Solar power set up ideas!

[ptourin]

Nice vid! - and some familiar stuff...

[stanw909]

I have a 96 Coachmen Saratoga with rear bath, twin beds mid van. I bought a 100 watt monocrystaline panel ,30 amp PWM charge controller, cables and z mounts from Renogy solar for $195 delivered off EBay. 6 months and still working great. Will someday upgrade to an mppt controller to get more efficiency but do have room for another panel so may do that instead.. I had to change my tv antenna out for the newer smaller one but for $60 and more channels it was worth it. I mounted my panel just in front of my AC side to side. There is room on drivers side to mount another front to rear. I also have 2 lead acid golf cart batteries equalling 232 amp hours.

[tbirdman]

Renogy seems to have a good reputation out there. I was a little higher as I bought the AM Solar legs which ouch were $80 per panel(2) but are nice. I have a sloping roof so I couldn't use the standard brackets. I did go with the high end MPPT controller. If you have the space limitations, it almost seems cost wise better to go with MPPT controller if you want the highest efficiency.

I can't figure out why AMsolar doesn't use the MC4 connectors to parallel the panels. They appear to be bullet proof and you need a tool to separate them. I did up the wire gauge to 8 AWG from the panels where I parallel them to the controller.

I did notice one thing reading the controller installation manual. They say never disconnect the batteries unless you disconnect the solar panels. No where in AMsolar's system diagram do they show an on/off switch from the panels to the controller. I plan to put an on/off switch near the controller and also make a warning placard for the battery compartment. It would had been nice if the controller had an on/off switch.

[wincrasher]

My setup from AM Solar on my trailer has shutoffs. Don't have a diagram to show you.

[booster]

Originally Posted by tbirdman

Renogy seems to have a good reputation out there. I was a little higher as I bought the AM Solar legs which ouch were $80 per panel(2) but are nice. I have a sloping roof so I couldn't use the standard brackets. I did go with the high end MPPT controller. If you have the space limitations, it almost seems cost wise better to go with MPPT controller if you want the highest efficiency.

I can't figure out why AMsolar doesn't use the MC4 connectors to parallel the panels. They appear to be bullet proof and you need a tool to separate them. I did up the wire gauge to 8 AWG from the panels where I parallel them to the controller.

I did notice one thing reading the controller installation manual. They say never disconnect the batteries unless you disconnect the solar panels. No where in AMsolar's system diagram do they show an on/off switch from the panels to the controller. I plan to put an on/off switch near the controller and also make a warning placard for the battery compartment. It would had been nice if the controller had an on/off switch.

Our Blue Sky controller made the same thing very clear. It is to prevent voltage spikes. If you want a shut off of solar charging, put the switch in the panel wiring. If that is off, you can disconnect the batteries without a spike. A note on the batteries is still a good idea. Blue sky even says no switch on the solar output to the battery as you can get a spike with the batteries connected even.

[ptourin]

I don't get it - what sort of spikes are they talking about? Are they trying to protect the panels from a spike when the battery leads are unhooked? Sorry - newbie question <g>...

[tbirdman]

Only on the highest end systems does AMsolar show a switch between the panels and the controller. Good thing I read the manual. It's easy enough to put a switch on the 8 AWG lead to the controller.

[wincrasher]

That may be the reason why I have 2 different kind of switches. I'll look thru my manuals again and take a picture of my board with the controller and switches.

[tbirdman]

If I was Winnebago, I would had put in a circuit breaker though from what I've seen a breaker/fuse is not needed for small set ups. Definitely a fuse between the controller and battery.

You'll have a nice setup on your Travato with 260W.

[cargovanconversion]

As you can deduct from the previous statements, there are as many solar set-ups as there are RVers. No situation is the same. Always read about solar, read some more and read even more...
Solar basics are quite simple, but the details get in the way. Probably the best advice I can give, is that electricity in an RV is always in short supply. So first eliminate waste: use a screwdriver and not an electric drill, replace an electric water pump with a hand pump, etc. It's much easier to reduce electrical load than to create supply.
Some people can do without solar, some need it; for only a few hundred dollars you can buy a very basic setup, that is able to supply a lot of juice. That's how you learn what solar can do for you. With some reading and a little experience, you can decide to upgrade or leave it as is.

Van Williams

[booster]

The spikes come from the panels powering the controller, but the controller having no reference voltage or surge absorption from the batteries. The damage is most likely to be to the coach electronics when you connect the unreferenced solar, that can be anywhere upto panel voltage

[ptourin]

Ow, it was indeed a newbie question. Let me make sure here - you're talking about pulling the batteries out of the coach DC circuit but leaving everything else tied in? So you're not tied into shore power, and the only power source is the panels via the controller? And the controller without both the battery voltage and the battery "inertia" lets the output voltage move all over as sun conditions change?

[booster]

Originally Posted by ptourin

Ow, it was indeed a newbie question. Let me make sure here - you're talking about pulling the batteries out of the coach DC circuit but leaving everything else tied in? So you're not tied into shore power, and the only power source is the panels via the controller? And the controller without both the battery voltage and the battery "inertia" lets the output voltage move all over as sun conditions change?

Yes, that is the primary concern, and that is the reason.

Blue Sky goes a step further and don't even want the solar controller to have a switch between the batteries and the controller. They say if the panels are putting out high voltage with the switch open (which will not hurt anything), and you turn on the switch to connect the controller to the batteries, you can also get a spike.

The safest is to put a switch in the solar panel wiring as the main shutoff of the solar. If that switch is turned off, there is no way to cause a spike by doing other connects or disconnects.

[Boxster1971]

Attached link is the instalation diagram from AM Solar for the Blue Sky controller I have in my van. Note it includes a switch between the panels and the controller. Also has a circuit breaker between the controller and batteries.

http://www.amsolar.com/shop/wpimages....v15.06.10.pdf

[booster]

Blue Sky shows fuses in their literature between the controller and battery, but may folks do use a breaker there. There are some advantages and disadvantages to both.

Fuse advantages are that they are cheap, usually very accurate, keep the system off until whatever caused the fuse to blow is found and fixed. The fuse can also be pulled if you are in long term storage, in the dark, or outside, but plugged in to shore power continually.Pulling the fuse when stored (not plugged in) inside gets rid of the parasitic loss off the controller. Outside and plugged in, the shore charger on float is usually all you need. Disadvantage is you have to replace fuses, and you have to be careful on putting in the new fuse that the panel switch is off or you are in the dark.

Circuit breaker advantages are primarily convenience, no replacing a fuse. The disadvantages are accuracy unless you pay a bunch, cost, size. In this case you would not want an automatic reset on, as it could easily generate repeated spikes if it was going on and off. You would have to have the panel switch off or in the dark just like the fuse when resetting the breaker. If you want to be able to disconnect the controller to eliminate parasitic loss in storage, you would need one with a manual override.

Because we have an easy access add on fuse panel in the power area, I chose to use a fuse. Accurate and easy to pull when in storage.

[Boxster1971]

AM Solar provided a Buss 187-Series Circuit Breaker - Surface Mount 30A as part of the kit I bought. They are a bit pricey. It's both a switch and circuit breaker. If you don't want to spend a lot regular fuses are good. Just don't use those cheap auto reset thermal circuit breakers. My Airstream has several installed by factory and I plan to get ride of them as part of my current battery upgrade work.

http://www.cooperindustries.com/cont...s_187_MRCB.pdf

https://www.bluesea.com/products/713...face_Mount_30A

[tbirdman]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Attached link is the instalation diagram from AM Solar for the Blue Sky controller I have in my van. Note it includes a switch between the panels and the controller. Also has a circuit breaker between the controller and batteries.

http://www.amsolar.com/shop/wpimages....v15.06.10.pdf

In the system overview of the 3000i controller, they don't include the switch. I emailed them and suggested they should change the system overview diagram as Blue Sky recommends a switch. They haven't responded.

[briancummings]

Find all you need to know right here.
https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/a