₦airaland Forum

queenfav:
I am.in ph.The panels are not dirty cos it rains here and that washes off dust from it.our set up is as follows
-

2 pcs 200ah mpower battery
4 pcs 300w mono panels
prag pure sine wave 2.5kva inverter
40a epev er mppt charge controller

.
please how many more panels do u think we should add to the setup to achieve a fast charge this rainy season?Total average daily load is-

Either hisense tv of 200w or hisense fridge 150w
(we don't use both at once)
2 Fans -55w each
lights approx-48w
Electric fence charge controller-15w
Hood range/chimney (occasionally used during d day-218w
gotv -30w (not on always)

aha,, ph, i know say e go be there,
for a normal place the 4 x 300w panel is ok for x 12v 200ah battery, but ph is notorious for poor sunlight, 40amp mppt cc @24v, i think the max you can put on it is 1440w or so, you can check the manual to confirm,

what i may suggest could be a lil risky..depending on how antsy ur cc is , ..on a normal bright/sunny day...whats the max instantenous harvest, you have every observed??....2ndly whats also your best daily harvest in kwh then.
you answer to these questions will help me decide, if you can risk adding 2 more panels, to make it 3s2p. i also need you to confirm the max Voc of the cc, to be sure it can handle 3 x 300w panels in series

again ur tv consumes too much, seems its the old model LCD types, i suggest you make plans to ditch it, and get an energy efficient unit, again your kitchen hood, maybe you could try installing a wall fan in the kitchen , or an extractor if possible, or both...that hood is consuming too much juice as well

lastly, i hope your cc/panels are configured properly!!

queenfav:
I am.in ph.The panels are not dirty cos it rains here and that washes off dust from it.our set up is as follows
-

2 pcs 200ah mpower battery
4 pcs 300w mono panels
prag pure sine wave 2.5kva inverter
40a epev er mppt charge controller

.
please how many more panels do u think we should add to the setup to achieve a fast charge this rainy season?Total average daily load is-

Either hisense tv of 200w or hisense fridge 150w
(we don't use both at once)
2 Fans -55w each
lights approx-48w
Electric fence charge controller-15w
Hood range/chimney (occasionally used during d day-218w
gotv -30w (not on always)

Your appliances are power guzzlers, it appears.

Aside from your fridge that may not have power saver options, I believe that your Hisense TV should have options to reduce the consumption to much less than what is on the nameplate, perhaps something as low as 80 watts or 100 watts. Except if yours is LCD, 65 inches Hisense LED TV has a nameplate consumption of around 150 watts which can be reduced to around 80 watts power saver mode.

Please change your fans to QASA DC/AC types that consume about 30 watts at maximum speeds. They cost just around 10k5 on Jumia.

Hood range will definitely consume so much (the fan inside does that because the lights are mostly LEDs). I learnt that early. Those days, I DIYed an exhaust range that uses DC power.

If you can do without using the hood range, it will be good. 218 watts load on a solar set-up from a non-essential appliance requires a review. Although if your kitchen does not have adequate ventilation, that may be a difficult decision anyway.

15 watts for an electric fence isn't bad. I wager it's a DC powered type with a back-up battery.

Are your lights LED bulbs? If not, you might consider changing to LED.

queenfav:
u are right bro.We have to minimize heavy loads on it.pls how much did u get the battery meter?

It's available on AE for around 2k5 each, I think. You will need to be an electronics DIY person to install it though cos the terminal connections are not exactly straightforward like that.

earthrealm:
aha,, ph, i know say e go be there,
for a normal place the 4 x 300w panel is ok for x 12v 200ah battery, but ph is notorious for poor sunlight, 40amp mppt cc @24v, i think the max you can put on it is 1440w or so, you can check the manual to confirm,

what i may suggest could be a lil risky..depending on how antsy ur cc is , ..on a normal bright/sunny day...whats the max instantenous harvest, you have every observed??....2ndly whats also your best daily harvest in kwh then.
you answer to these questions will help me decide, if you can risk adding 2 more panels, to make it 3s2p. i also need you to confirm the max Voc of the cc, to be sure it can handle 3 x 300w panels in series

again ur tv consumes too much, seems its the old model LCD types, i suggest you make plans to ditch it, and get an energy efficient unit, again your kitchen hood, maybe you could try installing a wall fan in the kitchen , or an extractor if possible, or both...that hood is consuming too much juice as well

lastly, i hope your cc/panels are configured properly!!

it's a 2019 hisense 65 inch tv.They even said its energy saving.On a good day,i get almost 3 to 4kwh during harmattan.I can do without the hood range,i don't cook daily,just use it while boiling water for tea or garri.as for configuration,i want to believe so.I will post a snap shot of the panels, battery and charge controller connection thanks for your reply bro,i.appreciate.

ceaser:
It's available on AE for around 2k5 each, I think. You will need to be an electronics DIY person to install it though cos the terminal connections are not exactly straightforward like that.

wow,make Corona virus end first.I will show it to hubby so we can get one, afterwards call d solar installer to come fix it.Thanks bro.

earthrealm:
i also need you to confirm the max Voc of the cc, to be sure it can handle 3 x 300w panels in series

Judging by this

queenfav:
4 pcs 300w mono panels

40a epev er mppt charge controller

I'll say the solar charger controller is already stretched for a 24V system as it currently has 1200w panel while below is the spec of Epever 40A MPPT:

Max.PV input power: 12V/520W,24V/1024W
Battery voltage range: 9V~32V
Max.PV open circuit voltage: 100VDC



@OP I'll suggest you get a Makeskyblue 60A Solar Charge controller capable of handling up to 2kw PV even though it has a rated maximum PV of 1440W, the idea is to add two extra PV to boost your total PV to 1800W. Also you can only use the power guzzlers (hood, etc) during peak sun and ditch 'em once the sun is down if you cannot ditch em forever.

ceaser:
That's the problem bro. I don't own a spot welder and I have a roll of nickel strip just wasting away o, imagine.

I hope I should be able to still salvage some of the cells. I will just use it to as pack for an expansion slot I'm DIYing for laptop power bank I bought off of AE. The power bank came originally with slots for 3s2p with BMS and all. I'll add more batteries to it.

queenfav

wow what an intelligent smart woman . really determined to make the home better. your hubby is a lucky man!

Good Day,
Can I have open quote for these items;

1. Victron Smart Solar Charge Controller MPPT 250/100
2. Victron Smart Plug-gable MPPT Display (HMI)
3. Victron Colour Control GX (CCGX)
4. Victron BMV 712 Battery Monitor with Shunt
5. Victron VE Direct communication cable (3m)
6. Victron RJ45 UTP Cable 1.8m
7. Victron CCGX Wifi Module
8. Victron Smart BatteryProtect 48V -100A
9. Victron MK3 USB configuration cable

Please, post your offer here and lets roll
cc: Kiekie, Niyi, Zeestone, JUO, justcallemmanuel, etc

ceaser:
Your appliances are power guzzlers, it appears.

Aside from your fridge that may not have power saver options, I believe that your Hisense TV should have options to reduce the consumption to much less than what is on the nameplate, perhaps something as low as 80 watts or 100 watts. Except if yours is LCD, 65 inches Hisense LED TV has a nameplate consumption of around 150 watts which can be reduced to around 80 watts power saver mode.

Please change your fans to QASA DC/AC types that consume about 30 watts at maximum speeds. They cost just around 10k5 on Jumia.

Hood range will definitely consume so much (the fan inside does that because the lights are mostly LEDs). Ireduce learnt that early. Those days, I DIYed an exhaust range that uses DC power.

If you can do without using the hood range, it will be good. 218 watts load on a solar set-up from a non-essential appliance requires a review. Although if your kitchen does not have adequate ventilation, that may be a difficult decision anyway.

15 watts for an electric fence isn't bad. I wager it's a DC powered type with a back-up battery.

Are your lights LED bulbs? If not, you might consider changing to LED.

I thought as much bro.We got most of them because we couldn't get what we wanted with a power power consumption.We will work on getting an energy saving fan,i have been seeing the qasa here on nairaland.Our lights are all led,max 12w for the big ones.I will stop using the chimney with inverter.You are right about the fence,it has a battery backup.The tv is a 65" led tv like you said,model no A600.Pls how do we reduce it to 80w in power saving mode? checked their manual, didn't see anything to help with that.Thanks so much oga.

mctfopt:
Judging by this



I'll say the solar charger controller is already stretched for a 24V system as it currently has 1200w panel while below is the spec of Epever 40A MPPT:

Max.PV input power: 12V/520W,24V/1024W
Battery voltage range: 9V~32V
Max.PV open circuit voltage: 100VDC



@OP I'll suggest you get a Makeskyblue 60A Solar Charge controller capable of handling up to 2kw PV even though it has a rated maximum PV of 1440W, the idea is to add two extra PV to boost your total PV to 1800W. Also you can only use the power guzzlers (hood, etc) during peak sun and ditch 'em once the sun is down if you cannot ditch em forever.

wow,thanks oga.This solar life is for the brave o.When we are ready to upgrade by adding more panels, we would need to sell off the e pever to buy a 60a CC.I was telling hubby that with these things you have to go hard or go home! And we were happy we got 40a thanks for the link and insight oga.Please,i am.curious.Why is it advisable to run heavy loads during the day when its sunny?Is it that the load won't be relying on the battery backup alone but also from the panels?

Valto:
wow what an intelligent smart woman . really determined to make the home better. your hubby is a lucky man!

Awww, thanks for the compliment oga.

queenfav:
wow,thanks oga.This solar life is for the brave o.When we are ready to upgrade by adding more panels, we would need to sell off the e pever to buy a 60a CC.I was telling hubby that with these things you have to go hard or go home! And we were happy we got 40a thanks for the link and insight oga.Please,i am.curious.Why is it advisable to run heavy loads during the day when its sunny?Is it that the load won't be relying on the battery backup alone but also from the panels?

Yeah, so that the battery won't be drained that quickly as the sun is recharging it that time.

queenfav:
Thanks for always coming to my rescue with your insightful replies.I appreciate bro.You know when an Igbo man brings out 700k for solar setup,no be small expectation o...He will monitor his investment well.On the issue of more panels,we have been thinking of doing more panels,pls how many do u think we can add based on the info i provided above.I would also appreciate tips and practices on how to ensure a good battery life always.

The gurus have said enough...I have nothing more to add

mctfopt:
Judging by this



I'll say the solar charger controller is already stretched for a 24V system as it currently has 1200w panel while below is the spec of Epever 40A MPPT:

Max.PV input power: 12V/520W,24V/1024W
Battery voltage range: 9V~32V
Max.PV open circuit voltage: 100VDC



@OP I'll suggest you get a Makeskyblue 60A Solar Charge controller capable of handling up to 2kw PV even though it has a rated maximum PV of 1440W, the idea is to add two extra PV to boost your total PV to 1800W. Also you can only use the power guzzlers (hood, etc) during peak sun and ditch 'em once the sun is down if you cannot ditch em forever.

Na wa o. 41k

This MakeSkyBkue has become foolishly expensive. They've started flexing muscle. I bought this 60amps for 20k then.

I needed to buy more CC and saw that they've started growing wings. I just went the way of their competitor straight. PowMr product. The last two 60amps I bought was for 23k each. Aside from the fact that PowMr has not been able to come up with a Bluetooth version of their CC unlike MakeSkyBlue, every other thing about their product is as good as, or possibly better than MakeSkyBlue's.

I noticed that the PowMr CC has a menu option/page that shows the error code that the CC may have. The manual teaches you how to interpret the error codes. The MakeSkyBlue does not have that such that if the CC has any issues, you're left with gambling for what the error is.

queenfav:
I thought as much bro.We got most of them because we couldn't get what we wanted with a power power consumption.We will work on getting an energy saving fan,i have been seeing the qasa here on nairaland.Our lights are all led,max 12w for the big ones.I will stop using the chimney with inverter.You are right about the fence,it has a battery backup.The tv is a 65" led tv like you said,model no A600.Pls how do we reduce it to 80w in power saving mode? checked their manual, didn't see anything to help with that.Thanks so much oga.

Okay.

I would have uploaded a picture of the remote control of mine here so that the navigation will be easier to explain but I'm far away from home.

If yours comes with power saving options, here is how to go about it.

• Press setting button on the remote
• Select "Pictures" menu
• Scroll to "Backlighting" and select it. A horizontal gradient bar will show on the bottom of the screen. Some models may show just 3 limited options (high, medium and low)
• If yours is the horizontal gradient bar, then you use the 4- way navigation button on your remote to move the cursor to the right (increase) or the left (reduce) the backlighting. I think the default is 96%. I reduced mine to 30% and the consumption dropped to around 76 watts.

Note that the effect of reducing the backlighting is that the luminance of the screen reduces. If the ambient light in your room is not so bright, you still get excellent viewing experience. If the ambient light is highvor if the TV is situated directly opposite a window with high incident light, then you may be able to go up to 50% reduction in backlighting.

To really appreciate how the consumption drops with this option, you need to have a wattmeter plugged in line with the TV, or if your inverter has a wattmeter installed, try to appreciate the consumption changes as you make that menu adjustments on the TV

Valto:
buy an LG duo linear inverter fridge, or Samsung inverter fridge.. consumes around 70 to 90w

Na wa o. This is even better.
What are the volumes and model number?

But I meant freezers o. It seems you spoke about fridges up there.

ceaser:
Na wa o. 41k

This MakeSkyBkue has become foolishly expensive. They've started flexing muscle. I bought this 60amps for 20k then.

I needed to buy more CC and saw that they've started growing wings. I just went the way of their competitor straight. PowMr product. The last two 60amps I bought was for 23k each. Aside from the fact that PowMr has not been able to come up with a Bluetooth version of their CC unlike MakeSkyBlue, every other thing about their product is as good as, or possibly better than MakeSkyBlue's.

I noticed that the PowMr CC has a menu option/page that shows the error code that the CC may have. The manual teaches you how to interpret the error codes. The MakeSkyBlue does not have that such that if the CC has any issues, you're left with gambling for what the error is.

PowMr and Makeskyblue are basically the same, buy whichever one is cheaper
Though I've got some favorable experience with makeskyblue where it never failed even when abused, I can't say the same for PowMr.

ceaser:
Okay.

I would have uploaded a picture of the remote control of mine here so that the navigation will be easier to explain but I'm far away from home.

If yours comes with power saving options, here is how to go about it.

• Press setting button on the remote
• Select "Pictures" menu
• Scroll to "Backlighting" and select it. A horizontal gradient bar will show on the bottom of the screen. Some models may show just 3 limited options (high, medium and low)
• If yours is the horizontal gradient bar, then you use the 4- way navigation button on your remote to move the cursor to the right (increase) or the left (reduce) the backlighting. I think the default is 96%. I reduced mine to 30% and the consumption dropped to around 76 watts.

Note that the effect of reducing the backlighting is that the luminance of the screen reduces. If the ambient light in your room is not so bright, you still get excellent viewing experience. If the ambient light is highvor if the TV is situated directly opposite a window with high incident light, then you may be able to go up to 50% reduction in backlighting.

To really appreciate how the consumption drops with this option, you need to have a wattmeter plugged in line with the TV, or if your inverter has a wattmeter installed, try to appreciate the consumption changes as you make that menu adjustments on the TV

u be better person oga.May God bless you for this.Our windows are opposite the tv so we can set even at 20%.I appreciate oga.

queenfav:
Thanks for always coming to my rescue with your insightful replies.I appreciate bro.You know when an Igbo man brings out 700k for solar setup,no be small expectation o...He will monitor his investment well.On the issue of more panels,we have been thinking of doing more panels,pls how many do u think we can add based on the info i provided above.I would also appreciate tips and practices on how to ensure a good battery life always.

700k for what you listed??
Hmmm, you would have saved some cool dough if you had decent diy skills..
12v x 200ah ......... 110k.
300w chineses pale ....40k x 4
40a epever CC ......75k
Miscellanos, cables ...35
Total 500k...

The best advice has been given, buy a 60amp mppt cc, then increase ur panels to 6.

earthrealm:
700k for what you listed??
Hmmm, you would have saved some cool dough if you had decent diy skills..
12v x 200ah ......... 110k.
300w chineses pale ....40k x 4
40a epever CC ......75k
Miscellanos, cables ...35
Total 500k...

The best advice has been given, buy a 60amp mppt cc, then increase ur panels to 6.

U forgot prag ,we got it 110k and we have two batteries that's 220k.
Them no go fit cheat me again..We were jjcs then, it's Now we are getting a hang of this solar venture.Thanks to you guys on this thread.My hubby is always a guest on nairaland,maybe he will soon open a proper account to allow him interact here more.We will upgrade soon,maybe before December,make we recover small from d first one.

Madam all the suggestions are great as long as you have house loads sharing the 60A from the suggested CC.
That kinda current on a 200Ah C10 battery bank alone may "overfeed" it.
An "overfed" battery condition develops when it receives current far in excess of OEM recommendations.

queenfav:
.

Barezzi:
Madam all the suggestions are great as long as you have house loads sharing the 60A from the suggested CC.
That kinda current on a 200Ah C10 battery bank alone may "overfeed" it.
An "overfed" battery condition develops when it receives current far in excess of OEM recommendations.

wawu.. Thanks bro.We will do more findings before any upgrade.

Barezzi:
Madam all the suggestions are great as long as you have house loads sharing the 60A from the suggested CC.
That kinda current on a 200Ah C10 battery bank alone may "overfeed" it.
An "overfed" battery condition develops when it receives current far in excess of OEM recommendations.

She is in ph...cloudy weather is normal there
Folks there routinely get 30 to 50% of total array instantenous harvest...
Am fairly certain she averages 400w from her 1.2kw array, apart from special days when the sun chooses to smile specially on ph..and they then see 800w

@queenfav, yeah i forgot the 2.5kva prag...110k.
Ok rough estimate 610k...paying 700k isnt bad at all..cos wiring, trunking, labour, battery rack etc go still dey inside

saint2ace:
Hello did you get delivery of ur battery as anticipated?

Yes, he is a great guy, he delivered as promised. Putting the thing together to start the life of LFP. One thing to say immediately; the Voltage holds. Your voltage will stay above 50 until the battery is squeezed dried of life. Makes it dangerous to use lithium without monitoring. I also did some capacity test and I got 85Ah out of 100Ah with my voltage still around 52.

ceaser:
Now they are showing their face.

Mr man, you are one of those that did panic buying of lithium battery from that guy. breeze don blow fowl nyansh open

I spoke with him to get info on his offers and 2 days later when I had the chance to forward money to him he told me he's sold out. I just deflate. I was like WTF!

Guys, people are going lithium now o. So wake up.

I didn't do panic buying. You've got to have money to do panic buying . I was actually speaking with some Chinese suppliers on Alibaba before I decided to settle for JEMAG for ease of mind. Didn't even know he sold out because I was planning to buy a little more if I can raise the money. I'm glad I bought, though not easy. Had to take some loans.

adrusa:
Yes, he is a great guy, he delivered as promised. Putting the thing together to start the life of LFP. One thing to say immediately; the Voltage holds. Your voltage will stay above 50 until the battery is squeezed dried of life. Makes it dangerous to use lithium without monitoring. I also did some capacity test and I got 85Ah out of 100Ah with my voltage still around 52.

Good to hear u're enjoying ur battery bank, i hope to join the gang soon even if it's just 12v 100ah. But pls can u enlighten me better on the bolded, the word dangerous just shocked me back to life. By the way what's the capacity of ur battery bank

queenfav:
U forgot prag ,we got it 110k and we have two batteries that's 220k.
Them no go fit cheat me again..We were jjcs then, it's Now we are getting a hang of this solar venture.Thanks to you guys on this thread.My hubby is always a guest on nairaland,maybe he will soon open a proper account to allow him interact here more.We will upgrade soon,maybe before December,make we recover small from d first one.

visit this forum and thank me later...


Www.diysolarforum.com

earthrealm:
She is in ph...cloudy weather is normal there
Folks there routinely get 30 to 50% of total array instantenous harvest...
Am fairly certain she averages 400w from her 1.2kw array, apart from special days when the sun chooses to smile specially on ph..and they then see 800w

@queenfav, yeah i forgot the 2.5kva prag...110k.
Ok tough estimate 610k...paying 700k isnt bad at all..cos wiring, trunking, labour, battery rack etc go still dey inside

yea,the guy tried for us sha.The weather here isn't helping us get good harvest at all.

adrusa:
Yes, he is a great guy, he delivered as promised. Putting the thing together to start the life of LFP. One thing to say immediately; the Voltage holds. Your voltage will stay above 50 until the battery is squeezed dried of life. Makes it dangerous to use lithium without monitoring. I also did some capacity test and I got 85Ah out of 100Ah with my voltage still around 52.

Do you really need to monitor again when a BMS is already doing the monitoring for you? Once the battery discharge limit is reached, the BMS effectively do the disconnection.

saint2ace:
Good to hear u're enjoying ur battery bank, i hope to join the gang soon even if it's just 12v 100ah. But pls can u enlighten me better on the bolded, the word dangerous just shocked me back to life. By the way what's the capacity of ur battery bank

Fret not.

What he means is "good dangerous" rather than "dangerous dangerous" or "bad dangerous"

He simply means that you get carried away by the sustained voltage over a long time despite load that you won't border to even check out the voltage again. At that point, you may miss when the voltage starts to drop on the meter.

With Lead chemistry, once you put a big load on it, the battery drops by 1volt or less. Then the volt drop with use and time is a linear relationship. However in the case of LFP(compared with Lead for capacity for voltage), if the battery was fully charged to 13.3v (for a 12v LFP battery), you won't really notice the drop in voltage and it can remain at that 13.3v for several hours before you notice any drop. That's the characteristic discharge curve of lithium.

Having said that, the BMS will do justice to ensure you don't overdischarge your battery.

@ Adrusa. I hope to take delivery of an extra 12v 100ah LFP tomorrow. I needed 120ah but 100ah was the last samurai that I was lucky to meet left. Damn, he was even sold out on 24v and 48v.

adrusa:
Yes, he is a great guy, he delivered as promised. Putting the thing together to start the life of LFP. One thing to say immediately; the Voltage holds. Your voltage will stay above 50 until the battery is squeezed dried of life. Makes it dangerous to use lithium without monitoring. I also did some capacity test and I got 85Ah out of 100Ah with my voltage still around 52.

Cool to hear your experience, you can set the maximum cut off voltage possible on your inverter which i guess will be 48v to avoid the BMS kicking in. Do enjoy your LFP.

ceaser:
Fret not.

What he means is "good dangerous" rather than "dangerous dangerous" or "bad dangerous"

He simply means that you get carried away by the sustained voltage over a long time despite load that you won't border to even check out the voltage again. At that point, you may miss when the voltage starts to drop on the meter.

With Lead chemistry, once you put a big load on it, the battery drops by 1volt or less. Then the volt drop with use and time is a linear relationship. However in the case of LFP(compared with Lead for capacity for voltage), if the battery was fully charged to 13.3v (for a 12v LFP battery), you won't really notice the drop in voltage and it can remain at that 13.3v for several hours before you notice any drop. That's the characteristic discharge curve of lithium.

Having said that, the BMS will do justice to ensure you don't overdischarge your battery.

@ Adrusa. I hope to take delivery of an extra 12v 100ah LFP tomorrow. I needed 120ah but 100ah was the last samurai that I was lucky to meet left. Damn, he was even sold out on 24v and 48v.

Thanks boss, I appreciate the clarification. That was quite a scare