Replace solar panel power supply

JanKu
JanKu Registered Users, Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 2
Hi,
I have a roof fan that is powered by a solar panel.  I want to to run the fan at night, so I need to remove the solar power supply and replace with one I can plug in.  The fan motor has these specs:

24V/DC 1.265A 1000RPM

I can't find a power supply that has 1.265A.  Can I use something that has slightly higher or lower amps rating?  Will it just spin faster or slower or will it damage the motor?

Thanks,
Jan

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You can supply more amps to the motor, it should only take the 1.265A it needs.   A 2 A power supply should be fine.

    Remember, the 120VAC outlets in your house can supply 20A, but very few things actually consume that much.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

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  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,093 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2022 #3
     I have two 12" 12 volt radiator fans mounted in the flat ceiling of my garage. I purchased them from eBay and believe they were only about $35 for the pair. Granted, these are dc fans so things may be different from ac.
     When I first got these fans I was playing with what I would power them with. I was testing them with a Seimens 65 watt solar panel and noticed that even though the fan motor says 80 watts on it the fans, individually, were running extremely fast on this 65 watt panel. When I connected both fans in parallel to the single panel they were running at a much more reasonable speed. I ended setting up the two fans, hard wired straight to the panel, no battery, no regulator. They have been working great for years now. It's cool how they self adjust their speed with the intensity of the sun. the brighter and more intense the faster they run. The panel is mounted with only a slight tilt to the south giving the best operation in the summer, when it's needed.

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

  • JanKu
    JanKu Registered Users, Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 2
    Thanks mike95490!  That's the answer I was hoping for.  
    My fan is wired directly to the panel too littleharbor2, I just want to run it at night when the air is cool.  Otherwise I'd just be pulling in 90 degree plus air.  I might get get fancy and try to switch between hard-wired and panel.  There are days were the panel makes more sense.