Quote:
Originally Posted by LoveToCamp
Okay, rickst29, so the MPPT has lots of bells and whistles. How many of those will I need to adjust, to get one to work well with my system? Are they well-adjusted out-of-the-box? Or, will I spend a day reading a manual, then another day trying to make adjustments when the sun is shining?
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The first of two "pre-programmed" options for FLA seems nearly perfect for my needs (option FLA #0). But my battery bank, loads, and Solar panels are a pretty decent match for each other. If I had a ton of "extra" battery capacity, I'd be programming. Or, if I had 300W on the roof (overwhelming my smaller pair of batteries), I could use the more conservative "pre-programmed" option FLA #1. There is also a pre-programmed profile for "typical" Gel/Sealed batteries, and a 4th for AGM/VRLA.
BTW the cost for 'pretty good' Chinese models is now $170 - $190. (May 2015)
With less battery capacity and lots of panel power, you can afford to let quite a bit of "extra" voltage go unused. In MudDog's configuration, on the other hand - lots of battery capacity, only 150 Watts of panel power - it becomes important to squeeze every bit Panel Power into the batteries. To the extent that an "unusual" match between Battery Bank and makes adjustments desirable, you would do that just once. it can be done with most any Windows PC. When I bought my "discontinued" model they threw in the adapters and cables for connecting to Windows PC for free.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LoveToCamp
I read ( what appears to be) a good write-up on the difference between MPPT controllers and PWM. It made a good case for MPPT, in order to optimize charging, but it used a 240w system as an example. Is a 12v battery system really worth the $250 for a MPPT controller? |
It's not the battery voltage- rather it's the battery
capacity versus the PV daily output. If your battery doesn't reach 100% charge when charged with a PWM controller, THEN the gain in power is useful. (The gain occurs by converting the excessive Voltage of power delivery into more
Amps at the lower voltage the battery can actually take.) Therefore, I need to ask a question right back: How much battery capacity do you travel with, and what is the maximum Amps coming from your Panel(s)?