₦airaland Forum

Converter vs. Inverter.
Converters and inverters are electrical devices that convert current. Converters convert the voltage of an electric device, usually alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). On the other hand, inverters convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).

That is the answer to what I asked

EgunMogaji2:
Chief, did you mean to write that a hybrid inverter differs from charge controllers because it has connection for PHCN/Generator?

Thanks.

This is the basics:
Hybrid inverter(or any inverter for that matter) is different from cc because they perform different functions. An inverter perform two functions; converts DC from battery to AC for household use(which a CC can't do), and also acts as a charger for battery. While a cc regulates(for want of a better term) fluctuating solar current for battery charging.
Hybrid inverter(in contrast to conventional inverter) is built to incorporate/accommodate solar panels input directly into it via an INBUILT CC. A conventional cc has no inbuilt cc so you need to install one separately. Thus the common thing between them is battery charging( cc via solar inverter via gen/phcn).

If I have not confused you, let me illustrate it this way. You need lipton,sugar and milk for making tea. Milk is indispensable for the process. Rather than getting all three separately, someone now manufacture sugar/milk combination. He markets it as hybrid sugar. Thus, if you have hybrid sugar you dont need to buy milk again. all you now need is Lipton to make your tea.

You are well read on solar and know all these already, where then is the confusion?



Incidentally, why do we call this thing an inverter? Is it inverting or converting current?

BetaTechnicians:
How has the charge controller been performing?

What voltage comes out of the load interface of the charge controller?
Is there a setting to cut off the output to that load at a certain battery level/voltage?

I have been out of town since I installed the cc so I haven't been able to do any recording. And the stupid cc will always revert to zero after sundown so I don't have the record. The day I connected it ,the reading was 175 watts at about 3pm and voltage 13.7 for panel and 12.6 for battery.

Is there a setting to cut off the output to that load at a certain battery level/voltage?
I will have to check the manual again. I dispensed with the cc after purchase because it reverts to zero after sundown and does not give me cumulative log. More so the pwm is serving well. So I boxed it.

Trippledots:
Look, you are taking this thing the long arduous route. That app is just a program so it is giving u results based on your inputed values. That 95mm cable shoud let u knw using a pwm CC for ur design is highly inefficient. As earlier advised, manage your present harvest or re arrange ur modules and use an MPPT CC. That's all.

I already changed to my idle mppt. Only disadvantage is it only shows daily harvest which disappears at sundown unlike the pwm that gives me cumulative harvest

SolnergyPower:
Below is how the panels sitting is made on the panels standing.

Noted. Thanks

Let's see today's yield with other things remaining same

hancock:
On the contrary, I get the point. I am just wondering why are cables sold as 10mm/10mm2 or 50mm/50mm2 in this part of the world ?
What does the 10mm represent and what does the 10mm2 also represent? Clearly they don’t compliment each other if you consider the diameter and area logic
Don’t mind me , this is my OCD in mathematics kicking in

Cables are in mm² or awg. We in this part mention mm because we are more comfortable with that than mm². As you rightly said mm is diameter and mm² is area so can't be same thing. We are the ones causing confusion for ourselves assisted by cable sellers. No cable will have mm on it; what you'll see printed on cables is mm² and/or awg.

earthrealm:
you miss the point!. you still dont get it
cables are not sold by diameter size.....but square mm/mm2.................... aka area
simply go and look at the markings on the cable you have......
i no get strength for unnecessary/blind argument bros

@topmost, 90mm2 cable na mission impossible, it would be as thick as an infants forearm and would cost upto 10k per meter

Lol. You have a great sense of humour. Any cable that is above 1000 per meter is too expensive for my needs.
From my research, cables are in mm² or awg(american wire guage). I was told 10mm² is ok for my needs so I went out looking for 10mm². I had to settle for 6mm² at the end due to urgency of the situation.
Sellers confuse by telling you 10awg is 10mm². I almost fell for it but when I told him I wanted 10mm² and not 10awg, he confessed he has only 6mm² which he wanted to push to me as 10mm² since it has 10awg written on it. So once you see 10 you believe it means 10mm²

hancock:
95mm2 is the square area of the cable and not the diameter
So a 10mm diameter cable will have an area of (3.14x5x5=78.5mm2) while a 12mm diameter cable will have an area of (3.14x6x6=113.04mm2) etc.....

I believe a 10mm cable should suffice for the tax

I wanted to buy 10mm at the time but only got 6mm that's available

Let me see what yield this will give given all other things remaining same.

earthrealm:

Its what it is naaah
95mm cable is what is required, u have 6mm.
That shud show you the gross error in your cable sizing.....as i said earlier.
Mppt is best for such length..4s or 3s..depending on max Voc of your CC

You are supzd to be getting 30amps to 50amps as you can see....but you are only getting 11a..or max 18a i bet

95mm cable? I thought biggest cable is 16mm.

earthrealm:
your panels are 150w 12v, 4units ai?
if yes, 6mm is very wrong for 25m @parallel connection...you would be having massive losses. whats ur max instantenous and daily harvest

use the link below to see for yourself
https://www.solar-wind.co.uk/info/dc-cable-wire-sizing-tool-low-voltage-drop-calculator

hope u can understand the rough pic, you wud use cross beams(angle iron) across the inverted L, so you have a base to place the panels. the panels.you can use bolt n nut to affix the panels to the rack....thus making it impossible for would be thieves to simply climb the fence and cart away the panels....as they would hv to climb inside ur compound..n use a ladder to undo all the bolts and nuts

Daily harvest is average of 90 these days

earthrealm:
your panels are 150w 12v, 4units ai?
if yes, 6mm is very wrong for 25m @parallel connection...you would be having massive losses. whats ur max instantenous and daily harvest

use the link below to see for yourself
https://www.solar-wind.co.uk/info/dc-cable-wire-sizing-tool-low-voltage-drop-calculator

hope u can understand the rough pic, you wud use cross beams(angle iron) across the inverted L, so you have a base to place the panels. the panels.you can use bolt n nut to affix the panels to the rack....thus making it impossible for would be thieves to simply climb the fence and cart away the panels....as they would hv to climb inside ur compound..n use a ladder to undo all the bolts and nuts

I got 3/0 awg and 95mm². What is that in mm

earthrealm:
your panels are 150w 12v, 4units ai?
if yes, 6mm is very wrong for 25m @parallel connection...you would be having massive losses. whats ur max instantenous and daily harvest

use the link below to see for yourself
https://www.solar-wind.co.uk/info/dc-cable-wire-sizing-tool-low-voltage-drop-calculator

hope u can understand the rough pic, you wud use cross beams(angle iron) across the inverted L, so you have a base to place the panels. the panels.you can use bolt n nut to affix the panels to the rack....thus making it impossible for would be thieves to simply climb the fence and cart away the panels....as they would hv to climb inside ur compound..n use a ladder to undo all the bolts and nuts

Now I get. Im thinking of using aluminium poles to cross the inverted L, then fix the panels with bolt and nut to the aluminium poles.

earthrealm:
Am certain 2s2p will not perform better on pwm,
Only way maybe if you are using wrong cable size ab initio....from pics, i sense your cable run is long, ie panel to cc, hope you checked the charts and sized ur cables apprioprately...

S3ems the land outsude ur fence is empty, if occupied, i suggest u make an inverted L shaped rack, that will project 3 to 4ft above the fence, and to save cost..u may consider pinning the leg of the invertered L on the fence

Pls explain this better if possible with diagrams

earthrealm:
Am certain 2s2p will not perform better on pwm,
Only way maybe if you are using wrong cable size ab initio....from pics, i sense your cable run is long, ie panel to cc, hope you checked the charts and sized ur cables apprioprately...

Seems the land outside ur fence is empty, if occupied, i suggest u make an inverted L shaped rack, that will project 3 to 4ft above the fence, and to save cost..u may consider pinning the leg of the inverted L on the fence

My cable is 6mm and the run lenght is 25 meters. I have powmr 60a MPPT cc that is idle so I may just install that and do away with the pwm. I shall be getting additional 2×150watts panel by Jan ending.

The land is indeed empty. It is a road and that is my fear. Devilish children passing may be attracted to it and throw stones on it or adults may just steal it.

ojeysky:
That pole height might be too high, once you achieve a height sightly higher than the fence then you should not experience shading from it fence. Shading is a killer so try to address it, am currently working on mine

I will definitely do so

desiji:
Your best solution is go on the roof thereby eliminating a lot of disadvantages

Roof is out.
It is a rented apartment
It is storey building
Landlord will not permit
Repairs,reevaluation, restructuring will be tedious

If I change from this,the new height will put it at par(if not higher) than the fence thus eliminate the shade caused by the fence. But this is giving exposure to passersby to tempt them.

Present height

I have decided to change my panels from parallel connection to 2S2P and see how it goes. But I shall still retain the PWM controller. I observed shading is much on it these days. As of 4pm yesterday, almost 80% is shaded. I am thinking of raising the height from 3feet to about 10feet to eliminate the shade which is caused by fence. Pole is the new height i am considering. Relocation is out of the question.
Any other/better suggestions? Thanks

Welcome to 2020. May all our aspirations be met and surpassed in Jesus mighty name. Happy new year!

Callmenuel1:
Solar DC ceiling fan available, #20 000. Contact us on 08168986461

DC rechargeable standing fan?

How many sellers honour warranty?
Nigeria is capitalist oriented. My little study of economics tells me monopoly isn't good. So let many sellers enter the scene; the better the merrier. Carry on callmenuel; I get your back. Your prices are alaba compliant.
Imagine buying mc4 connector for 700 when I can get it for less than 200 elsewhere?

justcallmenuel:
FL 897, alaba intl market.

Noted

adrusa:
His panel prices are similar to what I paid for some 300W Mono panels recently. This is however not an endorsement. Buyers must do their due diligence.

The man seems real. He is registered with konga as a seller. But like someone said, "caveat emptor", do the needful.

justcallmenuel:
I think you should try me for the first time and confirm it. Or better still, come to my office at alaba international market, Lagos state. Thank you.

Office address at Alaba?

justcallmenuel:
2.4kva, 24volts mercury inverter available, #55 000. Contact us today on 08168986461

Same specs but pure sine wave price sir?

This token is not token to some of us o

ceaser:
What battery chemistry is inside? If it's lead acid, my brother it's not it o. Like I always say, those 12v4.5ah batteries in those fans are crap. Short run time and 3 months, maximum 6 months lifetime.

I have settled for DC powered QASA fan and diyed solar charged lithium battery pack for it. It runs 9 hrs max speed after full charge.

What is the ah of the battery that goes 9 hrs

What battery chemistry is inside? If it's lead acid, my brother it's not it o. Like I always say, those 12v4.5ah batteries in those fans are crap. Short run time and 3 months, maximum 6 months lifetime.

I have settled for DC powered QASA fan and diyed solar charged lithium battery pack for it. It runs 9 hrs max speed after full charge.[/quote]You are right. It is 12v 4.5ah lead acid battery. And i know it won't last forever. That is why I am proactve to get better battery runtime.
Would you share the DIY lithium pack building process. I won't mind tinkering to build one if I can get a tutor. I have it on YouTube but is still hesitatant.