Can I connect a wind turbine to Outback flexmax 80 charge controller?

yrtrnc
yrtrnc Solar Expert Posts: 54 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
I have a 3 Kw wind turbine I would like to connect to my existing outback flexmax 80?

Is it possible?

How?
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Comments

  • ChrisOlson
    ChrisOlson Banned Posts: 1,807 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Can I connect a wind turbine to Outback flexmax 80 charge controller?

    No, you cannot use a FM80 for a wind turbine. I called Outback a couple years ago and asked them if it could be done and they gave an emphatic 'no'. It cannot track a wind turbine.

    If you want to use MPPT with wind power, buy a MidNite Solar Classic 150. After you buy a Classic 150 you will see immediately why the FM80 is unsuitable for wind power applications, because it takes some special software and hardware to do it.
    --
    Chris
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  • yrtrnc
    yrtrnc Solar Expert Posts: 54 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: Can I connect a wind turbine to Outback flexmax 80 charge controller?
    ChrisOlson wrote: »
    No, you cannot use a FM80 for a wind turbine. I called Outback a couple years ago and asked them if it could be done and they gave an emphatic 'no'. It cannot track a wind turbine.

    If you want to use MPPT with wind power, buy a MidNite Solar Classic 150. After you buy a Classic 150 you will see immediately why the FM80 is unsuitable for wind power applications, because it takes some special software and hardware to do it.
    --
    Chris

    Hey

    Thanks for your reply.

    The wind turbine is 3KW what controller would I need?

    Thanks
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  • ChrisOlson
    ChrisOlson Banned Posts: 1,807 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Can I connect a wind turbine to Outback flexmax 80 charge controller?

    A MidNite Solar Classic 150 will work on either a 24 or 48 volt system.

    http://www.solar-electric.com/mnclassic.html
    --
    Chris
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  • GreenPowerManiac
    GreenPowerManiac Solar Expert Posts: 453 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Can I connect a wind turbine to Outback flexmax 80 charge controller?

    Yikes ! Easier to hook up to the buss bars on a battery bank. A digital charge controller with a diversion load should tell you voltage and excess load, if any. Morningstar TS-60 with digital display added. Nothing from the turbines is hooked up to the controller directly.
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  • ChrisOlson
    ChrisOlson Banned Posts: 1,807 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: Can I connect a wind turbine to Outback flexmax 80 charge controller?

    I'm not sure what you're saying here. With a Classic 150 the turbine is hooked to the controller directly and supplies high voltage DC to the controller, in conjunction with a properly programmed power curve for the turbine. The controller handles input voltage control for the turbine, as well as charging parameters for the battery bank, and steps the high voltage input down to battery voltage, the same as with MPPT solar.

    The important thing is, do not try a wind turbine on MPPT controllers not designed for it. The Classic is designed for it. The Outback FM80 is not.
    --
    Chris
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  • windnrg
    windnrg Registered Users, Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 1 ✭
    #7
    You can if you connect a diversion load to it. Missouri wind and solar has a picture on how to do it on one of their sites
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #8
    Windnrg,

    If you want to post a link to the information--That is OK.

    And welcome to the forum

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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