Going solar

[turf]

thanks alba!

i had confused myself with the solenoid. i think when the key is on, the 2 sides are connected together. key off and they are separate and stay charged independantly. i think

regardless, because of the future 24v, the house battery (+) WILL NOT CONNECT.

making good progress today, i had help and that makes a difference. all panels are up, wired, and working.


more parts coning in the mail to clean up my old wiring, so, the solar is done, but the project is not.

pictures:
front 2 panels
rear 2 panels

 

[turf]

hey all you solar pros out there...... help!!!!!!


lolol

the older i get, the less i know

the solar system has been running for a few days but im not getting the results im expecting.

my big issue.... im not getting fully charged. the battery is just staying kind of static. the bms says its running about 60% down to 40% over night and back to 60ish. the system shuts down long before 80 or 100% charge. not what i expected.

the lesser issue im seeing is the panels are not running the same. right now, in full sun, battery discharged, 2 panels running 2 panels off. i dont get it.

any advice appreciated.

today i changed setting to charge to 14.00, float at 13.5.

i feel like the charge controllers are reading a different charge controller voltage and shutting off. they are networked together through bluetooth.

 

[kidharris]

hey all you solar pros out there...... help!!!!!!


lolol

the older i get, the less i know

the solar system has been running for a few days but im not getting the results im expecting.

my big issue.... im not getting fully charged. the battery is just staying kind of static. the bms says its running about 60% down to 40% over night and back to 60ish. the system shuts down long before 80 or 100% charge. not what i expected.

the lesser issue im seeing is the panels are not running the same. right now, in full sun, battery discharged, 2 panels running 2 panels off. i dont get it.

any advice appreciated.

today i changed setting to charge to 14.00, float at 13.5.

i feel like the charge controllers are reading a different charge controller voltage and shutting off. they are networked together through bluetooth.

I barely know how to spell solar, but I have a question. Are the 2 panels that are off wired in series?


BTW, the older i get, the more I find out that what I think I know, is now wrong according to the younger folk.

 

[turf]

lolol

thanks for the reply.

everything is wired in paralell. each panel is wired the same.

i need to recheck torque on the bus bars, but the difference in the panels matches how its wired. 1 and 3 are wired to the same post on the bus bar, as are 2 and 4.

the battery is on the post in between the 2. chargers on the outside of the bus bar, loads in the center of the bus bar.

 

[kidharris]

lolol

thanks for the reply.

everything is wired in paralell. each panel is wired the same.

i need to recheck torque on the bus bars, but the difference in the panels matches how its wired. 1 and 3 are wired to the same post on the bus bar, as are 2 and 4.

the battery is on the post in between the 2. chargers on the outside of the bus bar, loads in the center of the bus bar.

all connections are tight but are they clean? sounds a bit like a connection or bad wire problem, which would be par for the course considering its a new install.


in a series wiring scenario, either a bad wire or connection anywhere could take out the whole string, like a bad bulb on an old time string of xmass lights. In parallel the bad connection would have to be at the start or end to take out the whole string. I think?

 

[turf]

maybe i found the (a) problem

i tightened all the connectors down.... i guess i had forgotten to do that. everything was only finger tight.

that didnt fix the problem

i turned off all the solar panels, and 2 of the charge controllers dissappeared from the bluetoooth. so i was guessing that the batter connection for the 2 that turned off was suspect.

turns out the bus bar post was not firmly attached to the bus bar.

all tight now and all panels putting out watts.

still not "normal"

right now, panel 1 is doing 150w, and panels 2,3 and 4 are doing about 50w.

but better.

i'll let it sit a day and see what happens

 

[kidharris]

maybe i found the (a) problem

i tightened all the connectors down.... i guess i had forgotten to do that. everything was only finger tight.

that didnt fix the problem

i turned off all the solar panels, and 2 of the charge controllers dissappeared from the bluetoooth. so i was guessing that the batter connection for the 2 that turned off was suspect.

turns out the bus bar post was not firmly attached to the bus bar.

all tight now and all panels putting out watts.

still not "normal"

right now, panel 1 is doing 150w, and panels 2,3 and 4 are doing about 50w.

but better.

i'll let it sit a day and see what happens

when you finish installing, you may want to take all of the connections apart and clean them to remove any oils, whatever, off of them from manufacturing (oils from cutting threads, etc), some light sanding with emery cloth may be called for if you see any signs of corrosion or discoloration or need de-burring. This is especially important for parts made in China and elsewhere which sometimes have poor quality control & need to have the manufacturing process finished. Some are getting better, but they are not there yet.

 

[AlphaHare]

Are you sure the panels are in fact the same wattage? And not damaged from shipping?

 

[turf]

nope, not sure. when i had to ask for help getting the panels on the roof, its cause i think i might have broke something.....so...i will keep that in mind.

and thanks kh for the good advice on rechecking it all.

after my first retighten check, some of the voltages cured themselves.
after pondering it for a bit, i did a second bolt check and... after that one.... i think most volt readings were real close.

so it was a wait and see what happens today.

so, before sunrise, i took off. but before i left, i snapped a pic the status of the battery and will post before and after for the day. the solar system was left to do its thing while ran a long days of sunshine worth of errands.

when i got home. kind of the same result. maybe this is how it works. and i need to fine tune my settings.

not happy with the days result.

starting battery - 63%
ending battery - 65%
wtf?

yesterday i set the charge rate up to 14.5 i think.....
and the battery charged. today, it sat like a bump on a log.

at best, the solar is replacing what im using, maybe, but its not charging near to my expectation.

probably all my settings, and user error.

 

[turf]

ok ok ok

it was the connections, dummy.

i crawled into that battery box with my victron ap and a wrench and went to town. i did notice that when i redid a connection... each time i was ...5 watts more on the output than when i started. so i just kept retightening until i found the big loos connection.

then i was cooking with crisco. dang!

the system took off and started charging like a mofo. it jumped from barely a 100watt output to almost 500. i think i found that problem (my shunt connection), and tightened it.

so, still working on redoing the old electric. will post a pic when i get it cleaned up.

 

[heimlich]

Did you get your DC converter figured out? Make sure to buy a good one if you need it. I bought a $30 one and it wouldn't start my diesel heater. I bought the Victron Orion one and it started right up.

 

[turf]

i am planning on the victron orion 70a one. is that the same as your new one?

it will go right above the bus bars, with minimal wiring mods when its time.

today, im staying 12v. i wont be inverting much, certainly no AC. probably just a tv on a small 500w inverter. i think using an inverter downstream in my 12v system puts a big amp draw on it and might max out a converter. so im going to wait until my needs get greater.

i will go 24v, when i buy a big inverter, and then wire so my house works on battery inverter. then there will be no "big" loads for the converter on the 12v side. i think its a 70a converter.

500w is 40ish amps by itself..... crazy how big those numbers get.

so, yes, i think i got it worked out, been thinking about going ahead and installing it, but.... i think this is a good place to stop until the inverter upgrade.
now i have all the lugs, crimper tools i need. maybe wire too.... so it'll be a minor conversion.

right now the house will have 125a @12v available.
the loads are: diesel heater, fridge, water pump, lights, starlink and inverter

after 24v conversion the house will be 70a, without the inverter load.



phase 2, or the final phase, if im on phase 2 now.....

victorn multiplus inverter
victron orion converter
50' of #6 shore cable to wire it into the system.
what.....3-4 more months for me?

 

[heimlich]

I did everything in 48V so mine is going to be a bit different. Just ask whomever your dealer is and they will point you to the correct one.

 

[turf]

i had a bit of time today to go and work more on the solar project.

i got wire clamps and covers installed on all the boxes.

i got most of the old wiring cleaned up. i installed the old bus bars inside a plastic box and hung it from the roof where the cables come from above.

i shortened some cables and got the hots in one bus bar and the grounds in the other bus bar. then stuffed all the cables up into the plastic box and covered it up.
gone is my rotting plywood, and the old school breakers.

i screwed up while making cables and will have to order some more cable. i confused line and load on my breaker, and when went to fix the problem, the lines i cut were to short, so..... amazon, here i come again. its wired and working, but 2 lines are to short to make it into the wire loom.

there are some little wires in the pic that need attaching.... to my shunt. the tiny wires were battling my arthritis so i'll try again tomorrow or find a kid with some tiny fingers to fix it for me.

the solar system seems to be working fine now. im fine tuning my settings but i love it so far.

i am going to add a heater for my batteries. i think i'll make an insulated box for the batteries.

 

[tguy1241]

What brand of solar equipment do you have?

 

[turf]

its mixed.
this post has most of the products.
https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f9/going-solar-44326.html#post516520 from your local rexel electric supply.
then i bought the victron charge controller and bus bar from a company called:
https://rvsolarconnections.com/


i cobbled together a battery box to keep the batteries warmer. i put a heater pad in there, but night #1 did not work. the box protected the battery a bit, but the heater pad never fired.

the battery was on top of the heating pad and im guessing it was to heavy for the internal thermostat to work. tonight its rearranged so that the thermostat part is not burdened by the battery. its not as cold tonight , so i just sitting here waiting for the chill to happen.

heating pad
https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Fresh-Water/LaSalle-Bristol/277-000164.html

one downside to the battery box is the insulation seems to have limited the bluetooth signal fromthe battery. yesterday, the bluetooth would pick up the signal 100ft away, today its like 10'.

 

[kidharris]

its mixed.
this post has most of the products.
https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f9/going-solar-44326.html#post516520 from your local rexel electric supply.
then i bought the victron charge controller and bus bar from a company called:
https://rvsolarconnections.com/


i cobbled together a battery box to keep the batteries warmer. i put a heater pad in there, but night #1 did not work. the box protected the battery a bit, but the heater pad never fired.

the battery was on top of the heating pad and im guessing it was to heavy for the internal thermostat to work. tonight its rearranged so that the thermostat part is not burdened by the battery. its not as cold tonight , so i just sitting here waiting for the chill to happen.

heating pad
https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Fresh-Water/LaSalle-Bristol/277-000164.html

one downside to the battery box is the insulation seems to have limited the bluetooth signal fromthe battery. yesterday, the bluetooth would pick up the signal 100ft away, today its like 10'.

you are probably trying to stretch the bluetooth signal too far or sometimes there could be some form of interference


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth


when I first heard of bluetooth, if my memory is correct, the range was only 3 feet and it was used only on some hospital equipment, then wearable microphones/headphones for cellphones , and now everything.


According to this site
https://www.digitalcitizen.life/what-is-bluetooth/
there are now 4 classes and depending on class it can go from .5 meters to 100 meters

 

[turf]

thanks KH!

interesting read on bluetooth.

the victron bluetooth hits my phone a long ways away. sitting at my desk, inside the house, i can sign on to the charge controllers and see what they are doing. the battery bluetooth, i was, getting up from the desk and going to my door, and it would work. now with the battery box, i have to go outside to the bus almost before it reads the bluetooth. ~20' ish

well, now i,ve had 2 failed nights of testing.

the box is giving me about 10 degrees of protection. night 1 was 20 outside, battery temp got down to 31-32, but the heating pad didnt fire. night 2, the low temp was only about 30, and the battery sensor was at 42, and the pad didnt fire.

the heating pad sticker says its should turn on at 45, off at 70.

the heating pad hasnt turned on yet that i've seen.

i really dont want to dissasemble and pack a battery and heating pad to my freezer for testing, fingers crossed it gets cold enough to work and it works.

 

[heimlich]

I had a lot of problems with the Victron bluetooth on the Cerbo. If you don't have one I have seen where people are making their own out of rasberry pi. Then you can connect all of your MPPT and battery to it. If you are going to add a Victron inverter it would be nice to connect everything together in one place.

 

[turf]

i will probably try the raspberry pi.

there is a good chance this is the end of my solar. the 12v setup was meeting my needs before and now i'm recharging for free, dead of winter. as an rv its fine. if i live in it... maybe that changes.

but i do have an extra pi laying around so.... :biggrin:

i disassembled the battery box and took 1 battery out. last night i may still have been on the tstat, so tonight for sure it will work, nothing even close to the tstat. (except for me when i have to come outside and read the bluetooth.)


looking down at the heating pad, there is a brown paper cover with adhesive underneath. the heavy battery wore thru the brown paper to reveal the wiring bits. so by a half inch or so, last night it was still on the wiring. the wiring bits are in the top 4" of the pad, then it flattens out.