The EB150 max solar input is 60V/10A but, can be over paneled as proven by DIY Will and Hobotech reviews. All I have right now is 2x200w 24Voc/10A panels which I can run in series or parallel without issue. I want to increase my wattage and still stay within the max input parameters. Could I do two groups of 1x200 24Voc/10A & 1x100w 22Voc/5.9A in series, then connect those two groups on parallel? Would that kind of configuration create any issues? Thanks in advance...
Over-paneling Bluetti EB150
- Thread starter Sun Tzu
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I think the newer EB 150s can accept the higher 66 to 68 volts input.
What brand are those 200 watt panels at 24Voc?
The Newpowa are about 20Voc
solarpanelsvenue.com
What brand are those 200 watt panels at 24Voc?
The Newpowa are about 20Voc
Mixing solar panels – Dos and Don’ts • SOLAR POWER SECRETS
Mixing Solar Panels: Discover Now Dos and Dont's of Mixing the Same Types or Different Types of Solar Panels. Act Now to Save Your Money!
solarpanelsvenue.com
Thanks for that link! OK, so after reading I'm probably better off just going with my 2x200w panels because adding the 2x100w will just cost me more money for little or no gain? So, I probably should have just gone with 6x100w panels in series/parallel?I think the newer EB 150s can accept the higher 66 to 68 volts input.
What brand are those 200 watt panels at 24Voc?
The Newpowa are about 20Voc
Mixing solar panels – Dos and Don’ts • SOLAR POWER SECRETS
Mixing Solar Panels: Discover Now Dos and Dont's of Mixing the Same Types or Different Types of Solar Panels. Act Now to Save Your Money!
I noticed too that the specs are now showing 68V for the EB150 and was wondering if that was a misprint. Mine's a few months old so I'm guessing I have the 60v version. My panels are Hitech solar. One's 24.75 and the other 24.87Voc and both are Ipm 10.21A.
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I'm late to this thread, but if you were to buy two more of the exact same panels that you have, adding them in parallel, you would still be at less than 60V, but your total wattage under ideal conditions would be 800W - which would only go to waste under ideal conditions. Your array would come far closer to 500W under overcast skies than would using only two panels in series. That's the greatest advantage of overpaneling in parallel.
Here's another advantage that can be had with paralleled panels (that shouldn't be done with series panels): Tilt one series 30-degrees East of South and the other series 30-degrees West of South, forming a 60-degree angle between the two pairs. Both should be inclined about 15-degrees above the horizon (varying with your latitude and time of the year, but this is not all that critical, unless you are at extreme latititudes.)
Here's another advantage that can be had with paralleled panels (that shouldn't be done with series panels): Tilt one series 30-degrees East of South and the other series 30-degrees West of South, forming a 60-degree angle between the two pairs. Both should be inclined about 15-degrees above the horizon (varying with your latitude and time of the year, but this is not all that critical, unless you are at extreme latititudes.)
Occasionally, yes, but only in ideal conditions of bright sun, clear skies, cold air, perfect angle, clean panels and no shadows. If the voltage is excessive, the Bluetti will protect itself, but you won't know to reset it until you next look at the LCD display and see an Error 17. It might go several hours or days without charhing, unless you monitor it frequently.
Unfotunately, when conditions are less than ideal, voltage tapers only a little bit while current coming from the array can fall-off dramatically.
It's OK for the array to provide more Watts than the MPPT controler can use, but it's not OK to provide too high a voltage.
So, if you really want hassle-free charging, I recommend purchasing an identical 4th panel, then build a 2s2p array. Two serially connected pairs, in parallel, will give you a much lower voltage but more Watts, especially in less than ideal conditions (compared to a 3s array).
You can even angle one serially connected pair about 10-degrees East of due South and the other pair about 10-degrees West of due South - to maximize charging from dawn til dusk. All four panels should be inclined at whatever angle is ideal for your lattitude.
Unfotunately, when conditions are less than ideal, voltage tapers only a little bit while current coming from the array can fall-off dramatically.
It's OK for the array to provide more Watts than the MPPT controler can use, but it's not OK to provide too high a voltage.
So, if you really want hassle-free charging, I recommend purchasing an identical 4th panel, then build a 2s2p array. Two serially connected pairs, in parallel, will give you a much lower voltage but more Watts, especially in less than ideal conditions (compared to a 3s array).
You can even angle one serially connected pair about 10-degrees East of due South and the other pair about 10-degrees West of due South - to maximize charging from dawn til dusk. All four panels should be inclined at whatever angle is ideal for your lattitude.
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These will only be used during grid outages. I’m trying to fit in at least 500w in the only space we have, a balcony that gets sun from ~1:00 to 5:00. There is not a lot of available space.
The railing will shadow panels if they are not up high enough when the sun moves move west. I can suspend flexible panels between the top of the railing and the side of the house. Or I can connect glass panels from the top of the railing and lay them against the side of the house if they are tall enough.
Hi,
You might be able to deploy a folding plastic table for elevating the panels above the height of the railing, oriented verically, with perhaps a strip of 2x2 pine, C-clamped atop the table, lengthwise, against which to rest the bottom edge of the panels, propped up against the wall. No drilling or permanent mounts required, but you'd have to find a place to store the table, when not in use.
With for only three panels and mixing the types, with them not permanently mounted, you'll have to stick with using a 3s array, but the good news about your situation is that you can easily monitor the Bluetti, to reset it, if necessary. My EB240 is in a garage - not easy to monitor. ?
Try to avoid shading even one cell of one panel in the series, because it can dramatically reduce total wattage coming out of the series.
If you imagine a flashlight with three AA batteries in series, if one of the batteries is weak, it will pull current from the stronger batteries - depriving the intended load (dimming the output more than you might first consider). It's a somewhat poor analogy, in that the diode of a weak, shaded panel will prevent current from flowing in from the other panels in that same series, but in practice, a shaded panel can weaken its unshaded serial siblings, nevertheless. Proof of that can be had just by shading a single cell while mesuring the current coming out of a solo panel.
If you think you could at times suffer unequal shading of your three panels, you might want to use them in a 1s3p array, so that a shaded or partially shaded panel does not drag down the other two panels, but keep this in mind: When panels are in parrallel, they should be identical in design or at least in Voc and Watts specification AND you should never go more than 3 deep in parallel circuits, because the currents can get too high - overheating inadequately short or inadequately thick cables or overheating connectors, posing a risk of fire or shock.
I'm probably telling you stuff you already know, so please forgive my dogmatic tone. There's more than one way to boil this egg and, in the end, you will get the best results by experimenting and taking good notes. ? Now's the time to do it, though, not at a time of real need. Good for you on pursuing this project. ??
Have fun!
That's actually where I started with this but having to store it when not in use killed that idea. If the panels are taller than the space from the railing to the house (48 inches) then I think using metal straps to anchor the panel to the railing will work. If the panel is 55 to 60 inches vertical it will be tilted nicely with the higher side leaning on the house. They will be facing due west so not optimal.
I have about 115 inches from the AC to the door, so I could fit in 4 of the panels I posted (26.7 inches wide and 26 pounds each). There are even cheaper 250w used panels available for local pickup but 40 pounds each is a bit too heavy for me to work with, even if I only went with 2 of those.
Thanks for you input!
BTW, I don't have the EB150 yet. I'm still debating EB150 or AC200P. If the EB150 will start our refrigerator (~1150 startup) I'd prefer to have 2 EB150s for a bit more money than 1 AC200P. Backup for the backup. My Giandel 1200w inverter starts the refrigerator, but I'm returning a MPP Solar 1012 because it couldn't start it.
I cannot recall details of Hobotech's testing of the EB150's inverter, but you might refer to that video to see if he had determined an instantaneous maximum output, hopefully greater than your 1150W need.
I like the idea of multiple units (2x EB150) vs. a single, larger unit, not only for failover redundancy, but more practically, for the ability to use them in two differnent locations in the home, without having to run a long extension cord from the kitchen (where one unit is powering a refrigerator) to a CPAP in the bedroom, for example.
Convenience is almost always more expensive, but I've considered "peppering" the house with small decicated units, sized to each appliance. That, however, comes with the inconvenient logistics of recharging multiple units! Where is the inconvenience of running extension cords overwhelmed by the inconvenience of keeping multiple, portable units charged? ?
I've decided not to go crazy buying multiple, all-in-one solar generators, as I'm concerned only with "emergency" use, as it seems you are, too. I'd rather just "deal with" the limitations of my single system (an EB240 + a 2s2p array of four 180W panels, that are kept in their boxes, as a rule).
It's certainly tempting to buy another, perhaps larger solar generator, but I've chosen to be content that the system I have now, though severely inadequate for sustaining anything close to our "normal," energy-intensive lifestyle, is certainly sufficient to take the edge off of what would otherwise be a "caveman" experience.
Propane storage is a far better solution, though finite, for cooking and especially heating needs during a sustained power outage, so I've spent quite a bit of money in that direction, too. (You could easily store a 30 or 40-lb tank on your deck, under a cover, and there are several, fairly thin, two-burner propane camp stoves to choose from, that you might find space to store under a sofa, for example.)
This is a fun hobby, so to speak, but don't go crazy. ? The more more you spend on preparedness, the less probable will be an event that requires that level of preparedness. I wish I had a crystal ball. ?
I like the idea of multiple units (2x EB150) vs. a single, larger unit, not only for failover redundancy, but more practically, for the ability to use them in two differnent locations in the home, without having to run a long extension cord from the kitchen (where one unit is powering a refrigerator) to a CPAP in the bedroom, for example.
Convenience is almost always more expensive, but I've considered "peppering" the house with small decicated units, sized to each appliance. That, however, comes with the inconvenient logistics of recharging multiple units! Where is the inconvenience of running extension cords overwhelmed by the inconvenience of keeping multiple, portable units charged? ?
I've decided not to go crazy buying multiple, all-in-one solar generators, as I'm concerned only with "emergency" use, as it seems you are, too. I'd rather just "deal with" the limitations of my single system (an EB240 + a 2s2p array of four 180W panels, that are kept in their boxes, as a rule).
It's certainly tempting to buy another, perhaps larger solar generator, but I've chosen to be content that the system I have now, though severely inadequate for sustaining anything close to our "normal," energy-intensive lifestyle, is certainly sufficient to take the edge off of what would otherwise be a "caveman" experience.
Propane storage is a far better solution, though finite, for cooking and especially heating needs during a sustained power outage, so I've spent quite a bit of money in that direction, too. (You could easily store a 30 or 40-lb tank on your deck, under a cover, and there are several, fairly thin, two-burner propane camp stoves to choose from, that you might find space to store under a sofa, for example.)
This is a fun hobby, so to speak, but don't go crazy. ? The more more you spend on preparedness, the less probable will be an event that requires that level of preparedness. I wish I had a crystal ball. ?
Yep, he got it up as high as 1193w when testing it with the microwave. That was the video where I decided the EB150 might suffice.
We are having a manual transfer switch installed soon instead of the mess we have had with extension cords. Even worse was letting the cold inside during the freeze here in February from leaving the door cracked open for an extension cord.
That's a great backup. We have natural gas stove top and a Honda generator converted for tri-fuel. About to add a hybrid vehicle (with inverter or Plugout kit) for another backup.
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