Adding extra solar panel
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Adding extra solar panel
I already have a 250w panel fitted and want to add extra with hopefully the added benefit of adding an inverter to the system
After chatting with a person on the Victron Facebook page he explained about wiring in series and parallel, I have a Victron 100/30 MPPT controller fitted so that won’t need upgrading , I was going to add an extra 150w panel but after chatting I will be adding a Victon 140w panel ,fits the space better and £s cheaper.
With wiring in series if I used the 150W + 250W will give 364W and with 140W + 250W will give 357W
New rails added in advance of the panel arriving
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Chris
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
Suppersready wrote:Could you post a link to that 140w panel please, they look the same size as my 100w panels. If they are the same size I may consider replacing to harvest additional power.
I bought from the same company as the link but from their eBay shop at a cheaper price
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
Photo’s, however the only 140w panel I can find from victron is as your link.
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
Suppersready wrote:Thanks Chris but that panel does not look the same size as the one in the OPs
Photo’s, however the only 140w panel I can find from victron is as your link.
Sorry OPs photo ?
Victron only do one size of 140w panel, a link here to all there panels and sizes
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
FreelanderUK wrote:Suppersready wrote:Thanks Chris but that panel does not look the same size as the one in the OPs
Photo’s, however the only 140w panel I can find from victron is as your link.
Sorry OPs photo ?
Victron only do one size of 140w panel, a link here to all there panels and sizes
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Sorry … take no notice, not had my tablets yet .
Thanks for the additional link ….
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Dbvwt wrote:Nice job, very envious of all that space up there compared to my Symbol roof which I’ve now completely filled.
I had to cover the kitchen skylight though, it didn’t really make much difference with the light though, the skylight is now on the night vent and the cables for the 4/5g Ariel come through there
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
Paul Bullas wrote:I may be corrected by people with more knowledge but I have been told numerous times if you mix panel wattages they will only produce the same as the lowest wattage panel so you now have 2 x 140 watt panels.
There may be a difference if the solar panels are wired in series or parallel. This topic though raises many other considerations, just to say my two identical panels were in parallel originally but have been in series for over a year. The solar controller has to be able to handle a higher voltage when the panels are in series.
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
Linked in parallel there was no increase in watts at all
In series: 62v @ 5.6A = 357W
In parallel: 18v @ 14A = 252W
The 140W + 250W will give 357W
Remember these wattages are the laboratory (STC) figures on the label. In practice, you will only get about 75% of these figures.
viz: around 270W actual watts total on the best sunny day.
That imputes a maximum charge current of 270W/14.4v = 19A (on a 12v system) on the best sunny day. Or around 5A on an overcast day or 2A on a rainy day.
Your MPPT is fine. Even on a very cold, sunny day, the input voltage will be just below 100v.
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
I removed the Sargent charger and replaced it at the back of the box housing the EC500 and also moved my MPPT controller there to, the space where the charger was will no be occupied by the inverter when it arrives and for the mean time I will just run a cable with a ehu plug to the outside socket to power all the sockets
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
Totally bypassed the installed wires and used 4mm2 solar cable from panels to regulator then 6mm2 from regulator to batterySuppersready wrote:What size cabling do you use for your solar installation ? Looks much thicker than AS used on mine, and of course so much the better.
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
Maybe because I am on the sunny South coast
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
rgermain wrote:Lots of very hungry energy users on here. I find 120w with MPPT is fine for me without the need for extra batteries or EHU ever.
Maybe because I am on the sunny South coast
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Richard
600w of solar on mine …. Totally OTT for six months of the year, but about right for the other.
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
I get by on 120w all year round .Suppersready wrote:rgermain wrote:Lots of very hungry energy users on here. I find 120w with MPPT is fine for me without the need for extra batteries or EHU ever.
Maybe because I am on the sunny South coast
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Richard
600w of solar on mine …. Totally OTT for six months of the year, but about right for the other.
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
rgermain wrote:I get by on 120w all year round .Suppersready wrote:rgermain wrote:Lots of very hungry energy users on here. I find 120w with MPPT is fine for me without the need for extra batteries or EHU ever.
Maybe because I am on the sunny South coast
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Richard
600w of solar on mine …. Totally OTT for six months of the year, but about right for the other.
I guess we all use our vans in different ways including power consumption … we tend to tour for a month at a time and we wouldn’t get by in the winter months with any less. As yourself MPPT controller bypassing the EC500.
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Re: Adding extra solar panel
Suppersready wrote:rgermain wrote:I get by on 120w all year round .Suppersready wrote:
600w of solar on mine …. Totally OTT for six months of the year, but about right for the other.
I guess we all use our vans in different ways including power consumption … we tend to tour for a month at a time and we wouldn’t get by in the winter months with any less. As yourself MPPT controller bypassing the EC500.
Same here and we use temp holiday sites a lot and have the wife’s mobility scooters to charge from 12v, yes we some time take 2 as one folds up to go on the bus and in the tow car and in bars and the other for the uneven ground:hugegrins:
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