DMerciful:
Friends,

Yesterday I added 2*250w panel to my existing 4*250w making a total of 6*250w(1500w). This upgrade is driven by the need to run the pumping machine on inverter which was done successfully with 1000w but the drain on my batteries was appreciable. Also I should go to 70% off grid since my loads on average is about 150w
With this addiction I have moved from 2*2 configuration to 3*2 configuration with input Voc @ 106v(thats how epever itracer loves it)
See pics of before and after. Will post harvest later today.... Hope the Sun shines well.

Congrats on ur new upgrade. U've indeed taken a bold step and I'm proud of you.

earthrealm:


the trick is not going far aboce c/10 in ur case..ur harvest shudnt exceed 35amps. at 1.2kw and just 2 x 200ah batts. you are maxed out already, unless ur setup isnt optimal

Thanks for ur input Sir. My set up is optimal, its just that I'm looking forward to increasing my back up time from 2 batteries 200ah to 4 batteries.

Obimind1:

Will adding more panels position his set up at risk?

Of recent I've been contemplating on adding more panels to my already existing 1.2kw array. Now my question goes thus: what's the maximum amount of panels that can be used on a 24v set up with 2 pieces of 200ah batteries? My inverter capacity is a 1.4 kva.

Chuckdee:


Hi Niyi, much thanks for the lengthy explanation because I hv learned some personal lessons from it. I hv exact setup in batteries, that is 8 X 360ah US Battery L16E XC2 and a total of 4.5KW in panels. Surely the culprit is the 70amps being pumped into those batteries.. I hv had my setup since march, completely Off-grid and generate an average of 55Amps and since fridge and deep freezer are always on with other little electronics, 6-11Amps are always going towards them, batteries get around 40-45 amps and they have been running w/out issues so far. Hv topped up distilled water twice though around August and last in December, they are serving just like the day they were commissioned.

Note to self: Pls stop thinking about adding more panels

Will adding more panels position his set up at risk?

kiekie1:


Mr Obi, sorry for the mppt issue .. I was thinking you finally mailed ep solar as discussed then . I actually stopped selling E tracer for some personal reasons & felt you will enjoy I tracer like most clients do .. Once again , sorry Bro !

I didn't mail epsolar. I noticed that the problem was with the board of the mppt which is the heart of the cc. If there is any way I can reach ep solar, honestly I wouldn't mind. After all they is no crime in trying. A member on this forum told me how his board was changed and his epsolar came back to life, but the truth there is that he bought his own ep solar cc outside the shores of Nigeria. I don't know if their warranty really works in Nigeria.

I'm back to my pwm which has been my saving grace for some months now pending when I'll be ready to go for another mppt.

DUNKA:
What product was your mppt charge controller?

Epever 60 amp cc Itracer.

liquidcrystal73:


Epever iTracer 40a . . .4210A
connected to a 600W array . . 4 x 150W panels . . in parallel
maximum current per panel: ~8.3 amps, therefore, total max. for current: 8.3 x 4 = 33.2Amps
Maximum voltage per panel: ~18V, but I have seen 20V on some days.; therefore total max. for voltage= 20V

Battery was at about 14.2 V (boost phase), for about 2hrs and then it floated . . . I was happy

Turned on about 180W loads; and panel was delivering about 227W from the MT50 meter indication

I just decided to do a quick glance at the setup minutes later and alas! battery was at 16.0V and the CC was
showing a warning: Battery Over-Voltage... I turned off the Panel - CC breaker.

No burnt smell, no fire, no smoke, nothing!

Battery went back to 13.8 float voltage, disconnected the battery terminals from CC to reset the CC; and back again
it was rising 14, 15, 16, then the Over Voltage error again.

Take note, no power from phcn and panel was at about 17V,., so the panel naturally would try to raise the battery voltage to 17V
because controller charging has failed.

Disconnected once more, did a factory reset of CC, Same thing.
The meter was showing negative battery amps, and zero amps from the Panel . . as you can see in pictures attached.

I brought out the PWM, connected it and all was perfect, no issues, disconnected PWM, connected MPPT, same error . . .
So connected the PWM back and left it there to continue its job . . .

Decided to crosscheck the MPPT and as you can see, images are attached.

Called Mr K K, and he pasted me his Engineer's number, called him, he said he is at Ojo (Lagos State University environs)
Disconnected the call, called Mr K K, he asked me to speak and conclude with his Engineer, called Engineer and he said I have to bring it over . .Distance is a problem, texted Mr K K, i cannot do the distance, maybe he can help arrange a delivery; or I might have to return the unit.

No response yet. So no warranties 36 hours and internal failure of CC . . ?? No after-sales support?
No words of encouragement? Nothing . . .

I have an expensive brick in my hands, CC still lights up and displays all info correctly, but will not receive any Amps from Panel
and will overcharge my battery bank; no matter how many times I tried.

So I am back to the PWM ( the stone that was rejected, now became the chief cornerstone)

That is the story.

Thank you.


P.S. Installation is wall-mounted; more than enough ventilation; and failure occurred this afternoon, around 1.30pm thereabouts

Sorry for the loss bro... I was in this mess some months back and sincerely it wasn't funny at all. Infact in my own case i lost both batteries and my charge controller. Honestly I felt like "why must it be me"? Did I do any wrong trying to upgrade to an mppt? Yours is more pathetic cus it failed within some hours of purchase. Mine failed after eight months of usage. It made me fall back to my pwm which I dumped long ago. But honestly I respect my pwm charge controller. Its not doing bad at all. Ever since I reported to this house how my mppt failed me, I will like to testify that I've not turned on my gen set. When they is no light from the national grid, during the day my 1.2kw array conveniently powers my home without any stress. The intelligence displayed by this pwm cc amazes me most times. It never goes above 28.2 no matter the circumstance. And sincerely it has given me some respite for sometime now. Though I still have it in mind to obtain an mppt in no distant time. But seriously if this is how an mppt cc fails I must confess that its not worth venturing into. I'm speaking as someone who was once a victim.

bigrovar:


What type of battery are u using. The voltage from the mppt controller is quite high. Even for a flooded acid battery.. (and those can take a beating) 30v at absorption is just too much. The important thing is to buy controllers that allows you regulate charge voltage or one which has preset charge voltage profile which covers the field. Batteries are the Achilles hill of renewable and you have to handle them with care.

The batteries that went bad were Gel batteries, but presently my batteries are AGM.

Its been over a month now, I lost my batteries and my charge controller(60ah mppt) all at the same time under 8months of usage. It was a tough time for me though, but the truth was that I had no one to run to. I managed to get a set of new batteries which will clock one month on the 19th of this month. I also had to fall back to my 30ah and 20ah pwm charge controller which I dumped sometime ago. Now this are my findings: I noticed that my pwm seem to have an effective cut off strength compared to my mppt cc. My pwm does not exceed 28.2v at peak Sun periods and even when I'm charging my batteries with national grid power(Phcn), but when I was using my mppt I noticed that at peak periods my cc voltage rises up to 30v and every 28 day of the month it shows that its equalizing at this point my battery voltage rises to 32v during peak Sun hours. To cut the long story short I lost my batteries and my precious 60ah mppt cc under eight months. My charge controller started showing (battery OVD). Now I'm starting all over again. I must say I learnt my lessons the hard way. Had I known I would have maintained my pwm which I was using conveniently for over a year b4 going mppt. If I am to go the mppt way again, I have to do a lot of research to know what capacity of mppt cc will be efficient for my 24v set up.

bigrovar:


not exactly true. The charge process of lead acid batteries is not linear. a 100AH battery at 90% full and being charged from a source capable of 30AH might still take 3-4 hours to be fully charged. This is due to the charging stages for batteries. at 90% full, battery's internal resistance builds and the charger has to increase charge voltage and tapper down on the charge current.. this stage of the charging process (non an absorption stage) is the most inefficient and even if your PV are producing more power, the charge controller steps down what is going to the battery and the rest becomes energy potentials of your panels.

I have 2 220AH 12 flooded acid batteries connected in series of 24v while my solar panels are 1.84kw in size, this means at pick and under right conditions my PV can produce above 60A (about 30% of battery amp hour ratings) which could do serious damage to my flooded batteries. I resolved this by balancing things with opportunity loads. The fridge, freezer, Home entertainment systems occasional washing machine, Microwave, all conspire to ensure that not more than 27A enters the battery during bulk stage. These arrangement also allows me to be completely offgrid on afternoons from Jan -Dec (minus July and August). The gross panel over size comes in handle on a cloudy day. It ensures that bad as e bad, my battery gets to float always

What type of charge controller are you using? If its an mppt what's the capacity (is it a 60a, 45a or 30a.) I'm asking bcus ur set up is similar to mine which is a 24v set up. The only difference is that my two batteries are 200ah each while urs is 220ah. My PV strength is 1.2kw (8pieces of 150watts panel) while urs is 1.8kw. If I should add 2 more(150 watts panels) to give me 1.5kw does it mean that my batteries will be at risk during peak Sun hours?

GeorgeD1:
hello bodejohn,
you are very correct. best in class standard for battery bank sizing is to always aim for a maximum dod
of 50 percent. however in majority of cases this is difficult to achieve mainly due to cost implication.

also, if you tell a beginner who is just starting out in the solar business that he has to install a battery
bank with 50 percent dod, the total cost of acquiring those extra batteries may be too much for him and it
may discourage any further interest in renewables.

again, depending on usage, a dod of 80 percent may not be too much of a bad idea if the owner only plans
on using his system on a skeletal basis (no heavy usage) especially for hybrid systems installed in areas of
near constant public power supply with occasional interruptions.

This is my decision from now upwards. I have decided to be using my system on a skeletal basis(no heavy usage) since my system is a hybrid system with occasional 6-7 hours light from the national grid on a daily basis... I am hopeful that this way my batteries will serve me longer.

dsunmade:

No, I am just trying to find out if it is safe for the batteries in the long term.

That has been my fears too after my batteries failed me under 8 months. Though my set up is a 24v system, I used to turn on my fridge by 8:00am and turn off by 4:30pm. After getting another new sets of batteries just one week ago, I decided not to run my fridge on batteries even though my PV strength is a 1,200 watts. The highest load I use on my batteries presently is my washing machine, and I do that when the sun is at its peak.

@GeorgeD1, Congrats on ur new upgrade. You are a proof that solar works. I'm impressed at ur high level of humility and persistence. Permit me to say u are indeed my mentor so long as it concerns solar power. May ur solar harvest keep growing from glory to glory. One luv bro!

GeorgeD1:


harveyspec,
yeah. as a matter of fact, i might offload some of my fairly-used modules
at mouth-watering prices

That will be very kind of u.

@ efuro, thanks for ur response... Pls I will be glad to get more suggestions. I just want to make sure my cc is safe.

I consulted one those solar gurus on this house (name withheld) he adviced that I should disconnect either the +ve or -ve wire connecting the battery to the charge controller. After a minute or more I should connect it back. That was yesterday night.At first I was scared doing it myself to avoid being electrocuted, but finally I summoned courage to do just as he requested... Surprisingly it worked... The continues charging stopped but this morning before I left my house for the days job, I noticed it started charging when the day became bright, but noticed that when I turned off my panels connecting my charge controller using my breakers it was still charging which is very abnormal. Infact it was showing that its drawing 10amps for the panels. This is very abnormal. I called on my installer but unfortunately he is out of town. Pls any suggestion on how to solve this problem will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Pls gurus in the house, ur advice is urgently needed. I noticed that my mppt cc 60ah ep solar keeps charging even when there is no sun. I feel something is wrong somewhere but can't exactly tell what could be the problem.

JUO:
replace energy guzzling loads, there are ceiling fan of 5w-28w, standing fan of 14w-35w. Energy saving bulbs (led) of 5w-18w. For security lights I will advise flood light of 20w-30w. These can cut down your consumption to 3-4kwh at night

Pls where can someone get a fan that operates within 14w-35w. I have been looking for it. Currently my fan uses 70w.

efuro:


hummmmmmmmmmmm

am speechless!

NEPA will really hate you !

and may soon bribe you with 'Ghana Must Come' bags to stop opening peoples eye to free sun energy.

imagine, see your 15.9 KwH x Nepa rate = (thousands of naira/day) x months or (years of going green) - (initial expenses)=

nice one & good savings!

me i still dey 3.4KWH/day Sha!

Same here bro...Anyday I get up to 3.5kwh on my 24v set up, I will be jumping for joy. I envy you @Dapsyra. U're really utilizing the power from the sun.

kiekie1:


Yes I concur ! I use above 1600w array on 60a I Tracer mppt for my 24v 1320a batt bank system .... Cheers

That being the case, what's the maximum watts someone can use on a 24v system, bcus personally I've always wanted to add more panels to my 1,200 watts array which runs on a 60ah mppt charge controller, but I've been kinda scared to avoid exceeding my cc limit.

GeorgeD1:


obimind1,

what you need is a midnite solar lightning arrestor (midnite solar mnspd-115 115vdc) like this.

among other buying options, you can also contact solar depot:

https://www.solardepotng.com/SDN/product-category/enclosure-electrical-safety/lightning-protection/

(note: what they have on the link is the 300v version which you need for protection of the AC side of your
system. you can also ask them for the 115v version which will better protect your charge controller and
solar panels)

GeorgeD1
Thanks for taking ur time to distinguish the difference btw the AC & DC sides. I sincerely do appreciate.

Pls how can I get lightning arrestor? I will like to protect my mppt charge controller against thunder storm. In some month time the raining season will set in. I just want to be sure of the safety of my system.

efuro:


I completely agree with you. Oga richmon u've stayed away too long. I have everyone here to thank profusely b/cos am enjoying 24hrs electricity with style since I discovered the great house. Thank you all!

Same here, this thread on Nairaland has helped me so much. The amount of knowledge I've gained here is unimaginable. I see myself never being tired of going thru this thread times without number. I enjoy 24 hours light, thanks to you all who gave ur time to impact knowledge in me. May God bless u all.

richmon74:
Hi guys

It's been a while.
Good to see a lot of good stuff happening in this thread.
Obviously this is one thread that spells the future. I have tried to scan through most of the pages though unable to get into details. I've come across some very interesting discussions and some very funny ones as well. Some of them which i feel like responding to but when i look at the date i just think the sleeping do should lie.

The most interesting thing to me is that many have become renewable energy owners through this thread. God bless the founding fathers.
I'll be making my contributions as usual very soon and introducing new products as time goes on.

Over the years we've experimented on various designs and materials and i think its time to share the knowledge with the great people of this thread.

Congratulations to most people who have become solar power installers with the help of this thread.

Gud to have u back.

Information/knowledge is power. This info lead me to where I am today. Never give up.

I will never get tired of thanking pioneers of this thread, George D to be precise. Sir, ur contributions on this thread as far back as 2010 put the fire in me to never give up on renewable energy.

Cc

More

I've always not wanted to do this, but to encourage those who are scared of starting small... Here is a pix of my little set up, though I started in 2014 with just two batteries. Solar panels was attached to my set up immediately the official pump prices of fuel went up to 145 naira. So far so gud I've been enjoying my set up with the arrival of my mppt cc 60ah. Thanks to Kie Kie who did the supply of mppt cc not minding my location in the northern part of Nigeria. Pls pardon my arrangement cus its just temporary as I look forward to moving into my own house soon.

DMerciful:
Hi my People.
Did upgrade yesterday completely by myself . See pic below.
Renewable energy way to go!

Congrats bro. I'm happy for u. U've always been my source of inspiration on this thread.

@GeorgeD1
May ur days be long Sir. This solar thread on nairaland has imparted so much in my life. I celebrate u Sir. U've always amazed me right from the beginning of this thread. May God keep preserving u for me Sir. Keep up the good work. I'm really inspired.