No Answer - EcoFlow Watts, Volts, Amps

[CWD]

EcoFlow Delta Pro Specs Limits:

150v 15a 1600w

You can't go over 150v

You can go over 15a as the unit will not use anymore then 15a

Watts?

Can I go over on Wattage? I know amperage is no problem and my voltage is within the limits.

If I add my last 2 solar panels and knowing the amperage is cut off at 15 amps and my voltage is 135.6v x 15A = 2034 watts

I've spent the last few weeks reading everything I could on this forum and must say I've learned a lot of great information.

Something I don't see and why I had came to the forum in the first place and have yet to find the answer even after emailing EcoFlow.

What I have learned is your solar input can't go over 150v and the amps are cut off at 15 amps.

At the moment I am holding off to hook up my last 2 solar panels until I have a firm answer to my question.

I read a lot of warnings not to go over the voltage and the amperage doesn't matter, but don't see anything about the wattage. I've tried emailing EcoFlow a few times about this but not really getting a direct answer beside what the manual says which doesn't say anything about the amperage.

At the moment am at 113v x 15a = 1695 watts with the hopes its safe to use the other 2 panels to push up my input wattage.

End Goal: 135.6v x 15a = 2034 watts

Here is my setup am hoping I can go with 12 panels, at the moment I have 10 panels installed.

 

[CoolWill]

Seems to me that the max watts would be 150 x 15 = 2250. It's impossible to get more because either the voltage has to exceed 150 or the amps have to exceed 15.

 

[Bobert]

The voltage your panels can put out varies by temperature of your panels. You need to avoid the 150 volts at the coldest temperature your panels will see. You must have less than the max voltage in full sun with no load.

 

[Brucey]

Limit for solar input seems to be 1600W:

 

[Vigo]

Watts = Volts X Amps

The solar controller will determine how many Amps are allowed to flow by varying its own resistance.

Therefore, the controller itself determines how many Watts pass through it the same way that it determines how many Amps pass through it. The two numbers are conjoined.


Other semi-relevant background knowledge to have about how the circuit will behave:

Volts will drop as more amps are allowed to flow.

The panels will never make peak volts and peak amps simultaneously.

If the panels ever flow their absolute max current, they will be making close to zero volts. You can think of it as, if i have a top speed of 15mph in a sprint, i cannot really push against something that is already going 15mph. The slower that thing is going, the harder i can push against it. The volts/amps relationship of what the panels can produce functions similarly.

The MPPT controller will try to find the best balance between the increasing amps and the dropping volts, to find the Maximum Power Point (or max Watts, since Watt is a unit for Power).

 

[efficientPV]

I have 3,000W going into a 500W controller. I do that for a real reason. You sound like you just have to hang more panels. Just what is your arrangement of panels, strings and orientation. One long string is frankly anal. When you have controller and battery limits it is best to spread out production all day.

 

[CWD]

The voltage your panels can put out varies by temperature of your panels. You need to avoid the 150 volts at the coldest temperature your panels will see. You must have less than the max voltage in full sun with no load.

Thank you, I understand that part but not clear on the wattage if you can go over the wattage like the amperage too

 

[Vigo]

Watts is determined in part BY amps, so if the controller limits the amps it also limits the watts. The controller 'protects itself' from watts automatically by limiting amps.

 

[CWD]

Limit for solar input seems to be 1600W:

View attachment 166068

Thank you Sir for posting the specs.

I fully understand the specs, and also understand I can go over there 15 amp max limit. I am hoping the watts is like the amperage that I can go over but not to sure.

At 150v x 15a (their specs) = 2250 watts

Maybe, EcoFlows specs should read 150v OR up to 1600 watts and amperage input doesn't matter as it will only take up to 15 amps

Am really hoping going over the 1600 watts doesn't matter like the amperage and it rolls off or will take it all in to charge

 

[CWD]

Watts is determined in part BY amps, so if the controller limits the amps it also limits the watts. The controller 'protects itself' from watts automatically by limiting amps.

Fully understand and makes sense.

Being an engineer I have a habit of overthinking things as my wife says.

Not to sure am willing to take the risk on the warranty to find out.

Was hoping someone on the forum has done the same as I am trying to do, with positive results.

 

[Vigo]

Unfortunately with these solar products that are marketed direct to the end user there's a big communication hurdle since almost noone among the general population understands Watt's Law. But for example if one were to hook up a whole bunch of '12v' panels in parallel thinking that if they had 1500w of panels they would get 1500w of solar power, they would be wrong. They would get no more than ~200-300w or so because the 15a limit X the ~15-20v that the string would be making (if all wired in parallel) only equals 200-300 watts.

The best way to wire a string of multiple panels is generally going to be finding the lowest number of parallel strings that will keep the open circuit voltage of the array under the voltage limit, even when fudging voltage upward to account for possible cold temps. Higher string voltage = less transmission losses because less voltage will convert to heat in the wiring if less amps are flowing. More Volts = Less Amps for a given Wattage, which generally equals more efficient (and possible money savings on less & smaller conductors between array and controller).

The main exception to just going for highest string voltage that falls under the limit, is if you need to make parallel strings to account for issues of placement, such as facing some east and some west, some being in shade at certain times of day, etc.

There is also the 'minimum mppt operating voltage' to consider, since some controllers don't apply mppt tracking under a certain string voltage (i think..).

In your case i think the only thing you need to worry about, is are you EVER going to see cold temps that would push 135v up to 150? If so, your last two panels MIGHT be better used by rearranging the panels into 3 parallel strings of 4 panels each, assuming your controller still does mppt tracking at that lower operating voltage. If the Delta Pro doesn't utilize more than 1600w no matter how much you give it, it may also make sense in that case to orient the 3 strings so that while the sum of output is never more than 1600w, the average output throughout the day is higher because there is always one string better oriented to the sun in morning and evening, than if all 3 strings were oriented identically. But that's very down to the particulars of your installation.

 

[Brucey]

Thank you Sir for posting the specs.

I fully understand the specs, and also understand I can go over there 15 amp max limit. I am hoping the watts is like the amperage that I can go over but not to sure.

At 150v x 15a (their specs) = 2250 watts

Maybe, EcoFlows specs should read 150v OR up to 1600 watts and amperage input doesn't matter as it will only take up to 15 amps

Am really hoping going over the 1600 watts doesn't matter like the amperage and it rolls off or will take it all in to charge

Yes basically you can over panel as long as you stay below the 150V limit.

 

[CWD]

Unfortunately with these solar products that are marketed direct to the end user there's a big communication hurdle since almost noone among the general population understands Watt's Law. But for example if one were to hook up a whole bunch of '12v' panels in parallel thinking that if they had 1500w of panels they would get 1500w of solar power, they would be wrong. They would get no more than ~200-300w or so because the 15a limit X the ~15-20v that the string would be making (if all wired in parallel) only equals 200-300 watts.

The best way to wire a string of multiple panels is generally going to be finding the lowest number of parallel strings that will keep the open circuit voltage of the array under the voltage limit, even when fudging voltage upward to account for possible cold temps. Higher string voltage = less transmission losses because less voltage will convert to heat in the wiring if less amps are flowing. More Volts = Less Amps for a given Wattage, which generally equals more efficient (and possible money savings on less & smaller conductors between array and controller).

The main exception to just going for highest string voltage that falls under the limit, is if you need to make parallel strings to account for issues of placement, such as facing some east and some west, some being in shade at certain times of day, etc.

There is also the 'minimum mppt operating voltage' to consider, since some controllers don't apply mppt tracking under a certain string voltage (i think..).

In your case i think the only thing you need to worry about, is are you EVER going to see cold temps that would push 135v up to 150? If so, your last two panels MIGHT be better used by rearranging the panels into 3 parallel strings of 4 panels each, assuming your controller still does mppt tracking at that lower operating voltage. If the Delta Pro doesn't utilize more than 1600w no matter how much you give it, it may also make sense in that case to orient the 3 strings so that while the sum of output is never more than 1600w, the average output throughout the day is higher because there is always one string better oriented to the sun in morning and evening, than if all 3 strings were oriented identically. But that's very down to the particulars of your installation.

As for outsides Temp here in FL I've seen in the 20's before so doing all my math on the max output.

At the moment I am wired series then strings to wired parallel 5/5 at 113v x 15a = 1695 watts (my first post has the drawing I did)

My hope is wiring 6/6 at 135v x 15a with the mppt limiting it to 1600 watts, knowing there is 2025 at max that could come in the winter

I did look at doing 4/4/4 as you said but it came out to 90v x 15a = 1350 watts

My thought is the Delta Pro can't take anymore then 1600 watts, meaning if your within in the 150v limit and even at 2500 watts the unit will only take up to 1600 watts max with controlling itselfs limiting its amperage balance between the voltage and the amperage to regulate its 1600 watt max input.

If that's true I am not sure and why I started the post

Panels:

22.6 Vmp
8.85 Imp

 

[Vigo]

I did look at doing 4/4/4 as you said but it came out to 90v x 15a = 1350 watts

Whoops, guess i could have done that just as easily myself before wasting my breath! Lol

Since you are in Florida (i could have noticed that too..) you barely even need to calculate voltage rise from cold temps so 135v is well within safe limits.

I think you are 100% set to just add 1 panel to each of the existing strings, then. I feel bad because if i had noticed your location I could have said "yeah itll work" and taken up much less space in this thread.

 

[CWD]

Whoops, guess i could have done that just as easily myself before wasting my breath! Lol

Since you are in Florida (i could have noticed that too..) you barely even need to calculate voltage rise from cold temps so 135v is well within safe limits.

I think you are 100% set to just add 1 panel to each of the existing strings, then. I feel bad because if i had noticed your location I could have said "yeah itll work" and taken up much less space in this thread.

Your post has lot of great information that could help answer someone's questions their looking for.

So great post!

I've emailed EcoFlow again to see if they can answer without a copy/paste answer, so we will see?

With all the EcoFlow people out there am sure someone has done this.

I kind of recall that Will had did a test with this but can't find it from a year or 2 ago? Maybe it was another youtuber

 

[DrewLoker]

Yes basically you can over panel as long as you stay below the 150V limit.

But is there any advantage to going over the WATTAGE max?

IOW, does a panel rated for 460w, at 80% efficiency or 368w, better than a 370 watts panel (effectively 296), ff both the 460w panel, and the 370w panel both have the same VOC and AMP rating.

I have the same question as the OP here...sending more watts to the generator than it is speced...is there any advantage to doing so...assuming the other variables are well in check?

 

[Vigo]

But is there any advantage to going over the WATTAGE max?

You can think of it this way. If you have 1000w of panel hooked to a 1000w controller, you will get 1000w only under ideal conditions. But, if you have 2000w of panel hooked to a 1000w controller, the panels would have to drop to HALF their rated performance before you got less than 1000w out of it.

In other words, over-paneling builds in margin to account for poor solar conditions and results in getting a higher average output over time. Of course there is a point of diminishing returns, but it will be different in each case, which is why we are perfectly entitled to all start threads seeking help figuring things out for our particular case. With so many moving parts, there are many instances where the money on those 'extra' panels might be better spent on a controller upgrade, battery upgrade, etc etc. But there will be times it makes perfect sense to overpanel a solar controller.

 

[DrewLoker]

if you have 2000w of panel hooked to a 1000w controller, the panels would have to drop to HALF their rated performance before you got less than 1000w out of it.

THANK YOU! That is exactly what I needed to know! Makes sense. Don't mind the few extra dollars, but wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting my money!

I had posted in a new thread yesterday day this question as I make a decision to buy 6 of either: Boviet 370w for $210ea (or $1,260)
or SEG 460 for $260ea (or $1,560). Will definitetely get the SEG. They had a better warranty anyway.

Thanks!