See this before buying Victron

[timselectric]

Still not cheap but a little less :

Schneider Electric 865-1034 Conext MPPT 100 Amp 600VDC Solar Charge Controller

NOTE: In order to program this controller, you will need the Schneider InsightHome Energy Management Device 865-0330.

www.solar-electric.com

Still more than just adding another AIO.
This is the situation that I keep running into.

 

[RobertGreen]

Still more than just adding another AIO.
This is the situation that I keep running into.

I don't think I exactly understand why you would want to spend twice as much (edit: ok, not quite twice as much) to get a high voltage input charge controller rather than just configuring your array into lower voltage strings? Is this to do with higher voltage panels needing special consideration? Or just when a user doesn't have a lot of latitude in the array setup?
Unless I'm mistaken, that 600VDC Schneider only outputs 100A of charging current at battery voltage, just like a Victron 150/100 will do for a lot less money

 

[timselectric]

I don't think I exactly understand why you would want to spend twice as much (edit: ok, not quite twice as much) to get a high voltage input charge controller rather than just configuring your array into lower voltage strings? Is this to do with higher voltage panels needing special consideration? Or just when a user doesn't have a lot of latitude in the array setup?
Unless I'm mistaken, that 600VDC Schneider only outputs 100A of charging current at battery voltage, just like a Victron 150/100 will do for a lot less money

Higher voltage means lower amperage, smaller wiring, fuses, and voltage drop. So, all in all more efficient. And cost effective.

 

[Jennifer]

Still not cheap but a little less :

Schneider Electric 865-1034 Conext MPPT 100 Amp 600VDC Solar Charge Controller

NOTE: In order to program this controller, you will need the Schneider InsightHome Energy Management Device 865-0330.

www.solar-electric.com

Read the fine print, the 2 or 3 array strings they mention "The MPPT 100 600 offers faster installations and lower balance of system costs with 2 string installations and is compatible with Conext XW and SW storage inverter solutions."are simply paralleled inside the charge controller, pretty pathetic. The Victron's are 4 totally independent and each has it's own stats and logging. The Schneider is a 100amp charger, the Victron is 200amps charge current, the extras add up but are well worth it.

Schneider Electric Conext XW MPPT 100-600 best use

Trying to come up with the best way to deploy this Schneider Electric Conext XW MPPT 100-600 charge controller. It has a capacity of 100 amps and 600 volts. I ohmed out the PV connectors, they are all common. So if I have two or three series strings of PV panels, connecting them to the charge...

diysolarforum.com

 

[Jennifer]

Higher voltage means lower amperage, smaller wiring, fuses, and voltage drop. So, all in all more efficient. And cost effective.

and the higher the voltage the earlier in the morning you're starting your charging and for those of us who's arrays can be several hundred feet from our charge controllers it's a lot cheaper to run high voltage DC between than AC less line loss.

 

[Halfcrazy]

The OP was complaining the correct size wire “is difficult to remove and reinsert multiple times” and this is wrong, undoing a terminal is not the proper method for de-energizing a battery.

Exactly and when you stuff a wire in the terminal you can have what I refer to as a dirty boot up and the processor can get temporarilly scrambled. You need a breaker in the battery line so you can apply power cleanly. I have seen this issue on a lot of processor based items. Routers, tvs etc let a little brown out blip for a second and they get confused. It truly makes me wonder why so many people refuse to put breakers and switches in line and insist on doing everything live

 

[Bossrox]

Please expand upon your PV array with specs and how many panels is series and parallel. Not quite clear here: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/j...-to-replace-failed-victrons.34647/post-433211

At 48v the victron is good for 5800 watts of panel input so I have 6 960 watt strings of 3 320 watt panels per string doing a max of 120v. The input is within spec.

 

[Zwy]

At 48v the victron is good for 5800 watts of panel input so I have 6 960 watt strings of 3 320 watt panels per string doing a max of 120v. The input is within spec.

Post the complete specs for the panels. Or list the panel make/watts.

I belong to a professional industry forum for 20 years. Number one rule for anyone that says this or that is within spec is a red flag. This is no different.

One more thing, this is yours correct?

https://solar-tinkerers.proboards.com/post/23

 

[740GLE]

At 48v the victron is good for 5800 watts of panel input so I have 6 960 watt strings of 3 320 watt panels per string doing a max of 120v. The input is within spec.

What is the short circuit current of your array?

 

[rhino]

I think it is interesting that one of the other videos posted by original poster explains how he has more panel output then the chargers can handle (15kW total). To "compensate" for that he has knife switches that can be manually switched over to add the extra panels to the charge controllers when there isn't a lot of light in the evening. There is also an automated system that will automatically switch over panels when "the sun goes behind a cloud". So I find it really disingenuous to attack Victron and later Alt-E when there are so many red flags in this system.

 

[stumped]

Resurrection.

Victron SCC's that have rising clamp terminals are optimized for bare wire. A ferrule may work in these type terminals just fine but I don't see how it would provide a better connection to bare wire installed to Victron's spec. Unless you take into account the prevention of splayed wires outside of the terminal.

Edit: Dont clamp onto the wire insulation.