₦airaland Forum

Marvelz:
Gurus in the house. Please does anyone have experience with cinemax mppt solar charge controller 60Amps/150V. I want to know how reliable and efficient it is. D installer supplied it recently but we are yet to do the installation. I requested for d EPSOLAR etracer 60A CC. I was surprised why he got this instead. Would really appreciate your advice. Thanks.

Go with what you know. All charge controllers are not created equal.

kingphilip:
you may have to prove that

We have a fixation on titles. Maybe people should look at the dictionary and see what it says an engineer is.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineer
Maybe this will settle this once and for all. There are people who have the experience and know how that outperform engineers.
You don't need a designation to be good at what you do.

dejidotun2000:
I use one such inverter, it has been working fine but with minor issues; There is a power saving feature which is supposed to turn the inverter off if the connected load is low or zero.whenever I enable that feature the inverter output begins to rapidly switch on and off; I have not been able to realize more than 280W from an installed capacity of 600W solae panels, there is a voltage drop of 2v between the solar panels and the inverter though so I really can't assume the fault is from the 500W inbuilt mppt charger yet.

The power save function has kind of like a ping function. It has a minimum threshold it needs to see to function. So your energy bulbs react to that ping and come on and off. You can disable it.

haslaw:
Yeah... You are correct. I'm not for or against any type of inverter really. I just want to get advice on the type of inverter to buy as I'll be buying an inverter and charge controller next month

You can buy a Schneider SW and the charge controller that goes with it. I also have my Rich Electric Invertek Combi for sale too.

rottable:
I havepassion for solar installation. Is it possible for a non-science graduate to learn this skill?

I am a business major and up until February 2013 I was a Vice President Investments at JP Morgan in New Jersey. You have to have an aptitude for electrical and mechanical matters. If you have the passion and desire you can learn

haslaw:
There is a cooling system in the hybrid inverter such as fans and cooling fins that fairly takes care of the heat generated same as the non-hybrid. Most of these hybrid inbuilt MPPT charge controller have high MPPT like 60A, 70A or even 80A. That should be enough for future expansions.

We have installed inverters with and without controllers. My personal inverter has two large fans to keep the components cool. The HF hybrid with a much smaller form factor also has two fans to perform the same function in addition to cooling a charge controller. If you have any experience with charge controllers they generate an intense amount of heat. The Schneider MPPT 150 60 has a huge heat sink that radiates a great deal of heat (you can't keep your hands on it for extended periods). The FM60 has a single fan while the FM80 has two. If you want to believe that a single unit will be as effective at removing heat as two separate units, go for it.
We had a fan failure in one the hybrids and the chassis of the inverter go so hot that we were afraid it would catch on fire. I can't imagine pushing 60 to 80 amps through one of these devices.

I have attached pictures of controllers and the inverter. The form factor of these HF inverters limit what you can do within it.

Follow this thread for more information about solar power. It is a wonderful learning experience.
https://www.nairaland.com/390522/solar-energy-complement-fta

haslaw:
Thanks... I just wondered when I considered the price of the hybrid inverter with inbuilt MPPT charge controller as against the prices of both ordinary inverter and a separate MPPT charge controller. The prices is nearly twice when buying them separately.

Charge controllers generate a large amount of heat. So does the AC charger inside the inverter. I want to minimize the heat sources inside my inverter, hence I prefer an external controller. Also I am not limited to the voltage and amount of watts I can hang by the controller within the inverter.

haslaw:
I need some clarification please.


While browsing some inverters online the other time, I came across a type of hybrid solar Inverters with inbuilt MPPT charge controller. Looking at the specifications closely, I found out that these types of inverters are cheaper to install as a single unit instead of buying additional MPPT charge controller in a solar/inverter system.

My question is, why are these types of inverters not popular among inverter installers

They are popular in Australia and South Africa. Nigerians are set in their ways. They are HF inverters and we have convinced ourselves that they may be less durable than the low frequency units. Installed well they are relatively trouble free

debbie:
Solar electricity is a very good clean energy.But my worries is the high cost of all the processes from procurement,installation and maintenance.Many people can not afford it...why? we are still importing the components,there are very few solar companies who can make affordable provision and thirdly we havent fully embraced the technology of solar.
Secondly we have a very weak government that doesnt look into the future.There is a solar company owned by a woman in kaduna through to out sketch of abuja.She supplies energy as pay as-you-go.She has successfully established a good business for petty traders who need light for their business.Currently she is under huge threat by some silly government policies.

In my opinion we hurriedly jumped into solar energy without counting the cost.How many research engineers do we have in solar? Do we have a place to train engineers and specialists? Do we have a sustained maintenance culture?
I know a couple of homes and businesses that use solar,trust me they are seeing hell....issues upon issues which they didnt have any slight understanding of.
Nigeria has the weather to make it work,but what about the cost?
For now we are trying to get our feet down,but if we plan towards it i think solar electricity is a huge alternative power supply that can compete with hydro and gas generation.

Initial cost compared to a generator or the grid is high. The generator cost substantially more to run. Solar needs no fuel and because there are no moving parts very minimal chance of mechanical failure. Cleaning your panels, equalizing and watering your batteries is the maintenance required
Many people pay more than the cost of a comparable solar installation to run a generator for a few hours a day.
The world has embraced solar why hasn't Nigeria
You don't need research engineers to grow an industry. However Nigeria has agencies and groups dedicated to renewables and solar.
Our company and other companies offer a service agreement just like the big generator companies
The installations you see with problems - the equipment is not at fault. The sizing and the installation most times are the problem. We know of lots of trouble free installation.
Germany and New Jersey get less irradiance than Lagos. Yet Germany can run up to 50% on solar. No brainer.

Solar with hydro and wind are the proper mix. Solar alone is not enough

frenchwine:
Le vin rouge est bon, pour le cœur, pour la gaieté, pour l'amour.

Je ne cherche pas l'amour. J veut quelque chose qui me plaît.

frenchwine:
That's impressive, I guess it's down to the installed capacity of the solar batteries which should be directly proportional to the cost of installation.

Well said @frenchwine. The Kva means nothing. Your storage means the most followed by your PV. J'aime beacoup du vin rouge.

Bojc7:
Nice one there.
What's d inverter type u bought and what's d cost.
Thanks

We install the Schneider Electric SW and XW+. The one you see in the video is made by Rich Electric in Taiwan. It is the 3 kw Invertek Combi 24V with a 70 amp AC charger. I paid $1500 for it. It is up for sale for N420k.

pragmatistm:
People, can one use solar system for pumping machine? If so, how?

Yes you can.
Watch my video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iJduF0rtpI

frenchwine:
Nice write up , a strong point for use of solar power. It has largely remained an untapped and readily available source of power in Nigeria. Come to the north and you would find sufficient land for enough panels to power the north. Add that to 9months of intense sunlight, and we are well on our way to solving our power needs.
However for home panels, there are some limitations :
> cost of installation
> It barely would power my pressing iron or electric cooker, why then would I spend soo much to install solar panels if I still have to be connected to the grid for some heavy appliances?
> During the peak of the rains or harmattan, I would still need to switch to the grid or run my generating set.

My experience is different. I iron and I pump. I don't have a generator and I sized my system for 2 days with no sun. I plan on doubling my panels in January. I currently have 2 kw in panels and 500 ah in batteries.

markpenk:
Can anyone who is familiar with solar generated electricity educate us with the following:

-Initial costs e.g. for a 2 bedroom flat with 3 ACs, double door fridge, TV, Fans, lighting et.c.
-Continuous running costs -i'm assuming they'll need maintenance
-The practicality of using one for years and years

This is how we get in trouble. There is a thread within Nairaland that can help you you.
AC will more than triple your costs. What is the power rating of each item? How many hours a day do you plan to run them?
I use flooded batteries. They require distilled water every 2 to 3 months. During the dry season the panels need cleaning. My batteries are equalized once every month.
I have lived with solar since June 2014 and I have power 24/7.

Do some homework first before you trust someone to give you a quote.

ndcide:
In Nigeria, Sola electricity is inefficient Period!!!!

If you like waste your money. All efficient street lights in Nigeria including Aso rock is powered by generator. As I type, There are 8 solar panel wasting away outside. we thought cleaning them would make thinks better, but no show. Na generator win for now.

who wan sell solar panel give you. him dey use am foe him house ?

There are lots of successful solar installations in Nigeria. Watch the video below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iJduF0rtpI

bettercreature:
You will enjoy it but its more expensive than generator! You are the ignorant here.
For example .... Our 4
batteries cost about ...510.000 naira
Sola panels about 120.000 naira
inverter ....engine .....110.000
controller or something like that i am not sure 30k
The whole shiiit lasted for like 18 months (547 days)before we replaced the batteries
come to think of it,we use 1700 diesel per day for our generator that means 1100x547....601.700 naira

You had a poorly designed system. A thirty thousand naira controller will struggle to charge your batteries. And batteries that don't receive a proper charge will fail prematurely. My battery bank never goes below 24. 5 volts. That is the secret to long lasting batteries.

My batteries are over two years old. They still power my freezer 24 / 7. I pump water, iron, microwave and have fans run during the day and at night. They should last three to four more years.

You did not address the issue of efficiency. Solar is comparable cost wise to coal with no pollution. Nigeria should have renewables in the mix. China adds more solar capacity every three months than Nigeria generates from the grid.
Residential systems in Nigeria cost quite a bit because of storage. However when properly done, it costs much less than owning and running a generator.

They are also three times more efficient than an equivalent generator.

Thank you for sharing.

dapsyra:
You can follow my daily solar harvest at http://pvoutput.org/list.jsp?userid=46221

What are you monitoring with? (software) good harvest

dapsyra:
@DUNKA

Can you please post the charging parameters (Bulk, Absorb, Float and Equalize voltages) for your Mercury 220AH Tubular Batteries.

I will also appreciate a review of the said batteries now that you have used them for about five months.

Thank you.

One of my clients has used them since April. He is loving them. I use 31 for equalize 29 and 27 for bulk and float. Mercury did not give any guidance.

dicksonadams:
My fangpusun cc do not have display only 3 blue light that blinks, though it has a port for a special cable for reading thorugh dongle on phone or laptop. but i dont have that dongle it is very expensive.


have mercy on me Dmerciful and Dr chris.

Clean your panels first. Then we will talk after.

efuro:
he is right.
mine had fan failure and I had to work external 12v fan. cause of failure is unknown but surely the vent is dusty.

but FM 60 is a piece of machine. I did not regret buying one.

pls go for FM 60. I respect itracer but I stick to fangpusun 60. you can thank me later.

The controller was still under warranty. You should have told us before doing the repairs, the factory would have sent a replacement fan. And we have a few from other controllers we could have sent you.

mctfopt:
Hi, thanks for your review. Fan failure could be an issue with Fangpusun. Noted.

So given a choice to get either one of the two which would you go for?

Please if you know more about these two do let me know by dropping your comments

Not had a fan failure in two years of continued operations.

mctfopt:
Between Fangpusun Flexmax 60A MPPT and Epsolar's 60A itracer MPPT which one is better in terms of performance, durability and log functions?


PS: any one that owns either or both should please have a say

Thanks kind gurus

I have used FM60 and it is a beast. I have used them on a few installations. Durable and you can track up to 120 days of data. AH KWH max VOC float time. There are so many parameters that exceed the capabilities of a novice

Give me a 1963 Chevy corvette with a 327 small block and fuel injection.

zeestone99:
What u shud knw is, not everyone here in Nigeria use a standard inverter setup, sum pple jst use Wat dey v to get Wat dey want, wen sum1 v a car ba3 lying useless sumwher for months and sum1 from nowhere gifts him a 12v inverter, he den remembers he is having a car ba3 lying sumwher nd connects it to d inverter, viola it works and gives him extra 2hrs backup on wateva appliances he is using it wit, will u go ahead n start preaching deep cycle 2 d person, sumtin he got by chance n it's working 4 him, do u tink he ll leave it because it is unethical to use car ba3s wit inverter. I dnt tink so sir. Sum pple by chance got access to disposed telecom ba3s of diff sizes. They squeezed out moni to get n inverter to utilize dose ba3s, it's workin dts al dt matas to dem, wen moni coms dey ll do sumtin standard. The guy in question says sum1 gifted him a 12v, were u expecting him to throw it away, anyway it all boils dwn to wateva rocks ur boat, nt everyone ll do sumtin standard at 1st,if tiger batteries were an option, pple ll use it. My 2cent

If you claim to be a professional, give a professional opinion. That people do the wrong thing does not make it right. You are soliciting business based on your expertise. There is no justification for telling someone something that is wrong because as you say "not everyone uses a standard inverter set up"

zeestone99:
Wat u did is u connected ur 6v batteries in series, since ur inverter is a 12v system, u ll ve to parallel ur already seriesed 2 unit of 6v ba3 to the single 12v/200ah ba3s, tk the positive of d 6v ba3 dat is supposed to go into the inverter to the positive of d 12v ba3, also tk d negative of d 6v ba3 dat is supposed to go into the inverter to the negative of d 12v ba3

are you folks for real? These are the same folks that will tell you that you can put different sized rims on your car with no negative effects. The car will run but eventually things will fail.
Seriously guys don't give advice if you are not 100% sure.
Where have you seen people who know what they are doing mix batteries of different voltage?

garbamaza:
http://puregreenenergy.com.ng/puregreen/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/monbat-2.png
Follow this link for monbat battery in Nigeria

He does not have them in stock

Saipro:
To be strongly discouraged. That's for pros and the daring. I'm no pro. Yes, I've done it before. Yes, worked, No, I would not recommend it. Yes, if you risk it, you'd probably have to sit through the process, taking temperatures and voltage readings often.

Taking the plunge with solar implies risk and some daring. An equalization charge is a brief overcharge of your batteries.If you are uncomfortable change the absorbtion voltage and time on your controller. It will not be quite an equalization but you will be pretty close. For your AGM batteries 29-30V (on a 24V system) for about 3 hours

earthrealm:
am having a similar issue on 1 of my small installations, 24v system, 2 x 12v luminous smf batts hooked to a 1.5kva 24v luminous inverter, batteries charge ok but on load after some time, the voltage of 1 of the batteries drop to 10.7v, while the other remains @12.7v..hv hooked a standalone desulphator to the bad battery for weeks now, no change... since the are smf batteries, i think equalizing them isnt an option.
has anyone had this problem and succesfully recovered the battery?

Believe it or not you can equalize your batteries. The Victron controllers have an equalize setting for your battery type. Do the over charge as a group or individually. There is a 50/50 chance that the battery is shot. If it has failed remove the bad battery or risk damage to the other.

Pharyn:
RESCUE THESE TROJAN J185!!!

These batteries have been through thick and thin.

Recently, the user called and said batteries get hot when charging.
Take a closer look at the cells, you will see Lead fragments short-circuiting the plates, and that is why its getting hot.

The electrolyte also gets dried too fast these days.


Inverter: 5kW 48V MustPower set to about 25-30A Charging current (measured with FLUKE clamp meter). The batteries are 8 in number, 4 in series, 2 in parallel.

1. Are there battery plates (the thick ones) in market for sale (remember old battery chargers who rebuild vehicle batteries by replacing old plates with new).

2. Can we open up these batteries, change the cell, seal it back, put fresh and right acid-distilled-water mix, and continue the battery life?

The batteries are just 2 years old.

Thank you in anticipation of a good solution from the house.

B. In addition, anybody having the contact of Wind Generator dealer could drop a note for me.

The plates for automotive batteries are not the same as what you have.
Where they ever equalized?
Did they use distilled water or electrolyte?
I can get you a wind turbine. What size turbine do you need.