queenfav:
Good morning house.We want to do an upgrade for the solar set up in my house.Currently the set up comprises of-
5kva pure sine wave inverter
60amps epever tracer mppt charge controller
4 pcs 220ah gel battery
8 pcs of 320w mono panels (connected in[b] parallel[/b] on opposite roof tops of the house)

My installer is suggesting we buy 4 more pcs of the 320watts panels to add to our current set up.

That makes it 320w *12pcs which totals 3840watt
I have asked the installer if it won't be too much,but he said it is okay.

Pls what's your opinion on this cos i assume the manufacturer has maxed the rated charge power at 3000w as seen in the guide below.

Also many pcs of the 320w panels can we add to get a faster charge considering the existing set up we already have?Are we safe to go on with the upgrade or we should stick to keeping it at 3000w rated charge power stated below?

Pls Ogas in the house,i need your input cos we want to get the extra panels this week if possible.

there is no straight forward answer, it all boils down to if your panels are tier 1 or cheap clone panels. an original 320w panel can produce up to 300w at stc...while a cloned panel will struggle to produce 200w.

then some charge controllers have energy capping, ie the current output of the charge controller is capped, so as not to exceed the max rating of the CC. other ccs also have a capping function inbuilt...it wont allow more than its maximum capacity to pass.

what ccs hate most is exceeding the Voc, this readily damages the average cc.

12 x 320w panels seems much for just 4 batteries, or do you have plenty daytime loads..following the c/10 rule for sealed leadacid batteries, 20amps or worst case 30 amps is the max current you can send to the battery, without causing irreversible damage overtime. check the body of the battery and see the max current it can handle.

2ndly, whats the maximum average instantenous harvest you see on the cc in bright sunlight about midday?---ur answer will determine is your setup is connected optimally.


you said your panels are connected in parallel....am assuming you are not sure of this....as only a deranged ignorant installer will hook up 8 x 320w panels in parallel for a 48v system,
the installer likely did 2s4p --- i need u to confirm this.

whats the voc of the panels and the voc of your cc?

earthrealm:


there is no straight forward answer, it all boils down to if your panels are tier 1 or cheap clone panels. an original 320w panel can produce up to 300w at stc...while a cloned panel will struggle to produce 200w.

then some charge controllers have energy capping, ie the current output of the charge controller is capped, so as not to exceed the max rating of the CC. other ccs also have a capping function inbuilt...it wont allow more than its maximum capacity to pass.

what ccs hate most is exceeding the Voc, this readily damages the average cc.

12 x 320w panels seems much for just 4 batteries, or do you have plenty daytime loads..following the c/10 rule for sealed leadacid batteries, 20amps or worst case 30 amps is the max current you can send to the battery, without causing irreversible damage overtime. check the body of the battery and see the max current it can handle.

2ndly, whats the maximum average instantenous harvest you see on the cc in bright sunlight about midday?---ur answer will determine is your setup is connected optimally.


you said your panels are connected in parallel....am assuming you are not sure of this....as only a deranged ignorant installer will hook up 8 x 320w panels in parallel for a 48v system,
the installer likely did 2s4p --- i need u to confirm this.

whats the voc of the panels and the voc of your cc?

Thanks for responding..We have four panels on opposite sides of the roof.One side is done in parallel,while the opposite side is in series.

With very hot sun,i harvest 5kwh on most days, location is PH.I will confirm the VOC of both panels and cc when he comes around.

FEGEITOK:
Please what is the experience like running a charge controller on the very edge of its capabilities?

Let me explain.

According to the poster immediately above, the max rated power of her charge controller is 3000 watts in a 48 volts setup while the max PV open circuit voltage is 150 volts.

Has anyone run their charge controller at the max rated charge power and max PV open circuit voltage?

Is it recommended? or should I allow for some headroom?

If yes by what factor?

Thanks.

You can exceed the power ratings of Charge controllers, but you won't get more than what the controller is rated for. For instance if you have 10KW panels on a controller rated for 5KW, it won't damage the controller but you won't get more than 5KW output. However, as someone pointed out earlier, what will damage your charge controller is exceeding its rated Voc. That is what you can not exceed.

adrusa:


You can exceed the power ratings of Charge controllers, but you won't get more than what the controller is rated for. For instance if you have 10KW panels on a controller rated for 5KW, it won't damage the controller but you won't get more than 5KW output. However, as someone pointed out earlier, what will damage your charge controller is exceeding its rated Voc. That is what you can not exceed.

Thank you I have beenconsidering an upgrade to my PVs that would not break my CC pending a full scale upgrade of PVs, CCs and batteries and I have been debating the need to stay within both limits.

Will concentrate on staying within the rated VOC only.

Thanks for sharing

queenfav:
Thanks for responding..We have four panels on opposite sides of the roof.One side is done in parallel,while the opposite side is in series.

With very hot sun,i harvest 5kwh on most days, location is PH.I will confirm the VOC of both panels and cc when he comes around.

@Bolded is still not possible...perhaps you don't understand how the connection was done.

5kwh per day is poor for 8 x 320w panels...you should be averaging above 8kwh daily.

2ndly what I asked was max average instantenous, its in kw, not kwh...................................... since you have 8 x 320watts = 2560w, if the panels are good and wiring&setup is good, and you have enough load or battery isn't full...you shud be seeing above 1700w on a bright sunny day

earthrealm:


@Bolded is still not possible...perhaps you don't understand how the connection was done.

5kwh per day is poor for 8 x 320w panels...you should be averaging above 8kwh daily.

2ndly what I asked was max average instantenous, its in kw, not kwh...................................... since you have 8 x 320watts = 2560w, if the panels are good and wiring&setup is good, and you have enough load or battery isn't full...you shud be seeing above 1700w on a bright sunny day

Will look into this, though port Harcourt is notorious for poor sunlight.Thanks so much for your insight.

[/b]Please I need help before things go wrong.[b]

I have a Mppt charger controller of 60A with a Max input voltage of 145V from the panel. Can I connect 9 panels of 300w (Vmp=32.2, I= 9.31A)each to it without having any issues?

My installer wants me to buy additional charge controller

obitobe:
[/b]Please I need help before things go wrong.[b]

I have a Mppt charger controller of 60A with a Max input voltage of 145V from the panel. Can I connect 9 panels of 300w (Vmp=32.2, I= 9.31A)each to it without having any issues?

My installer wants me to buy additional charge controller

This might help.

Until someone comes up with a better idea

It maybe possible to add 9 panels and use the same charge controller unless you decide to go full serial i.e., all panels wired in series or each spec wired in series then all wired in parallel

queenfav:
Good morning house.We want to do an upgrade for the solar set up in my house.Currently the set up comprises of-
5kva pure sine wave inverter
60amps epever tracer mppt charge controller
4 pcs 220ah gel battery
8 pcs of 320w mono panels (connected in parallel on opposite roof tops of the house)

My installer is suggesting we buy 4 more pcs of the 320watts panels to add to our current set up.

That makes it 320w *12pcs which totals 3840watt
I have asked the installer if it won't be too much,but he said it is okay.

Pls what's your opinion on this cos i assume the manufacturer has maxed the rated charge power at 3000w as seen in the guide below.

Also many pcs of the 320w panels can we add to get a faster charge considering the existing set up we already have?Are we safe to go on with the upgrade or we should stick to keeping it at 3000w rated charge power stated below?

Pls Ogas in the house,i need your input cos we want to get the extra panels this week if possible.

You can increase above 3kw especially if you are not using tier1 panels. Your 3kw doesn't give you 3kw. If you increase above let's say 4kw, you will be closer to achieving 60a from ur cc. Secondly you will harvest more with low sunshine, sunrise or sundown.
You would be fine as long as you don't exceed 150v. So just stick to your 3 in series for your 320w and you will be fine

please how did you arrive at this

FEGEITOK:


This might help.

Until someone comes up with a better idea

It maybe possible to add 9 panels and use the same charge controller unless you decide to go full serial i.e., all panels wired in series or each spec wired in series then all wired in parallel

obitobe:
please how did you arrive at this

I used the calculator attached here.

You could even do 3 in series that is one string made up of 3 panels which would produce 96 Volts and 9.31 Amperes,

then connect the 3 sets of 3 in series in parallel which would produce 96 Volts and 27.93 Amperes which would still be within the limits of tolerance of your charge controller

Assuming my maths is correct

earthrealm:


@Bolded is still not possible...perhaps you don't understand how the connection was done.

5kwh per day is poor for 8 x 320w panels...you should be averaging above 8kwh daily.

2ndly what I asked was max average instantenous, its in kw, not kwh...................................... since you have 8 x 320watts = 2560w, if the panels are good and wiring&setup is good, and you have enough load or battery isn't full...you shud be seeing above 1700w on a bright sunny day

5kwh is poor

Valto:
whatsapp me on 08020574628. location is bayelsa and Lagos. i can waybill to any location in Nigeria

Solid man.

BlueGate UPS 650 + 100amps battery. Serves as a mini inverter can charge multiple phones and Laptops, power light bulbs. Can also power TV and decoder for few hours.

Price: 70,000
Location: Sango-Ota
Call: 0-7-0-3-5-0-8-2-3-2-1
Chat: 0.8.0.2.5.9.3.7.5.5.8

earthrealm:


@Bolded is still not possible...perhaps you don't understand how the connection was done.

5kwh per day is poor for 8 x 320w panels...you should be averaging above 8kwh daily.

2ndly what I asked was max average instantenous, its in kw, not kwh...................................... since you have 8 x 320watts = 2560w, if the panels are good and wiring&setup is good, and you have enough load or battery isn't full...you shud be seeing above 1700w on a bright sunny day

zeestone99:


5kwh is poor

Good morning Ogas,pls see how our 320w panels was installed.Also the Charge controller VOC is 150.We couldn't get for the battery,but will attach the battery info.

So what do you advise?Was it well installed to give optimal charge? Also can we add the extra panels..if yes,how many pcs? Thanks a lot.

Someone told me yesterday that he's using 3 pcs of battery for his solar.
I argued but he insisted that his tubular batteries are 3 pcs and he has been using them for 1 yr now.
How possible is this information and how will the configuration look like?

queenfav:



Good morning Ogas,pls see how our 320w panels was installed.Also the Charge controller VOC is 150.We couldn't get for the battery,but will attach the battery info.

So what do you advise?Was it well installed to give optimal charge? Also can we add the extra panels..if yes,how many pcs? Thanks a lot.

There are 4 parts to the puzzle of your installation.

You have provided one max rated power of your charge controller: 3000 Watts

You have provided the max PV open circuit voltage: 150 Volts

You have not provided the Optimal Operating Voltage/VOC (Vmp) of your panels and you have not indicated if the panels are all the same.

You have not provided the Optimal Operating Current(Imp) of your panels

The guy for whom I provided calculations yesterday provided these details, which I have reposted in brackets (Vmp=32.2, I= 9.31A)

If we do not have these key pieces of information, no one can magically answer your questions

That said best practice dictates that you dedicated a different Charge Controller for each set of panels facing a different direction of the sun, cause if you don't to borrow someone's words:

"it would be like having a hose and somewhere in the middle you squeeze it off or kink it. Water can't flow because of the obstruction and not enough water can get out of the way for more water to follow" or put differently

"If all the panels are connected together, the weakest panel is the one that will govern the amount of power available. It would be like having a hose with a kink in it. Doesn't matter what the capacity capability is of the all the panels if one of them is holding the whole system back.
This is why using 2 strings of panels is better for the different times of day when the sun hits the east most or the west most sides of the roof."


But we wil still need those figures to determine if you are using your charge controller properly or your panels are sub-optimal panels.

isangjohnson:
Someone told me yesterday that he's using 3 pcs of battery for his solar.
I argued but he insisted that his tubular batteries are 3 pcs and he has been using them for 1 yr now.
How possible is this information and how will the configuration look like?

There are 36v inverters

isangjohnson:
Someone told me yesterday that he's using 3 pcs of battery for his solar.
I argued but he insisted that his tubular batteries are 3 pcs and he has been using them for 1 yr now.
How possible is this information and how will the configuration look like?

He's either on 12v systems (he paralleled the three batteries) OR 36v system (which I doubt if there's anyone using this) then he connected all batteries in series!

queenfav:



Good morning Ogas,pls see how our 320w panels was installed.Also the Charge controller VOC is 150.We couldn't get for the battery,but will attach the battery info.

So what do you advise?Was it well installed to give optimal charge? Also can we add the extra panels..if yes,how many pcs? Thanks a lot.

If this is same building, you should have two charge controllers

Goodday all.
I have a 1.7 kva 24v inverter system with 4 tubular batteries.
Power supply in my area is like 3hrs in 2days.

My installer told me I can install an external 30amp battery charger to help me get faster charge.

Meaning that when there is light, the inverter will be charging the batteries as well as the external chargers (at the same time)

Abeg, is he correct? Will it truly double the charge speed? And will that have any negative effect on the batteries?

chinnyonwu:
Goodday all.
I have a 1.7 kva 24v inverter system with 4 tubular batteries.
Power supply in my area is like 3hrs in 2days.

My installer told me I can install an external 30amp battery charger to help me get faster charge.

Meaning that when there is light, the inverter will be charging the batteries as well as the external chargers (at the same time)

Abeg, is he correct? Will it truly double the charge speed? And will that have any negative effect on the batteries?

yes, the average 24v1.7kva inverter would have 20amps charging current maximum...unless you have a hybrid wch have up to 80amps charging current. so the external 30amps charger wud surely speed up charging..... -- this is the simplest answer, I didn't wanna delve into complexities which may confuse you

earthrealm:


yes, the average 24v1.7kva inverter would have 20amps charging current maximum...unless you have a hybrid wch have up to 80amps charging current. so the external 30amps charger wud surely speed up charging..... -- this is the simplest answer, I didn't wanna delve into complexities which may confuse you

Thank you Chief. Will buy one ASAP. Any recommendations?

Which would you oversize, battery bank or PV array?

Please share your reason.

queenfav:



Good morning Ogas,pls see how our 320w panels was installed.Also the Charge controller VOC is 150.We couldn't get for the battery,but will attach the battery info.

So what do you advise?Was it well installed to give optimal charge? Also can we add the extra panels..if yes,how many pcs? Thanks a lot.

the roof is steep, so the panels wouldnt be operating optimally, 2ndly the orientation of the panels isnt optimal as well. as 1 is facing north. the south facing panels would perform better. based on all these your 320w panels would be loosing upto 30% of its capacity from these afore mentioned issues, so i expect a max output of about 150w to 200w from the panels...assuming they are tier one panels like jink/canadian solar etc. but much lower if chinco panels.

if the panels Voc is below 50v, which am certain they are..you can add 4 more panels making it 12, then do 6 panels per side, 3s2p. the avginstaller is very fond of 2s2p for 48v systems, this isnt so optimal depending on panel Voc, as the battery needs enough headroon/potential difference to charge well. with the mix of all these issues..i now understand why 5kwh is the max daily harvest you get on the average.

note: you actually need 2 diff cc to optimally harness the energy from the panels since they are facing different directions, but you can still use 1 cc, though you would loose a fraction of your harvest from doing this combo. the battery specs didnt show the max amps your batttery can accept...it only showed the charge voltage. in this case...best to assume c/10 which is 20amps...though it can accept higher for short periods---so in a nut shell you shud be fine,,,since i doubt you can ever see 60amps from ur cc, based on the issues i highlighted earlier
yes you can attach another

chinnyonwu:


Thank you Chief. Will buy one ASAP. Any recommendations?

nopr...try and buy a 3 stage charger...best for your battery health, not a crude bulk charger from ur rewire/artisan. you can google 3 stage battery charger.

earthrealm:
nopr...try and buy a 3 stage charger...best for your battery health, not a crude bulk charger from ur rewire/artisan. you can google 3 stage battery charger.

Thank you

Jefferyzz:
If u av d money, go for lifepo4

Stil trying to understand this lifepo4 ba3. How much can I get a lifepo4 that can match up with 2.5kva inverter?

Nicols:


Stil trying to understand this lifepo4 ba3. How much can I get a lifepo4 that can match up with 2.5kva inverter?

How much first depends on the following:


1) the capacity of lifepo4 battery you want, is it 75ah, 100ah, 150ah, 200ah, 220ah, 280ah, 320ah etc?

2) the number of lifepo4 cells you buy which is dependent on your inverter dc voltage such as 12v, 24v, 48v inverter system.

3) the make of the lifepo4, eg freestyle lifepo4 aka "anything you see, take", CATL, Eve, Lishen, REPT, etc

4) the grade of the lifepo4, there is grade A, B and C

5) the condition of the lifepo4; is it new or used or fairly used.

Lifepo4 is a just a battery chemistry with more number of cycles and higher energy density compared to the old school lead acid battery.

But if you don't want to bother your head with all these, there is a nairalander that is doing well in selling good quality lifepo4.

earthrealm:


the roof is steep, so the panels wouldnt be operating optimally, 2ndly the orientation of the panels isnt optimal as well. as 1 is facing north. the south facing panels would perform better. based on all these your 320w panels would be loosing upto 30% of its capacity from these afore mentioned issues, so i expect a max output of about 150w to 200w from the panels...assuming they are tier one panels like jink/canadian solar etc. but much lower if chinco panels.

if the panels Voc is below 50v, which am certain they are..you can add 4 more panels making it 12, then do 6 panels per side, 3s2p. the avginstaller is very fond of 2s2p for 48v systems, this isnt so optimal depending on panel Voc, as the battery needs enough headroon/potential difference to charge well. with the mix of all these issues..i now understand why 5kwh is the max daily harvest you get on the average.

note: you actually need 2 diff cc to optimally harness the energy from the panels since they are facing different directions, but you can still use 1 cc, though you would loose a fraction of your harvest from doing this combo. the battery specs didnt show the max amps your batttery can accept...it only showed the charge voltage. in this case...best to assume c/10 which is 20amps...though it can accept higher for short periods---so in a nut shell you shud be fine,,,since i doubt you can ever see 60amps from ur cc, based on the issues i highlighted earlier
yes you can attach another

whew, thanks so much oga.We will explore the different actions available and do an upgrade.I really appreciate your response.

dacool1:
Which would you oversize, battery bank or PV array?

Please share your reason.

Theoretically, both - to cover 3 days of no sun.
Pragmatically, your battery should be enough to sustain your night time use (2 night use - oversized) . Your solar panel should be able to generate enough to cover your day use and also be able to refill the battery.