Solar, Electric set up

[Jonesdds]

Here’s my list of parts:
200 aH Lithium battery
3000 W inverter, Renogy
2 100 W panels, one on roof and one moveable
Victron 100/20 controller
Victron smart shunt
Multiple other accessories

The renogy panels have MC4 connectors, extend a couple feet. On roof plan to convert to Anderson power pole, will have a plug rear upper of trailer(for two panels). For remote will also convert from MC4 to Anderson power pole and plug into same place.

I’ve heard MC4 is difficult to connect and disconnect to so want it to be a one time connection, not repeatedly disconnected. Plan with remote panel a MC4 50 ft extension and I’ll add Anderson power pole to plug in where roof panel plugs in.

I was planning 10 AWG to the plug from remote and roof top panel. Is this overkill?

Internally I’ll go 10 AWG to a distribution block, power pole. This is where I’d like suggestions, what should I use. I see some Chinese stuff on Amazon, 6 plugs, assume I can plug my two panels into that then use a third position to controller. I do like having add on options as maybe I add another panel in future. 3 is probably as much as I need, my controller could handle another 100 W correct?

From the controller to block, 10 AWG again? I think 10 is max on controller. What about from there to battery or power distribution block.

It’s the wire gauge and internal wiring I’m confused about. TIA for the help

[markopolo]

Nominal 12V system?

For:
- Hiker trailer, the off-road model ( https://www.hikertrailers.com/ )
- trips 1-2 weeks long off the grid, remote as possible,
- large 12v fridge, lighting and recharging of devices for entertainment

Why such a large inverter?

It would be nice if you could figure out how to have the two panels permanently in place........... maybe hinged or on slides ... That would let you connect the panels in series vs parallel to better utilize the MPPT controller.

The 200Ah LFP & 200W solar combo should exceed your needs most days.

If also charging from Jeep engine then a DC/DC charge controller would be needed.

10AWG for all the solar wiring seems OK to me.

Anderson Powerpole - not watertight & rely on plugging & unplugging wiping of the contacts for good connection. They are temporary connectors but often used in semi-permanent setups like UPS batteries.

MC4 - weatherproof, permanent connectors. Not too difficult to disconnect by hand IMO and easier if using an MC4 tool. The electrical connection might loosen over time if repeatedly plugged & unplugged though. Easy enough to replace when needed.

I think I'd go with MC4 connectors (with protective caps) for all outside connections unless the Powerpoles could be protected in a weather proof box. I guess periodically inspecting & cleaning the Anderson Powerpole connectors if necessary would also work.

[booster]

I second the mounting of the panels and going series, especially with 10ga cable. Plus the 50 ft extension of 10ga is going to give you a big voltage drop to deal with. From the controller to battery I would go with at least 8ga, though.


Without knowing the model of the frig it is hard to tell, but "big" 12v frig to me would 7is cubic feet and could easily use the full output, in good sun, of 200 watts of solar all by itself.

[Jonesdds]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Nominal 12V system?

For:
- Hiker trailer, the off-road model ( https://www.hikertrailers.com/ )
- trips 1-2 weeks long off the grid, remote as possible,
- large 12v fridge, lighting and recharging of devices for entertainment

Why such a large inverter?

It would be nice if you could figure out how to have the two panels permanently in place........... maybe hinged or on slides ... That would let you connect the panels in series vs parallel to better utilize the MPPT controller.

The 200Ah LFP & 200W solar combo should exceed your needs most days.

If also charging from Jeep engine then a DC/DC charge controller would be needed.

10AWG for all the solar wiring seems OK to me.

Anderson Powerpole - not watertight & rely on plugging & unplugging wiping of the contacts for good connection. They are temporary connectors but often used in semi-permanent setups like UPS batteries.

MC4 - weatherproof, permanent connectors. Not too difficult to disconnect by hand IMO and easier if using an MC4 tool. The electrical connection might loosen over time if repeatedly plugged & unplugged though. Easy enough to replace when needed.

I think I'd go with MC4 connectors (with protective caps) for all outside connections unless the Powerpoles could be protected in a weather proof box. I guess periodically inspecting & cleaning the Anderson Powerpole connectors if necessary would also work.

Nominal 12v, not sure what the nominal means. I will have a shore power plug to a strip, and a battery charger plugged into it to charge battery when home and if at a site with power. Lifepo4 12v battery.

There will be times where a larger inverter is necessary.

Can you expand on the charging from the Jeep, do you mean while in transit? I assume you do not mean through 7 pin connector which seems doable but not efficient. Would be nice to charge as I go that way vs from solar.

My concern with mounting both panels is taking up entirely my roof rack. In series is simple enough. Could be done with remote setup too but share the same concern about unplugging and plugging. One solution would be to stack the panels when driving, should be simple to secure them together and still be charging while driving, and either move ov

[SteveJ]

I use two sets of portable suitcase panels that each have been converted into series. Perhaps installing a 24 volt on the roof and get one suitcase panel for portable use and convert that to a series connection.

Benefits would include taking advantage of the MPPT controller's charging properties and the ability to use lighter wiring cables due to the increased voltage and reduced current. A 100 watt suitcase rewired to be in series would output about 3 amps +or-, easily handled by 12 gauge and maybe even 14 gauge cabling. Increasing the panel voltage will really help the MPPT controller charging performance on not perfect days by quite a bit.

As an aside, I carry two 12 gauge 25' cables for the portable set up. I've found that 80-90% of the time that one 25' cable works just fine and the shorter length lessens the voltage drop. The two suitcase portables that I used are 120 watts per set from Eco Worthy. Using one cable the voltage drop is 1.59%, using 50' of cable the drop is 3.18%. This is assuming 35 volts and 7 amps, but the voltage and amperage will vary.

Voltage drop calculator that I used:
https://grealpha.com/resources/dc-lo.../voltage-drop/

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by Jonesdds

Nominal...............

Nominal 12V just means 12V in name only. Your LFP setup will be 13V+ most of the time. Charging voltage will be 14V+.

Yes, while driving, charging through the 7 pin connector if your Jeep is set up for that. It's a common way to charge a trailer's lead acid battery. While driving, the Jeep's alternator could power the trailer fridge for example. The long, smallish gauge wire run & typically modest trailer battery capacity combine to not overtax the tow vehicle alternator without the need for additional equipment. A way to control the amperage is necessary with Lithium batteries though because they'll accept greater current at lower voltage compared to lead acid.

[rowiebowie]

Is your Renogy 3000W inverter just the inverter, or is it their inverter/charger model? With the inverter-only model, how will you charge your batteries.

I went with their 3000W inverter/charger because I wanted a simple all-in-one system, and because their 3000W watt model was the same footprint as their 2000W model for only a modest amount more and I wanted a margin of safety to run the microwave or for future battery upgrade beyond 200Ah.