My first solar project

[gadgetman]

Hi all, I have a 73 Executive which I just put solar on. It seems to be doing pretty well.

I used a morningstar dual Bartery. controller 25 amp, 2 130w panels. I only have one house battery bank which is 320 ah and 1 start battery. The controller charges both. They are set at 90/10 so the house gets most of the charge.

Today I turned it on and it was giving me 15.1 amps max. Pretty good for panels rated at 7.39 amps. I really didn't expect it to do that well. I expected only about 80% of their rating. I was going to have 4 130w panels due to the 80% real world expected #s but now will only use 3 of the 4 panels I have.

Here is a link to some pictures of it all.

allmakesauto.net/execsolar.pdf

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Looking good.  You were lucky to have the space available to easily mount the panels.  You said "one house battery bank which is 320", does that mean you only have one battery that is 320ah?

Dave

[gadgetman]

No its 2 interstate marine batteries 160 aheach  wired in parallel. I don't have the height for real deep cycle ones. One day I plan to add some on the rear bumper carrier that use to be used for a cycle. To be able to use 2 I moved the start battery to inside the coach under a seat. Used a battery that had a hose vent and vented it outside. Same battery most euros use under the back seat.

[gadgetman]

I loaded the solar to 15 amps today and the batteries maintained a voltage of 13.1 while charging at 14.4 amps. Max amps seen today was 17.5 out of 7.39 rated 130w panels, 2 of them. Pretty happy about that. Third and 4th panel should be here Monday. For now since I only have a 25amp controller the 4th panel I may not install or maybe install it and put it on a "shade" switch to help output in those conditions.

[ibdilbert01]

Post some pics!  I'm excited to see this set up!

[gadgetman]

The pics are in this pdf file

allmakesauto.net/execsolar.pdf

[gadgetman]

Added the 3rd panel today. I saw a peak of 22.8 amps and I had17 amps of stuff on. Maintaining a battery voltage of 13.xx  If my batteries weren't fully charged I wouldn't of had to load it so much to see the max output. Seems to be working well for 390 watts of panels in parallel.


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[ClydesdaleKevin]

Yep...my computer connection is so slow in Muskogee, OK (no Verizon towers near by) that I can't even view your offsite pdf files.  I won't be able to check out your pictures until Kentucky otherwise.

Kev

[gadgetman]

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ok hope this works again

[gadgetman]

Here is todays max output



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[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Ahhhhhh,  pretty pictures for IBDilbert01   

Install looking good.

Dave

[Cakeman2253]

If you don’t mind telling us, where did you pick up the solar panels and dual battery controller?

About how much do you have in your system?

I have been contemplating this for a while.

Thanks, Cakeman

[gadgetman]

I bought the controller from wholesale solar its a Morningstar unit and was about 150.00
Morning star seems to be one of the only ones with a dual battery controller with a remote panel display.

The panels are kyocera panels 130 watt. bought them off ebay from a guy who seems to have a large stock of them. They were new but made in 06. He sells them only by the pair and they were 410.00 for 2 with shipping. Might save 30.00 bidding on them but I bought them at the buy it now price of 369.00. They are great panels at a great price. I bought 4 panels but only installed 3. They are poly panels and seem to work great. I may buy 2 more but need another controller as the one I have is only 25 amps but can take a 25% surge for a short time.

Yea I pretty well maxed it out with 3 130 watt panels. I like the idea of having 2 controllers in parallel tho because if something fails I would still have half a system charging. When I am done I should have at least a 40 plus amp solar system.

Other materials like fuse block, junction block and wiring , you will spend at least 250.00. copper wire is high. I had mine laying around. If you do it yourself don't go cheap with small wire. Use larger than you need. From my roof down the fridge vent to the controller is about 15ft. Much longer than that and I would of used #10 and not #12 as mentioned below.

What I did was run a # 6 ground to the roof junction box common for all 3 panels grounds.Made a bus bar out of 5/8 flattened copper pipe with bolts soldered to it. Then I used #10 from the solar panels to the box and then #12 for each panel positive. installed a 15 amp in line fuse for each panel positive and then down to a fuse block before the controller.  The fuse block before the controller is for easy testing of each panel if needed. From the fuse block main lug I again used #6 wire to a main cut off switch and then to the controller.Seems to work well.

My next project will be adding a 12v compressor system to my 110v house fridge. I have checked it out and will use a Seafrost system for marine use. It will only draw about 5 amps and at a 50% duty cycle thats really only 2.5 amps. Low enough for my solar to run it Might install a small inverter but I am really trying to keep it all 12 right now as space for more batteries is limited. My plan is to be able to go about anywhere and not have to plug in at all !!!! Well unless I want the AC. I run a newer onan 4k micro quiet for that. Being a single cyl gen its pretty good On fuel, uses about 1 gal every 2 hrs last time I checked it. Thats running the AC and the fridge and 2 converters. I installed a second 60 amp converter for the truck battery before i had solar. Mainly just to keep the truck battery charged up and for a alternator back up. It all about redundancy to me

[gadgetman]

I put on the 4th solar panel today . Total of 520 w. Loaded the system as much as I could and saw 31 amps.  Now to find a place for that second battery bank !

The batteries run the 12v compressor fridge perfectly at night and they charge up in no time at all.
Now to go camping !

[ibdilbert01]

Fantastic!!!   


Gadgetman brings me smiles!!!

[moonlitcoyote]

sounds fabulous, I REALLY wish I understood any of that. I SO want solar panels but unless someone comes out with step by step instructions its not going to happen.

[gadgetman]

Basic solar is easy to hook up, just need to use the right size wire and hook it to a controller and from the controller to the battery. Again with the right size wire. That's pretty much it. Then you just learn to conserve electric/amps


I found a spot to put another 2 batteries. I used a compartment that was used to hold 2x12s and other blocks for leveling. I  don't really need those. Its a nice compartment about  40 in long and its a metal box with a wood floor sitting on 2 angle iron beams. The door isn't vented. I will add some vents to it once I fine some nice looking ones.


So now the coach will have 340 ah. It is 2 banks, each bank is 170 ah hooked to a A/B/Both switch. That switch's common goes to a coach junction block. The first bank and the second bank are equal distances apart from the AB switch. I know its better to have it all as one bank but that's the best I could do not having space for all 4 in one spot.


Basically its one set on one side and another set on the other side and the AB switch in the middle.


35 amps with a 370 ah bank. That should work well ! Cant wait to go and play now !  
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