Connecting panels to charge controller

castilloj
castilloj Solar Expert Posts: 208 ✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Hey guys, I have 3 photo watt solar panels connected to a pro-star 30 controller which it's using a magnum mm 1512ae. Would this configuration work ok?

I set this up to just run 8 lightbulb and a security street lamp.
I'm using 4 Trojans t-105 batteries.

Thanks
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,649 admin
    #2
    Re: Connecting panels to charge controller

    What is the wattage/Vmp/Imp of the panels?

    Also, street light... Is it "efficient"? They are starting to replace high pressure sodium lights with LED fixtures now in our area.

    Anything that runs lots of hours even of moderate wattage becomes a fairly hefty load to support.

    With lighting, your eye's can hardly detect a 50% reduction in lumens... However, that is a 50% reduction in power usage--So picking the "optimum" light/output level for you needs can help a lot.

    Also, even if you decide you need a constantly on security light--You might make it low wattage and use a motion detector + LED fixture to "brighten" the area when there are people moving through the area. (I am still a big proponent of motion detector lights as a better security device vs an "always on" lamp--Bright lights turning on generally attracts more attention than a fixed light and somebody sneaking around).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Connecting panels to charge controller

    Since he's in Haiti it's not likely to be an LED. Probably 150 Watt mercury vapour lamp.
    And there's the problem: the batteries will supply up to about 2kW hours AC. The streetlight would run about 15 hours on that. The other 8 lights ... unknown Watts, unknown time. If they are 60 Watt incandescent bulbs the Watt total would be 480 + 150 = 630. At that point the batteries last about 3 hours.

    Like Bill said, without knowing the panel specs we can't say if they'll recharge the 450 Amp hour 12 Volt bank. But we can tell you what would: at least 350 Watts, preferably up to twice that.
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  • castilloj
    castilloj Solar Expert Posts: 208 ✭
    #4
    Re: Connecting panels to charge controller

    The security light is a Flouresent 75 watt light. Also the Wattage is 100/vmp 17,2/imp 5,8
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Connecting panels to charge controller
    castilloj wrote: »
    The security light is a Flouresent 75 watt light. Also the Wattage is 100/vmp 17,2/imp 5,8

    Okay so half the Watts of my guess on the security light. That's good. Now, what about the others and how long will each be on? That's very important.

    The 300 Watts of panel will have trouble recharging those batteries. All together they'll produce about 17 Amps of current, which is only a 3.8 rate on 450 Amp hours. As they will give you roughly 750 Watt hours AC per day it would work if you can limit the consumption to that.
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  • castilloj
    castilloj Solar Expert Posts: 208 ✭
    #6
    Re: Connecting panels to charge controller

    il probably run the lights /security light for about 3 hours. also would the three panels be ok on the pro star 30 charge controller?
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Connecting panels to charge controller
    castilloj wrote: »
    il probably run the lights /security light for about 3 hours. also would the three panels be ok on the pro star 30 charge controller?

    As long as the total Watts is less than 250 it should work.
    The '30' is the controller's name is its maximum output current: 30 Amps. Since the panels will put out less than 20 all together there should be no problem there. It could handle up to five of those same panels.

    Note that with three (or more) panels in parallel each should have a fuse on it to protect from over-current problems should something go wrong with one of the panels. With these panels it should be 10 Amp on each.
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