OOYCYOO charge controller questions?

[Smithalpha]

I have a OOYCYOO charge controller supposed to be rated for 100 amp.

Little back around, I have 4- 230 watt panels at 24 volt. I’m using them through the charge controller to charge 2- 8d deep cycle lead acid battery’s.
While the systems being used or while it’s in stand by. The max amperage the indicator on my charge controller is showing is around 15 amps. That seems low to me.

I’m debating if this is a issue with the charge controller?
Maybe a issue with my panels as they are used?

I should say I’m not running the inverter power from the charge controller, it’s drawing directly
From the battery.
I’m not sure if that makes a difference?
Let me know what you guys think.

 

[400bird]

You've got 460 watts of panels theoretically. At 24 volts that is 19 amps.
But, panels will typically do about 80% of the laboratory conditions they are rated at (STC)
If you panels have a second rating, it's likely a lower more real world rating.

Considering actual panel possible production, used panels, inefficiency in the charge controller, and imperfect angle, 15 amps charging is probably in the ball park of acceptable.

 

[Smithalpha]

Four 230 watt panels only produce 460 watts?
What am I missing.
I was figuring in the 900 watt ball park?

 

[400bird]

Four 230 watt panels only produce 460 watts?
What am I missing.
I was figuring in the 900 watt ball park?

Oops, reading is hard today. For some reason I thought you had two 230 watt panels. I'd expect more like 7-800 watts.

What's your panel wiring set up? The low output looks like maybe you are running 2s2p and lost one of the series pairs.

Do you have a clamp on amp meter to measure each string?

Does your charge controller show PV amps or battery charge amps?

 

[Smithalpha]

I wired the panels in a set of poly j boxes.
I tied the panels together in sets of 2. Wired in parallel, then used a wire large enough to carry the combined rated amperage to the controller.
I can test either set of 2 for power but not each panel separately . It ( the controller) shows both pv and battery amp And both are consistently the same.

I know the actuall battery draw is closer to 40 amps.
As a test I did cover each panel with a blanket to determine if there is a amperage drop. And there is. It appears they are all contributing.

 

[sirslayer]

I’m using an Ooycyoo k100al and 4 x 250 watt on paper it should give me 34 amps output if all panels were in parallel but on the scc , it gives me 20 amps coming in converting to 45 amps to battery according to the display panel. Ideally , the 34 amps should convert to 68 amps but the ooycyoo haves a limit to 36 volts total solar panels to the input of the mppt. That means 325 watts panels x 4 are the max size for a 12 volt battery. 1300 watts limit mppt and with the max input you should get 50 amps to battery but wait I thought it’s a 100a scc well the scc can be 24 v and then 100a would be achieved with 2600 watts total panels .. i have a few scc from many different brands and the ooycyoo is actually very good despite the 36v mppt limit

 

[Smithalpha]

20 amps converts to 45?

 

[sirslayer]

It’s all about the power of the mppt, it optimism the energy from the solar panel and on the display panel the first column shows solar panel voltage input and current input and the second column will show battery voltage and current charging the battery.. my setup usually shows a step up from the input current vs current charging the battery and 20 to 45 is just an example from lowest to highest I’ve seen on my setup

 

[Smithalpha]

Oh roger, got your you were talking about a range.
Sorry had confused the heck out of me.
Just feeling a little lack luster in the charging capacity for my battery bank.
If I’m truly only going to get at best 20 amps total from 4 panels. The math to charge my existing battery bank would be 90 panels. And that just seems crazy.

 

[sirslayer]

So what is your current input from the first column on your display ? It should flash between voltage in and current in ? If your getting 20 amps to the battery ( the the second column on the display it should flash between battery voltage and current to battery) that means there is something wrong .. but you should see a little boost from mppt input current vs the battery charging current .. the only way you get 90 to 100 amps if you upgrade to a 24 volt battery with 2600 watt of solar panels in parallel of 36 volts . I have 1000 watts to a 12 volt battery and typically I’m getting 30 amps from the solar panels to the input of the mppt and up to 45 amps of charging to the battery. I know that’s solar panels comes in flavors poly and mono crystalline and etc etc and maybe the ooycyoo is picky ., You should experiment by just plugging one panel on and see the value on the scc display and add the second one and etc etc , many you have a bad panel

 

[Smithalpha]

Right now with direct sun on the panels I’m getting 12 amps on the input, and the same for the battery.

 

[Smithalpha]

These panels are poly. I disassembled a solar farm that was up dating so I have access to 150 or so used panels.

I’m currently wired for 24 volt. The panels max output is 32 volts. panel max amp is rated for 20, once again I get that it wasn’t going to be 20, just was expecting more then 4 amps per panel.

As a way of testing each panel, thoughts on using a bright flash light at night .
And lighting each panel individually and see if I get a up tick?

Basically I’m being lazy cause I would have to se wire the panels as they are hard wired in. Not the typical mc4 connectors .

 

[sirslayer]

Yeah , you using a 24 volt battery and on my controller it’s stats 36 volts min , i though you were using a 12 volt battery which is 36 max .. I know there’s a difference with ooycyoo 100a controllers and I’m using the 100al version.. the min voltage should be printed on the side , i think your to low on the voltage in . On my controller , it says 36 volts to 96 volts for mppt in for 24 volts. Update . You may also need to double up on the solar panels to get more power out of the scc .. I’ll experiment with my setup.. I’m at work right now!!

 

[Smithalpha]

Hey thank you I appreciate it

 

[Smithalpha]

I wired them in series. Gives me less amps coming in and more going out.
But still not any more the 10 or 12. Amps.
Would this give me a longer 24 volt charging window because the panels are putting out higher voltage?
So instead of 3 hours a day I’m getting charging occurring it’s would now be 4 hours because the initial voltage is more?

 

[sirslayer]

It’s the total power (wattage) is what you’re trying to achieve. Your screen shot shows 28.6volts x 11.2amps = 320.3 watts .. the 28.6 volts the solar panels are in parallel configuration.. if the panels are in series then it should show 28.6 + 28.6 = 57.2 volts .. and that is only 2 panel in series’s .. if you have 4 then you get 114 volts which is over the 96 volt limit ( if that’s your limit) but your screen shot shows 28.6 volts that all your panels are in parallel .. not series and the higher the voltage , lesser the current is required to charge the battery

 

[Smithalpha]

I’ll send a new screen shot.
After the last picture I put them
In series . So it 2 banks of paralleled panels put in to series .
A total of 4 panels

 

[sirslayer]

Thanks!! , well the good news you have gained 20 watts ( 55 volts x 6.2 amp = 341 watts but the bad news is that you only gained 20 watts ! If the 6.2 amps was in the morning then you good , if the current reaches 10 amps then 55 x 10 would be 550 watts !! and we have some gains ,,I’m crossing my fingers!!