 later and install two 100/30's and 800 watts of pv at this system and use the 100/50 on a 24v future system for my refrigeration shed.
I have three 300 watt panels and twelve 100 watt.
I used one 100 watt on the small shelter system. I plan to use a couple for a small d/c lighting (4 * 7w leds) and a 600 watt inverter for light 120v loads in my refrigeration shed on a 75/15 victron I bought with with another lead acid interstate I have. I already had those batteries when I started so I put them to use lol
That would leave me with 9 * 100w pv and I figured I could set one aside for a spare.
I plan to put the 100/50 with 2 * 300 watt pv and purch a second 100/50 for another matching pair of 300 watt pv's wired to a 24v 200ah feeding a 3,500 watt inverter. Maximum amps the appliances pull at start up combined is 7.64 amps A/C with settling down at around 220 watts combined. The inverter should last at that small of a load.
And absolutely I don't mind a bit over protecting either. Can you overkill safety? Not to me

 

[highwaypirate]

And absolutely I don't mind a bit over protecting either. Can you overkill safety? Not to me

Lol you definitely can't be over-careful. I remember my first install had solar clamps on the battery 'screws' not posts, inverter clips and 6 or 7 other things loosely clipped onto that. I think then the only fuses I had were the ones in my car's fuse box lol. I wasn't a very smart beginner.

 

[Whats-n-Watts]

Looks like you got it figured out!

Those Jupiter inverters aren't all bad, i have one on a portable power station that can take alot of abuse.

You may find that interstate cant be cycled too much but if it doesn't take much abuse it will be fine.

Som ANL fuses on your battery cables will keep things safe.

How are the panels mounted?

I haven't received my mounting for the one 100 watt panel yet but pointing it south in full sun on an 90 to zero degree adjustable bracket. The interstate might see 30 mins a day on an unusual day with a 42 watt dc load. At the most as far as the inverter goes if it gets used over an hour a month I will be surprised.
My heater in my truck failed mid point last winter and I couldn't stick it in the shop. I used two of these interstate batteries and a 1,500 watt space heater to get me to the job sites in the mornings. The batteries lasted in parallel about 40 mins with the heater on high. The inverter has seen combative environments to say the least. I've ran a table saw with it as well as a DeWalt pancake compressor all day and it never skipped a beat.
Thanks for the input. I saw that class T was the fuse to use with lifepo4 is that correct? ANL for lead acid as you suggested is also what I have found. I do question is to why not just use a DC breaker? Or is that not acceptable in place of fuses?
Thanks again!

 

[Whats-n-Watts]

I wasn't a very smart beginner.

I have a very lengthy A/C electrical background. I was an electrician in the military. I had an automotive D/C skill set but that only made me head straight for the 12v box. I quickly learned why that can be a mistake with solar.
Learning about solar was a whole new ball game combining those two knowledge bases I was working off of.
I still have much to learn but I have really enjoyed this. I also want to say without the people in this group willing to help my heard headed self it would have been a disaster.
I have a dissociative identity disorder which makes doing anything a task sometimes. The me and the other me that already knew what to do have many wars over solar lol

 

[seneysolar]

Thanks for the input. I saw that class T was the fuse to use with lifepo4 is that correct? ANL for lead acid as you suggested is also what I have found. I do question is to why not just use a DC breaker? Or is that not acceptable in place of fuses?

Fuses are cheap and if they fail you can be sure something went wrong.

DC breakers are good but not all created equal, some give you a Voltage drop, some dont trip at rated current. Also cant find a quality one over 175 amps.

Personally i just use quality ANL fuses (stay away from the black plastic ones, get the Eaton/bussman brand) on battery cables and Midnite (cdi) pv breakers on my PV wires.

Class T are indeed superior , but not necessary for small systems. Above 400amps i'd go class T. Just expensive and hard to find.

 

[highwaypirate]

I know exactly what you mean! Some nights I sit in my SUV, looking at my install and having heated debates with my own thoughts as to what route I should go next as far as upgrades and system tweaks go. Before I realize it, 4 hours have went by and I still hadn't come up with any clear idea yet lol. But the beauty of solar building is all of the routes and ways you can go with them. My favourite one was a repurposed 50 watt panel used as a 'jump starter' for my SUV battery when it either 1] gets too cold to crank over or 2] someone left their shoe on the brake pedal overnight lol.

 

[Whats-n-Watts]

I know exactly what you mean! Some nights I sit in my SUV, looking at my install and having heated debates with my own thoughts as to what route I should go next as far as upgrades and system tweaks go. Before I realize it, 4 hours have went by and I still hadn't come up with any clear idea yet lol. But the beauty of solar building is all of the routes and ways you can go with them. My favourite one was a repurposed 50 watt panel used as a 'jump starter' for my SUV battery when it either 1] gets too cold to crank over or 2] someone left their shoe on the brake pedal overnight lol.

I feel ya about time devoted to thinking about solar and possibilities. I plan to dive into water heating at some point.
I bought a step down or buck converter to toy with. I hooked it to 2 of my 100 watt pv in series and ran all my shop 12vdc lights with no battery. That was way cool until the sun went down but it literally powered them until 5:30 pm in winter sun. It was 15v -50v input with a steady 12v output. It can handle 360 watts of pv at 30 amps! I zip tied a 12v inverter cooling fan from a dead unit to the heat sink and let the output power it. It never go the slightest bit warm. I got it off of Amazon for $17 and free shipping. Couldn't beat that for a new toy to experiment with hee hee!
I ordered one that accepts up to 700 watts that steps down up to 60vdc to a constant 24v.
Tomorrow I am going to see what happens if I connect it to the pv input of another 30 amp pwm I have connected to a 12v lead acid. I'm sure someone has tried it but does it work? If so that would make for a cheap mppt controller that delivers a constant 24v input. That would be cool