Not up to m expectations

[Capt Tango]

Expecting more Mojo than I'm getting.

Here's the hardware:
Panels
4 Ea. QCells 400W Solar Panels 1,600 watts total
Open Circuit Voltage (VOC): 45.30V
Short Circuit Current (ISC): 11.14 A
Maximum Power Voltage (VMP): 37.13 V
Maximum Power Current (IMP): 10.77 A
Maximum System Voltage: 1000 V
Maximum Series Fuse Rating: 20 A

Charge Controller: Set to the LiFPO setting
Victron Energy BlueSolar MPPT Tr VE.Can 150V 100 amp

Batteries
2 Ea. FOIIOE VESTWOODS 300Ah 200A BMS 600 AH Total.

DC Circuit Breaker:
DIHOOL 60 Amp Solar Disconnect Switch, dc Circuit Breaker

Magnum Energy 3000W 12V Inverter/charger 125 Amp MSH-3012RV $1,773.97
Magnum Energy Remote Control for All Magnum Inverters 50' Cable ME-RC50-L $180.00
Magnum Energy Automatic Generator Start Module Network Version ME-AGS-N $230.00
Magnum Energy Battery Monitor Kit With Shunt ME-BMK-NS $169.00

The panels are flat installed and wired in Parallel using 8 AGW wire to a positive and negative bus bars on the roof of a Class A motorhome. 8 AGW wires go to a PV disconnect then to the MPPT Solar Controller. The final connection between the controller and the batteries is also 8 AGW.

I'm in Arizona and pulled in about 400 Watts between 11:30 to 2:00 bulk charging with SOC reading of 42% and 24% increasing .5% and hour than it swung up and down from 200 to 500 watts in absorb mode ending the day at 46% and 26%.. Just before changing to Absorb, I heard a clicking sound coming from the controller.

I was expecting at least 800 watts due to winter angle of the sun and being flat mounted. Could the 8 AGW wires coming out of the MPPT be too small and should I wire the panels 2S/2P?

 

[seneysolar]

You need to do the 2S/2P because you want the voltage higher to the mppt. If all the panels are paralleled you only get 45v to the CC and even less with shading or poor angle. The mppt will perform much better with 70-90v coming in. 8ga is fine going IN.

8GA coming OUT of the CC is too small. 1600w of panels has the potential to send over 100A to the batteries.

 

[AntronX]

Post your BlueSolar MPPT battery settings. What temperature are your batteries?

 

[400bird]

What does the roof of your class A look like? Do the ACs stick up above the panels?
Good spring/summer conditions you'll peak at 80% production, maybe. Your panels are flat, so far from ideal. 60-70% in the winter wouldn't surprise me.
Punch your location and array info into PVwatts and download the hourly data, see what unshaded peak output this time of year might be.

PVWatts

Estimates the energy production and cost of energy of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) energy systems throughout the world. It allows homeowners, small building owners, installers and manufacturers to easily develop estimates of the performance of potential PV installations

pvwatts.nrel.gov

I suspect your biggest issue is shading. Even a little shading on a panel really hurts production.

 

[scrubjaysnest]

Flat panels also don't help I tilt mine.

 

[Zwy]

Expecting more Mojo than I'm getting.

Here's the hardware:
Panels
4 Ea. QCells 400W Solar Panels 1,600 watts total
Open Circuit Voltage (VOC): 45.30V
Short Circuit Current (ISC): 11.14 A
Maximum Power Voltage (VMP): 37.13 V
Maximum Power Current (IMP): 10.77 A
Maximum System Voltage: 1000 V
Maximum Series Fuse Rating: 20 A

Charge Controller: Set to the LiFPO setting
Victron Energy BlueSolar MPPT Tr VE.Can 150V 100 amp

Batteries
2 Ea. FOIIOE VESTWOODS 300Ah 200A BMS 600 AH Total.

DC Circuit Breaker:
DIHOOL 60 Amp Solar Disconnect Switch, dc Circuit Breaker

Magnum Energy 3000W 12V Inverter/charger 125 Amp MSH-3012RV $1,773.97
Magnum Energy Remote Control for All Magnum Inverters 50' Cable ME-RC50-L $180.00
Magnum Energy Automatic Generator Start Module Network Version ME-AGS-N $230.00
Magnum Energy Battery Monitor Kit With Shunt ME-BMK-NS $169.00

The panels are flat installed and wired in Parallel using 8 AGW wire to a positive and negative bus bars on the roof of a Class A motorhome. 8 AGW wires go to a PV disconnect then to the MPPT Solar Controller. The final connection between the controller and the batteries is also 8 AGW.

I'm in Arizona and pulled in about 400 Watts between 11:30 to 2:00 bulk charging with SOC reading of 42% and 24% increasing .5% and hour than it swung up and down from 200 to 500 watts in absorb mode ending the day at 46% and 26%.. Just before changing to Absorb, I heard a clicking sound coming from the controller.

I was expecting at least 800 watts due to winter angle of the sun and being flat mounted. Could the 8 AGW wires coming out of the MPPT be too small and should I wire the panels 2S/2P?

Tilt the panels.

 

[chrisski]

400 watts at this time of year with 1600 watts of panels is on the low end but possible.

IME in I am also in AZ a few miles from you and if you want any extra power this time of year you need tilted panels, but for my three to five day trips, tilting a panel on a roof is unpractical. I won’t get on the roof and spend 30 minutes to an hour total taking six screws off each panel and tilting it. I set up portable panels and move these three times a day to get the sun. In the winter a 900 watt portable panel array will produce 50% more kWh power than the roof array.

I have a little over 1600 watts of panels on my roof total in two arrays setup 3S2P and 2S3P. Because of low sun angle and obstructions, I may top out around 600 watts this time of year.

IME A single shadow on a single panel will cut the output of that panel by 75%.

With the sun so low to the ground towards the winter solstice, I think 45 degrees from the horizon and panels on all four sides of the roof, some of these are always in shadows. In fact looking at the roof, the north side of the RV roof spends most of the day in the shade because of the little bit of the curve to the roof. This kills the output.

Getting towards the equinox, I have found this is not so much a problem and roof panels start producing more towards what they are rated.

Also, this time of year your inverter can takeup an entire panel for an entire days output with the idle draw.

 

[Capt Tango]

Thanks all, I rewired the panels from 4P to 2P/2S. I'm now getting around 400 Watts in Absorb mode 72.9 at 5.3 Amps
Battery Voltage is 13.93 at 26.50 Amps. That's a big improvement especially at 3:30 in the afternoon.

I look for better performance by ordering up some 4 AWG wire to replace the 8 AGW going from the Solar Charger to the batteries and will forward feedback in a day or two.