₦airaland Forum

Penuelseun:
small tbb inverters do not have any display on them, but they sell external display meter through which you can edit the settings and look at the inverter information. Read it can be integrated online through raspberry pi.

Okay thanks bro, which of the display meter can get me the aforementioned features?

Penuelseun:
I mean instantaneous current. My batteries gets fully charged daily

Noted bro

odimbannamdi:
From my own experience of using the inbuilt charging function of two inverters (Luminous and Brighton), it undercharged my battery.

My then battery had a float recommendation of 14.5 - 14.9v, but at 13.0v, the inverters would stop charging and indicate the battery as being full.

When I stop charging, it would drop to 12.5 and hit 12.0v after a few hours of minimal usage. I kept wondering what was going on. It turned out that the inverters were undercharging my battery so I had to get an external smart battery charger and pushed it 14.9v and the battery began working well. Sadly, I had disposed off one of my batteries then as scrap coz I thought the fault was from the battery.

Bottom line, try getting a stand alone smart charger.

Thanks for the input bro, the bolded is noted that means I should be getting 40A charger for single 220A.

NiyiOmoIyunade:
Felicity have a decent 1.5Kva 12v and 2.5Kva 12v inverter.

I am not sure your decision about inverter nominal voltage but either of these two above should take care of your power needs for a 2 battery system such as you contemplate and eliminate the need for a separate standalone charger.

You can couple this with a good quality PWM or MPPT such as Fangpusun 100v/50a and you are set.

There was also a Zinox Axpert 12v hybrid inverter one time that had a charge controller bundled in - it was deep wine in color and was a decent deal although not pure sine wave as I recall.

The good folks on this forum have provided local contacts for Felicity and a bit of reading can get you any other items

Oga Niyi, I don come again oh.

TBB 1.2kva inverter has 40A inbuilt charger, do I still need separate charger to charge single 220ah 12v tubular battery first before using it with the inverter?

Penuelseun:
I used the tbb 1.2kva inverter, although I currently use the ceepro 600w as I have sold the 1.2kva to a client. A double door fridge with a freezer at the bottom is what I use, don't really know the litres as it is old but I see a starting surge of around 600w with 150w running.
Use 350w and 260w panels connected in parallel. Use a 10a DC supply unit as my ac charger.

Does tbb 1.2kva inverter have lcd display that Support the below features:

1. Can it display Battery Backup (i.e time remaining in case of power cut) ?

2. Can it display Battery Charging Time (i.e time it would take to charge the battery from grid)

3. Can it easily connect to the smart phone via an application and share real time inverter battery performance statistics?

4. Does it show Load Percentage ?

5. Can it display what the solar panels produced?

6. Can I manually set charging current & charging current?

If the inverter itself does not have above features, which of these accessories can give the aforementioned features (Cyber System Display Monitor OR Vision Pro / Vision Lite) ?

Penuelseun:
I use pwm because I don't really see a difference between pwm and mppt in the 12v range, my panels have a VOC of around 42v which I divided into 2 to get 22v. I get between 32a to 35a going into my battery on a good solar day. Will go the route of mppt maybe when I upgrade to 48v systems

Boss how many hours did it take to achieve this harvest?

ManAdii:
Anything @Penuelseun tells you about TBB inverter believe him. I'm using the 1.2kva 24v. That inverter is dope. Na money remain make I add solar panels to my set up.
Even with my China battery I dy enjoy light 24/7 as I do charge with Nepa.

What do you power with this?

NiyiOmoIyunade:
I have had good experiences with the Fangpusun 100v/50a CCs and I think 1 or 2 units should work nicely for a 12v system - the CC can handle 12v or 24v battery configs.

My experience with Epever products was middling - decent and reliable but the MPPT algorithm was slow and the solar harvest generally suboptimal vs other CCs.

I have seen a lot of attention on the MakeSkyBlue and PowMr products but have no direct experience - the one thing I ever bought from PowMr (MC4 connectors) was total crap and unuseable.

It's noted, thanks for your input.

samir101ng:
Nice Review

This is a basic solar charge controller that's affordable for budget conscious people. However, you get what you pay for as it doesn't have some of the more advance features that others have. But most importantly is that you don't get the nameplate readings you see compared to using an actual clamp meter to test the real world readings. Here are links to their official stores:

1. Powmr Official Store

https://ysmart.aliexpress.com/store/609653?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.533e5d4fFeAwCE

2. MakeSkyBlue Official Store

https://makeskyblue.aliexpress.com/store/1759821?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.1d6e1d21dvPKn2

You can order both from AliExpress direct or any major reseller but be guided that these are chinese clones. I am however more partial to MakeSkyBlue No. 2 compared to Powmr No. 1. They have better documentation and their products are of a more higher quality. But they are both basically the same thing. As stated, they are cheap but your performance mileage may vary.

Thanks bro for the link. Can you please provide URL for Epever official store on AliExpress?

odimbannamdi:
Regarding the emboldened;

You will notice that there are 2 inlets each for the positive and negative terminals for the PV array and battery(ies). If your cables are too large to enter one inlet at a time, you can split them.into the two provided inlets for each terminal. It works that way.

This present version of the PowMr Charge controllers will go out of production on or before first week of next year as it has now been replaced by an improved version.

This new version can accommodate more panels and the heat dissipation feature is more better.

I will have it in stock before the end of the year, and I am working to maintain the price point of the old/current version so that customers can at least have more value for their money.

Meanwhile, i recall delivering one unit of this current version to your acquaintance around Obanikoro on your behalf. Thanks for your patronage, sir. Please let me know when you need another unit and i could provide you with some discount.

Hello bro, can this POW-M60-PRO display daily harvest?

Can it also do equalization?

NiyiOmoIyunade:
For a 2 battery setup you may not stress over an elaborate scheme - the odds are in your favour.

Just make sure that you charge the batteries to full standalone before you put them together in series (assuming you wanted 24v) and then equalize regularly

If you are not locked in yet as per purchases and have no plans to expand by a lot anytime soon, then a 12v inverter is pretty good and takes away all your concerns around battery balance.

One thing that kills tubular batteries quickly is that they need a higher voltage absorb charge than your average basic inverter can provide, if you have solar then this can take care of the problem somewhat.

There are decent MPPTs that will work well for you even at 12v and affordably priced.

Oga Niyi abeg recommend the bolded for me, and possibly URL to get am.

zeestone99:
You can get a Watts meter to know the consumption of your 204L

Okay bro, will add that later

Penuelseun:
the running wattage of my fridge is around 150w while the surge is 520w which is almost X4 of the running wattage.
According to the picture you posted, the running wattage of your fridge should be around 195w with the surge going up to around 800w which any decent 1.2kva inverter should chest comfortably. That is the reason I suggested the Tbb as I am sure it will serve you.

It is noted, thanks.

Does this inverter make noise when it's been used?

Penuelseun:
I got the needed information via my BMS app. This is the surge when I put on the fridge

Thanks for the info. Yours is even 520W.Can you please provide the fridge rated Voltage and rated Current?

Mine is 220 - 240v, 0.9A & Maximum Wattage of Lamp 2W as attached here.

samir101ng:
Most batteries recommend a maximum charging current under normal operation should be limited to 25% of the rated capacity
of the battery at the C20 rate (for an 100 Ah battery @ 20 Hr rate, the maximum charging current should be 25A). This means that for 200 Ah Battery that means 50A. But please check your batteries manual for its specific charging current.

It's noted bro, thanks for the input.

Penuelseun:
I used the tbb 1.2kva inverter, although I currently use the ceepro 600w as I have sold the 1.2kva to a client. A double door fridge with a freezer at the bottom is what I use, don't really know the litres as it is old but[b] I see a starting surge of around 600w with 150w running.[/b]
Use 350w and 260w panels connected in parallel. Use a 10a DC supply unit as my ac charger.

Nice one bro, thanks for the info. Please which device did you use precisely to get the starting and running watts?

I don't really know how accurate this Binatone ACG-1500 Cool Guard is, because that's what I attached to the Refrigerator to know the watts.

That displayed Wattage fluctuates using the aforementioned device, is it how watt meter also work?

samir101ng:
I strongly support this point by Oga Niyi.

Though, it might be a bit expensive at the beginning especially with the ongoing transition to Lithium, a good 12v AGM/Gel/Flooded charger is essential for the general maintenance of your batteries. It's highly recommended (especially buying brand new) for those who are about to install a new inverter and batteries to charge their full before installation. Some batteries come in a low state of charge and a good charge by the 12v charger to the batteries specs and allowing it to float for 24hrs before connecting is a good practice that will save you anguish in the future.

1. Samlex

https://samlexamerica.com/product-category/battery-chargers/#

SEC-1250UL 12 Volt, 50 Amp Battery Charger. Safety listed
Input: 120 VAC 50/60 Hz (default) or 230 VAC 50/60 Hz (by internal jumper setting)
Output: 12 VDC
Amps: 50
Remote Control: 900-RC
Weight: 9.0 (lbs)
Weight: 4.1 (kg)
Dimensions: 13.03 x 9.60 x 3.82 (in)
Dimensions: 331 x 244 x 97 (mm)

2. Aims Power
[url]
https://www.aimscorp.net/ac-converter-battery-charger-12v-and-24v-smart-charger-75-amps-listed-to-ul-458-csa.html[/url]

Model Number: CON120AC12/24DC
Safety: Intertek-ETL listed: Conforms to ANSI/UL Standard 1564 ; Certified to CAN/CSA STD. C22.2 No. 107.2
Input Voltage 96-145VAC full performance 70-96VAC derated to 50% of output
Frequency 40Hz to 70Hz
Nominal Input Current at Rated Output <9Aac
Voltage Measurement Accuracy ±8Vac
Frequency Measurement Accuracy ±1Hz
Output Nominal Voltage 12V
Output Current Input voltage 96-145V,
output current 75A for 12V mode

Rated Output Current auto adjust to 12V
Current Accuracy ± 6% of full rated output current @25°C, for target currents across the range from 10% rated output (for absorption exit criteria accuracy) to the current limit setpoint.
Load Regulation 1.5%
Current Limit 75-80Amp
Dead-Battery Charging 8-14.9Vdc at 100% of rated output current
8-29.8Vdc at 100% of rated output current
Selectable Battery Type Open Lead-Acid, Gel, AGM, LiFePo4, adjustable

3. Suoer

http://www.chinasuoer.com/battery-charger/113.html

MA-1240A - AGM/GEL Battery Charger
Output Voltage - 12V
Input Voltage - 180-250V
Rated Frequency - 47-63HZ
Charger current - 40A
Charger Mode - Four-steps
Full Load Efficiency - >90%
Dimensions - 225*145*80MM
1.6KG
Certification - ISO,CTA,CE

The first two are premium american brands but the last one is chinese can easily be gotten online from Jumia or Kongo. Just make sure you verify authenticity before you purchase. I am actually interested in the AimsPower as it can charge both Lithium and Lead Acid batteries.

Thanks bro for the effort, no 3 is quite affordable. What I saw in konga is (MH-1240A) and has charging current from 7A> 12A> 20A> 40A. Which amp do I set it to for (2) 150ah & (2) 200ah respectively?

NiyiOmoIyunade:
Your setup is simple boss - you do not want to complicate things too much.

If you choose to go with a 24v inverter, find a means (12v charger) to charge each of your two batteries individually and fully and even equalize them if possible first time around and before you put them together in series. Once you have done this step once then you can be equalizing (at 24v nominal) once every 30 days or so. You will not need to disconnect or separate the batteries at all.

If you choose a 12v inverter, that makes things even simpler and more stable, if your 12v inverter or charger or charge controller is capable of getting the batteries to equalization voltage, you will see extreme longevity from the batteries significantly better than in a 24v setup and much simpler maintenance.

Thanks boss for your input, as I like the fact that I don't need to disconnect at all times if I decided to go with the 24v setup.

For sake of simplicity, kindly list 12v inverters, chargers & decent MPPTs that will work well for me even at 12v and affordably priced.

Penuelseun:
Let me advise you based on my setup which consists of a 12v 1.2kva inverter, 120ah lifepo4 battery with 120a BMS, 600w panels connected to a 60a pwm CC. It powers my electronics which are a 43" led tv, a LG home theater system, a DC ceiling fan, charges laptops and phones with about 4 10w AC bulbs. I put on my fridge occasionally during periods of good sunlight.
So far so good, I have electricity 24/7

Nice project management bro. Which inverter brand and CC are you using?

Also, which product of panel are you using and how many watts each?

Lastly, how many litter is the fridge and the capacity like Amps and Volts.

Kindly help with these info as I am contemplating Oga Niyi suggestions on 12v system to have peace of mind. But my issue here is this useless Hisense 204L that did not specifically state the starting watt.

NiyiOmoIyunade:
For a 2 battery setup you may not stress over an elaborate scheme - the odds are in your favour.

Just make sure that you charge the batteries to full standalone before you put them together in series (assuming you wanted 24v) and then equalize regularly

If you are not locked in yet as per purchases and have no plans to expand by a lot anytime soon, then a 12v inverter is pretty good and takes away all your concerns around battery balance.

One thing that kills tubular batteries quickly is that they need a higher voltage absorb charge than your average basic inverter can provide, if you have solar then this can take care of the problem somewhat.

There are decent MPPTs that will work well for you even at 12v and affordably priced.

Do I need to be disconnecting the batteries each time I want to charge via grid/Gen with the standalone charger and then reconnect them each time I want to use ?

Kindly help with brand name and amp required for (2) 150ah & (2) 200ah @C20 respectively.

earthrealm:
ITS NOT SET IN STONE, there is some flexibility to the equalization thingy.....the 4hrs...the 30 day frequency...all are recommended, but nuthin catastrophic will happen if u don't follow it religiously....just free your mind and try to follow it as best as you could. if u are unable to achieve 4hrs equalization with your solar.....wch is almost impossible..unless you have a n oversized array. if you don't, you can leave the equalization voltage on the CC for 2 to 3 days...so u are sure within that period 1hr here, 30 mins there...the cumulative would be enough to achieve a good level of equalization

If the battery equalize voltage is set to 31v for 24v setup, and am only able to do it for 2 hours on the first day, can I use the battery at night and complete the other two hours the next day, or should I wait until I complete the 4 hours equalization before the should start using the battery?

Sorry for the many questions oh.

adrusa:
Inverter is often the most catastrophic failure point. Once it goes down, you are in the dark. My trick is to always have a spare inverter. About 2 months ago, I was to travel to Abuja and night before the day of my flight, my inverter packed up. A thunderstrike took out the inverter. I had to set up the spare that night or my people will have no reliable electricity till I return.

So, have a backup inverter if your system is critical to you.

My brother backup inverter na money be that oh.

Did you install proctective devices before the thunder struck?

NiyiOmoIyunade:
This your write up is gold! Always good to read someone who gets it!

I wanted to add some perspective about balancers.

HA02 balancers rated to move 5a of current but does so only so very briefly (stops as soon as the voltages converge but then voltage convergence is not SoC convergence!!!) and then drops to just tiny amounts much less than 1a which are insufficient to effect real SoC convergence in a real life moderate to large size battery bank.

Victron balancers and Fangpusun clones activate the balance only at high voltages and move about 0.7a (1a max) - the issue here is the amount of balance current is too small to help large differences in battery capacity and needs the batteries to spend a long time above the balance voltage for the balance to complete (impractical with solar charging and again only possible with a lot of time spent on grid/gen)

Net result - you want each 12v battery to get a full charge and spend some time soaking this charge in - it is unlikely to happen if the batteries are in series (one battery will always tend to overcharge) and so the only way to achieve good results is dedicate a 12v charger to each 12v battery string and let them do a thorough battery charge - whether you are equalizing flooded battery or 'controlled overcharging' GEL or AGM, this is the way to go - battery maintenance is best done at the single battery level and not in series.

The question then comes what to do with 2v and 6v standalone batteries. I have left that to the more vibrant new generation of enthusiasts to figure out

Knowledge too much for this place oh, I have to read some comments 5 times before I understand the message.

But am happy I am learning from experts.

1. Does this dedicated charger replace the inbuilt charger with 18A that came with Luminous 1600va inverter?

2. Do I always need to charge the batteries with this dedicated charger or it is only needed when balancing/equalization is required?

NiyiOmoIyunade:
I followed this convo with great interest but kept quiet so as not to court controversy

I was going to say originally that you do not need balancers if your batteries are flooded - monthly equalization charges are typically sufficient to ensure battery balance provided your batteries came together already balanced in the first place (you charge each to full individually before putting them in series)

The primary method for keeping lead acid batteries balanced is a 'controlled overcharge' - for flooded where you can 'overvolt' the batteries and top up water the periodic equalizations work best.

For AGM and GEL you cannot equalize but you can take a 12v charger to each 12v battery string and ensure a full charge by spending time at or close to the peak absorb voltage the batteries are rated for.

I have done some extensive work/testing on balancers and my conclusion is that they are mostly ineffective except for very tiny differences in 'seriesed' battery capacity or state of charge.

The best method is to employ smart 12v chargers for each 12v battery so that you can deliver a full charge - if you have a 48v system - 4 chargers, 24v system 2 chargers and so on allow you to do this easily and quickly without breaking up your battery string - even when equalizing flooded batteries, it is best to do it on a per battery basis (12v) vs in series.

So in the diagram so usefully provided, replace the HA02 balancers with standalone 12v chargers and you may witness an extreme boost in battery longevity.

Lastly using chargers to ensure battery balance may require use of grid/gen vs solar as you need to spend some time at the balancing voltage. If you must use solar then a mechanism to only activate the chargers after the batteries are up to/above absorb voltage and deactivate the once solar drops too low to keep things up.

At this point, the scheme begins to look very complicated but this is not very different from the setup needed to keep Lithium packs balanced (the BMS balance circuit) and certainly a worthwhile investment for the user who has a a large lead acid pack (8 or more batteries)

It's noted boss. The battery will either be 2 * 150ah tubular OR 2 * 200ah tubular.

Considering both batteries, which of the charger brand would you recommend and how many Amp?

samnaija:
Equalization is a process that is carried out once a month, to ensure all your batteries are adequately over charged. Even up to a point the distilled water may reach boiling point.

This is to ensure that your batteries don't sulphate, from inadequate charging .

And the batteries, within a battery bank all reach or past the bulk voltage set by your charge controller.

Now during this period of equalization the battery whose voltage has always been higher than the others will always be Infront during equalization and after equalization.

The balancer job essential is to redistribute charges from batteries that always get more charge, to the batteries that need it hence the balance. The equalization process is not sensitive to individual battery needs within a bank.

Thanks, does it mean balancer is still needed irrespective of equalization via CC?

earthrealm:
Hope you are googling the answers to these your questions as well, so combined with the info you get here, you would end up with a broader
Knowledge base.

For flooded/tubular batteries, from experience...the act of regular equalization keeps the batteries balanced, so a balancer isnt critical for such setups

Yes boss, but some/most of the answers got me more confused, hence I decided to ask experts here.

Assuming I use the CC to set higher voltage for equalization purpose and two hours within the process, the sun is no longer bright or it starts raining, how can I use Gen to complete the 4 - 6 hours of equalization recommended per month?

samnaija:
Just like the names says, it redistribute charges between batteries, hence if a battery is getting more charge than the other, the balancer ensures all batteries are close to each other in charge or almost close in voltages.

Appreciate bro for the numerous responses.

With a charge controller that accepts inputs, for equalization purpose, is the balancer still needed or does the equalization also acts as balancer?

samnaija:
Get a balancer, it always necessary.

Okay bro, thanks. What does the balancer do?

samir101ng:
These are all solar equipment sellers with a good online presence. You can also add https://www.solardepotng.com/ to that list. But i have personally never had any dealings with them. And some of them have had issues that had been reported here already on this platform. Therefore, you transact at your own risks. In my previous posts, the resellers i posted were authorized dealers who have signed agreements with the global brands to be their representatives in Nigeria so they carry a bit more weight in my opinion. Also, i highly advise you visit a sellers office and check out availability and price of their products. A lot of these sellers don't update their websites and contact numbers to reflect realities. Therefore, go to there office and deal face to face is my honest opinion.

Warranty and fault repairs should also be discussed extensively before purchase to avoid issues later on.

Thanks for the update, can you please list the sellers that have had issues among the ones I posted?

samnaija:
This is the wiring diagram, apart from the battery balancers ,other minor wiring to ensure a well balanced bank . These was provided by @mctrinity a while back.

Thanks for the provision of the diagram for future reference.

Although yours is a complex system. My expected setup for now is 24v 1600va luminous inverter with two 150ah/200ah luminous tubular batteries.

Will I be needing this battery balancer for my anticipated 24v setup?

TechGeek777:
https://me3energy.ng/batteries.html

https://invertermall.com.ng/product-category/batteries/

https://swiftermall.com/34-inverter-batteries

https://www.solarkobo.com/shop

Expert in the house over to you. Please help highlight suspicious site here, and also advise on genuine ones here by arranging them in appropriate order!

Experts in the house, abeg make una look into this.

samnaija:
Look at it these way 12 batteries of (12v 200ah).
You will series 4 of the batteries this now gives you 48v 200ah bank. When you series voltage goes up.

Now do the same for the remaining batteries, you will have 3 different banks each 48v 200ah in value.

Now you will parallel the 3 battery banks each (48v200ah) together .

Now in parallel your capacity or ah of your battery increases so eventually end up with 48v 600ah single battery bank.

Thanks bro, understood!