diy solar

diy solar

New to DIY, am I on the right track?

Watersmeet

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Joined
May 28, 2023
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18
Location
Oregon/California
I'm new here and building a new system for a new truck camper. On my current setup I've been using 400 watts of PV with a GoalZero Yeti 1000 for a few years now, which has been great, but will be building a new system for the new truck camper. Here's where I am right now on components, listed below. Am I on the right track or does something stand out as the wrong choice? There are so many components and so many choices for each one. My current system is running a Dometic CFX65DZ, MaxxAir fan, Starlink (turned off at night) and charging phone/iPad/laptop. With the new camper I'll add induction cooktop, ZeroBreeze A/C and a Splash-proof 250 Watt Convector Heater (the camper is Total Composites which is so well insulated that these low power heating and cooling choices are expected to be sufficient).

Here is what I've come up with so far:
2 Renogy 450W panels - 900W total (I may add 100W more for total of 1000W)
2 x 280aH 3.2V LiFePO4 Prismatic Cells - 560aH total - from SolarSupplyHouse (via Will Browse)
Overkill Solar 4s BMS 120a
3000W 12V Renogy Inverter/Charger
Renogy Rover 100Amp MPPT charge controller w/Renogy ONE and Bluetooth dongle
Victron 12/12-30 DC/DC charger

What am I missing (besides all the terminal components)? It seem like systems get very busy very quickly. I'm trying to keep it to what's necessary without getting too fancy, if that's possible.
Thanks in advance for you tolerance and suggestions.
 
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Keep panel sizes the same putting a 100 watt panel in your system will cause you losses unless you put it on a separate scc
 
2 x 280aH 3.2V LiFePO4 Prismatic Cells - 560aH total - from SolarSupplyHouse (via Will Browse)
Overkill Solar 4s BMS 120a
2 cells and a 4s BMS?
I haven't seen a 6-7 volt inverter, so I assume the quantity of cells is incorrect.
3000W 12V Renogy Inverter/Charger
That's a lot of inverter for 12 v
It could pull about 300 amps from your battery at 3,000 watts. If you need 3000 watts, you should step up to 24 or 48 volts. Otherwise, a smaller inverter would save you money on wiring and inverter.
 
2 cells and a 4s BMS?
I haven't seen a 6-7 volt inverter, so I assume the quantity of cells is incorrect.

That's a lot of inverter for 12 v
It could pull about 300 amps from your battery at 3,000 watts. If you need 3000 watts, you should step up to 24 or 48 volts. Otherwise, a smaller inverter would save you money on wiring and inverter.
My mistake, it’s two sets of four cells… 8 cells total. I was considering the Growatt 12v all-in-one but am concerned about the loud fan noise those make. The reason I went with a 3000w inverter is that the advice from a couple vendors is if the components are oversized then they won’t get as hot and then the fan(s) won’t run as much. I’d be happy to get a 2000w inverter instead though if that’s more appropriate and efficient.
Thanks for your input.
 
Renogy does a comparison between their 2000W and 3000W inverters and their advice is to go with the 3000W. If a 2000W inverter has an ordinary limit of 1600W I could easily exceed that running a couple things at a time. Renogy says, "To minimize inverter damage, only load up to 1,600W if it is classed at 2,000W. A few inverters can offer maximum output for a limited amount of time!"


And here's their advice on selecting between 2000 and 3000:

"What is the difference between a 2000 watt and 3000-watt inverter charger?

The only difference between a 3000W and 2000W inverter charger is their size. A 3000W inverter charge will power more loads compared to a 2000W inverter charger.
The maximum and continuous loads will decide the size of the inverter. The size of the battery will only tell you how long the inverter can draw that load before it drains the battery. There is no direct link between the two.
If all other factors are the same, choose the 3000W inverter. At a specific load, a bigger inverter will often operate quieter. (And, then, you have the additional power if you require it.)
The only disadvantage of the bigger unit is that it may require an additional 500ma of current while idle and on without a load (which isn't a big deal).

A 3000W inverter charger is the best option if you are looking for a reliable solution. You might not have the appliances to fully utilize all the power that a 3000W inverter charger produces, but you never know when you will need it.

Furthermore, a high efficiency, high wattage inverter lasts longer since it works quieter and colder when connected with loads that are not equivalent to its wattage."

If I add those two 50W PVs (100W) to the two 450W panels (900W) for a total of 1000W instead of 900W they could offset the loss from the inverter, correct? I'd have 1000W of PV and 560aH of LiFePO4.
 
Having a larger inverter for some headroom is fine running it at half capacity is good for the cheaper units don’t push them hard and they will do better
 
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