Where would you add solar to this?

[FilterGuy]

@ FilterGuy
Forgot to mention my C40 was limiting my hydro to 30amps...and I have bigger hydro ambitions. ? So if upgrading CC and batts, might as well try something new with a controller NOT tailored for solar. So much out there now!

Have you explored the Midnight Classic with the Midnight Clipper? It is as expensive as hell, but it is pretty much the best controller out there for DIY hydro.

 

[RichO]

I actually bought one that I plan to keep in reserve. Then found out it needs the Aux out to throw a relay, which the one I stupidly bought does not have. Not made of $ so exploring this route now.

 

[FilterGuy]

I actually bought one that I plan to keep in reserve. Then found out it needs the Aux out to throw a relay, which the one I stupidly bought does not have. Not made of $ so exploring this route now.

LOL......Don't feel bad. I did the same dam thing!!!..... now it is collecting dust.

 

[RichO]

LOL......Don't feel bad. I did the same dam thing!!!..... now it is collecting dust.

OMG that is funny! Thought I would look into reinstalling the aux.....someday

 

[FilterGuy]

I was going to try those in a SPDT config but decided to just go mech for ease.

Just for fun I played with it a bit and came up with this:


The dump load will connect/disconnect before the battery is connects/disconnect and the will help prevent voltage spikes during the transision. However, with a turbine I am still woried about spikes so I put in the 30V Zenor. The problem is that the max voltage of the SSRs is so dang close to the top charge voltage that you don't have much wiggle room for the Zenor value. I think if I were to do this I would look for SSRs with higher max voltage.

 

[RichO]

Yeah I like that. Lots of safety.

 

[RichO]

Just for fun I played with it a bit and came up with this:

View attachment 65405
The dump load will connect/disconnect before the battery is connects/disconnect and the will help prevent voltage spikes during the transision. However, with a turbine I am still woried about spikes so I put in the 30V Zenor. The problem is that the max voltage of the SSRs is so dang close to the top charge voltage that you don't have much wiggle room for the Zenor value. I think if I were to do this I would look for SSRs with higher max voltage.

How much wind/hydro do you average?

 

[RichO]

Just for fun I played with it a bit and came up with this:

View attachment 65405
The dump load will connect/disconnect before the battery is connects/disconnect and the will help prevent voltage spikes during the transision. However, with a turbine I am still woried about spikes so I put in the 30V Zenor. The problem is that the max voltage of the SSRs is so dang close to the top charge voltage that you don't have much wiggle room for the Zenor value. I think if I were to do this I would look for SSRs with higher max voltage.

Thanks for taking the time to share that!

 

[FilterGuy]

How much wind/hydro do you average?

I was doing true Micro-Hydro. It was for a tiny Hunting cabin that we only used spring-fall. As soon as it got cold we would close it up for the winter.

I used a tiny little turbine called a Watter-Buddy that provided ~ 120W 24-7. That does not sound like much but it works out to 2.88KWh per day and that was plenty. (We had LP for Hot water, stove and Fridge).

I was about to add a few solar panels but we ended up selling the place before I got to it.

When I first put it in, I was using lead-acid and a C30 charge controller. When I upgraded to LiFePO I threw in a victron 75/15 for the charge control but put several high-wattage zenor diodes in parallel to dump the power when the victron shut off. (The Watter-buddy can run open circuit but I figured there is no reason to stress it like that.)



The inverter was a chepo I threw in when the old one died. I was going to replace it with a victron.... but sold the place first.

The Zenor Dump Load was four 12V 35 W zenor diodes in series that added up to about 36V. One of them was a 12V zenor and I put a fan in parallel to so if the zenors were conducting current (dumping load) the fan would blow over their heat-sinks. It worked quite well

 

[RichO]

I was doing true Micro-Hydro. It was for a tiny Hunting cabin that we only used spring-fall. As soon as it got cold we would close it up for the winter.

I used a tiny little turbine called a Watter-Buddy that provided ~ 120W 24-7. That does not sound like much but it works out to 2.88KWh per day and that was plenty. (We had LP for Hot water, stove and Fridge).

I was about to add a few solar panels but we ended up selling the place before I got to it.

When I first put it in, I was using lead-acid and a C30 charge controller. When I upgraded to LiFePO I threw in a victron 75/15 for the charge control but put several high-wattage zenor diodes in parallel to dump the power when the victron shut off. (The Watter-buddy can run open circuit but I figured there is no reason to stress it like that.)

View attachment 65415

The inverter was a chepo I threw in when the old one died. I was going to replace it with a victron.... but sold the place first.

The Zenor Dump Load was four 12V 35 W zenor diodes in series that added up to about 36V. One of them was a 12V zenor and I put a fan in parallel to so if the zenors were conducting current (dumping load) the fan would blow over their heat-sinks. It worked quite well

View attachment 65417

Wow you put a lot of thought into that. Very nice setup. I'm hoping not to have spiking issues. My PMG is top notch so will try the K.I.S.S method first. The old C40 has been such a good piece. I can't see any downsides at this point. Also planning on working with the maker for their recoms..I think this is something that may help a lot of fellow hydro peeps out there. Info is scarce, old and geared solar or wind for the most part.