Still Questioning MPPT for RV

dmiller

I asked in another thread how much we know (or the designers know) about how beneficial MPPT would be in the much more messy area of mobile solar. Here's some measuring the upcoming Midnight classic and the outback:

http://www.mavericksolar.net/midnite/classic/Classic.htm

Vic

Re: Still Questioning MPPT for RV

YO dmiller,

Thanks for posting the update on the Midnite Classic. Looking great ! AND it has a four-line LCD display, no more pinhole viewing the too-many menues of the brand X CC.

Just checked with the host of this site, today, RE the Classic availability, but the sales person did not know of it.

Thanks again, Vic

dmiller

Re: Still Questioning MPPT for RV

There still saying September. Have they said anything about RFI reduction with the midnite classic? I'm not sure what the excitement about due of the lack of direct beyond the power rating as compared to existing products. I would rather not have my cc talk, and the art deco cover seems frivolous. (And I like art deco as well as owning several edits of the movie Metropolis)

As far as an RV that can fit large panels MPPT probably doesn't cost any more than an older style controller due to the reduced cost of high voltage pv. But I do question how software that apparently has issues with vary light conditions will do on an RV.

BB.

Re: Still Questioning MPPT for RV

I am not a MPPT solar charge controller designer--but as I understand, designing the "optimum" MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) hardware and software algorithms is not a trivial task.

From my experience--The basic task is not that difficult (20% of the work gets you 80% of the functions)--it is the other conditions (changing light, temperature, issues with electrical noise from the loads, RFI, Safety, part availability, error conditions, users that don't do what you expect, etc.) that takes 80% of the work to get a product shipping.

I don't see an issue with MPPT--It is that they are taking the time and effort to validate their algorithms (also with other brands/models) and trying to address issues before they hit the field.

-Bill

Vic

Re: Still Questioning MPPT for RV

dmiller,

Think that you are correct about MPPT algorhythms possibly having probs with rapidly changing solar input. But think that the newer approaches may respond much more quickly than older approaches ('perturb and observe' for example).

Think that Midnite will be on top of, or extending the current state of the art for this segment of the market, and will prob be able to refine the approach with FW updates -- whatta I know ?!?

Recall the boB did say that he would work to reduce the RFI output levels of the Classic, but did not see him say that it would be Class B out of the box.

They must be very busy finishing up the final touches of the product, and have little time to hang out here.

I definitely want to snag one soon, just a matter of how long to wait after introduction, as my remote site has NO internet, altho, prob a Thumb Drive could transport FW update data.

Vic

niel

Re: Still Questioning MPPT for RV

"the boB"?

anyway, i believe boB wants to address any possible rfi separately as incorporating it for every classic can add to the costs of the controller and it is not needed in most cases. now we don't know what it looks like spectrally just yet and if 1/2 crazy gets his station situated then he may indicate what it is he encounters with hands on use.

boy and you guys thought i was critical as dmiller threw it all at the fan.:roll::-)