Renogy 400 watt solar kit with 40 Amp controller

[Maritimer]

I am very new to this
I want to try a small system so I am buying renogy 400 watt kit with 40 Amp MPPT controller.

Renogy 400 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit with 40A Rover MPPT Charge Controller https://a.co/d/9lVzeOU

I have shading so I'll be going parallel with the panels. The specs say it can handle 520 watts of solar. Can I just add an extra 100 watt panel in parallel with the others?
I will be going 12v

 

[Bob142]

Welcome to the forum!

If you haven’t bought the kit yet, I recommend you do not. They are selling $300-$350 worth of equipment to you for $700. (Edit: saw you're in Canada so my $ comparison is moot) This community can help provide lower cost options if you are interested.

Yes, you *could* run 5 in parallel, but I would recommend perhaps getting two more panels and running three parallel strings of two panels each in series. Don't worry that 600W > 520W that the controller says is max. You won't get nearly 100% out of your panels in most conditions especially since you said you are concerned about shading.

There are lower cost and better quality options than this kit, so if you're interested people here can help suggest some. In that case, it would be helpful if you could provide some more details on what this system is intended for.

 

[Maritimer]

I didn't know I could exceed the wattage
I have trees on the left and right so only for a short time I'd have direct sun overhead and being east coast Canada probably doesn't help either.
New to this so just looked on Amazon but I'd love to know other options as well
Thank you very much for your advice

 

[SunDave]

Hi Maritimer,
Good idea. It's great to learn on a smaller system. My first two systems were a harbor freight 45 watt setup, then a renogy 400 watt setup that I eventually upgraded to 800 watts.

There are not too many renogy fans on the forum. Like bob142 says, there is a premium for having an all in one kit, so you just have to determine what it is worth to you.

There is a lot of research involved in even this size setup. For example, do the math on your wire sizing. Parallel setups require more fuses. Good luck with your setup. People on this forum are willing to help.

 

[Maritimer]

Thank you sundave
I think I'll take bob142s advice and add 2 panels to that kit series and parallel. I have alot to learn but I know wire size is very important.
Thank you sundave

 

[Bob142]

Thank you sundave
I think I'll take bob142s advice and add 2 panels to that kit series and parallel. I have alot to learn but I know wire size is very important.
Thank you sundave

Can you accommodate larger panels, or are you just interested in keeping the panels small and portable at this point?

You can typically get better deals on larger panels, but once you exceed certain sizes they become too unwieldy for a portable setup. That size usually depends on your storage space and your physical ability to move them around.

Also:
What are you looking to power?
What are your plans for batteries, inverter etc.?

 

[Maritimer]

The power is for my camp so it's more for lighting and possibly a 12v water pump. Figure I'd start with small and see what I can all get.
My battery capacity is 12 AGMs (53ah each) and 2 lithiums (100ah each)
I started with batteries first. Now need the ability to charge them without using my generator.
The roof is my only location for mounting so square footage is limited
Mostly why I was looking at 100 watt panels
I plan on staying pretty much 12v with no inverter at this point but I am reading reviews on pure sines, your opinion on a inverter would be appreciated. If this works out I'll be buying panels for my house as power outages here are very common. I guess this is my test. I have 1/0 wire to run the distance I need from the controller to batteries and to my water pump and inverter when I decide to get one

Thanks again Bob142

 

[Bob142]

The roof is my only location for mounting so square footage is limited
Mostly why I was looking at 100 watt panels

I'm partial to HQST small panels. You can find deals on them on Amazon and eBay. If you choose to go that route, I don't recommend ordering directly from their site: order from eBay or Amazon so you get the big company protection for returns etc.

Others here (ex: @Brucey) like Eco-Worthy's small panels and have found good deals on them.

If you can find a good deal on 6 100W panels (or 3 200W panels - more on this later) you can have more money to spend on an upgraded solar charge controller (SCC).

There are not too many renogy fans on the forum

@SunDave is right, but I have not had any issues with the small solar panels or the Rover 30A SCC I've had for years now. That said, having run both the Rover and various Victron SCCs, I highly suggest taking a look at maybe the Victron SmartSolar 100/50. It's more expensive than the Rover 40A, but more capable, higher quality, better support/warranty, has built-in bluetooth, and provides much more granular control. That might be very important for the topic below.

My battery capacity is 12 AGMs (53ah each) and 2 lithiums (100ah each)

Are you running those lead acid and LFP together in the same battery bank? I don't have experience doing that so I'm not sure how that affects what settings you would use on your SCC. Others will have to weigh in on that once you get your equipment.

your opinion on a inverter would be appreciated.

I like Giandel for inexpensive smaller 12V inverters (started using them years ago based on forum owner's recommendation and they have performed extremely well). Others here like WZRELB. Everyone will have an opinion, but those come up a lot on this forum with extended real-world use cases.

 

[SunDave]

I'm not on the rip on Renogy bandwagon either. Ran the 800 watt setup for almost 10 years! Chugging right along.

Dave

 

[Maritimer]

The scale on lithiums peak for a long duration keeping the leads full for a longer time. Since lithiums can be charged more often they take most of the abuse while the leads I use pretty much as a backup after the lithiums. Yes they are all wired together. Read lots of forums and watched videos to makesure it was safe. Just makesure you have the same power reading in the batteries before you connect them. Lithiums have a kick. I recommend using a Resistor to bring them all together before connecting. Guy mentioned in a forum for a even smoother connection. I've been charging them off my generator and they work just fine for several days.

 

[Maritimer]

I'm partial to HQST small panels. You can find deals on them on Amazon and eBay. If you choose to go that route, I don't recommend ordering directly from their site: order from eBay or Amazon so you get the big company protection for returns etc.

Others here (ex: @Brucey) like Eco-Worthy's small panels and have found good deals on them.

If you can find a good deal on 6 100W panels (or 3 200W panels - more on this later) you can have more money to spend on an upgraded solar charge controller (SCC).


@SunDave is right, but I have not had any issues with the small solar panels or the Rover 30A SCC I've had for years now. That said, having run both the Rover and various Victron SCCs, I highly suggest taking a look at maybe the Victron SmartSolar 100/50. It's more expensive than the Rover 40A, but more capable, higher quality, better support/warranty, has built-in bluetooth, and provides much more granular control. That might be very important for the topic below.


Are you running those lead acid and LFP together in the same battery bank? I don't have experience doing that so I'm not sure how that affects what settings you would use on your SCC. Others will have to weigh in on that once you get your equipment.


I like Giandel for inexpensive smaller 12V inverters (started using them years ago based on forum owner's recommendation and they have performed extremely well). Others here like WZRELB. Everyone will have an opinion, but those come up a lot on this forum with extended real-world use cases.

I looked at giandel inverters on yes amazon as well as others. I read alot of mixed reviews on them all. Thank you I rather hear from experience over reviews on Amazon
Thanks again Bob142
Honestly taking any advice
I'll check out victron

 

[fratermus]

I have shading so I'll be going parallel with the panels.... I have trees on the left and right so only for a short time I'd have direct sun overhead

If there is a spot nearby with better sun exposure you could run the panels on wiring long enough to reach, and connect the panels in series or series-parallel to combat the voltage sag. IIRC the Reno 40A mppt have a 100v input limit; check the specs to be sure.

For example, right now I am camped under a forest canopy (hiding from the heat) so my mounted array is compromised by shade. I get about 45 mins of unshaded sun from 0900-0945. So I set out 200w of panel (series) in a sunnier spot 50ft away and they help make up the difference.

 

[Maritimer]

Hey FRATERMUS
what gauge wire are you using to run that distance?
I'm mostly surrounded by trees but I get nice direct sun when overhead. Figured let the system charge when I'm away and should last my time at the camp. I hope

 

[fratermus]

what gauge wire are you using to run that distance?

The extensions are 10awg. Since the panels are in series the Isc is 8.33A if I remember correctly.