Solar Array on Vacation

GreenPowerManiac
GreenPowerManiac Solar Expert Posts: 453 ✭✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Suggestions for leaving the Solar/Wind array battery bank on vacation. Don't care too much about leaving the battery banks over charge while I'm on vacation. Would it be wise to leave the whole thing "Open" circuit from the 22nd to the 29th ??? Suggestions ??
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Comments

  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,022 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Solar Array on Vacation

    If I'm leaving things unattended with low loads for a while I usually reduce the absorb time and change the divert values for the wind turbine. I have a little oil filled electric heater on diversion load from my MX60 I leave on for a little heat and a power dump. The batteries stay charged up and the wind turbine is not braked (which doesn't work anyway) but putting out heat or is stopped. Water systems get shut down too, no nasty surprises when getting home, like a basement with water all over the floor.

    Ralph
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  • GreenPowerManiac
    GreenPowerManiac Solar Expert Posts: 453 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Solar Array on Vacation

    Hmmmm. Already has a diversion load, yet not big enough to take everything mother nature can give. I take it your oil heater is A/C, as mine is D/C output diversion.

    Was thinking about it and may run open circuits from solar array and leave the wind power (hooked up directly to battery bank) for a trickle charger. Might get 3-5 amps when wind is blowing for 15 deep cycle batteries in parallel.
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Solar Array on Vacation

    Gosh, I guess your worried about wind? I have a system at my cabin that I trust the charge controller to maintain for a month or more at a time. I only have tiny loads on, finaly turned the fridge off at the end of summer, I was spending Friday nights there until then.

    Of course it's the same as if I was there, do you actually do anything to your system on a daily or weekly basis? I check the water level once a month. If you think the system won't work without you looking at a monitor you should take out the monitor for a couple months...lol.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • GreenPowerManiac
    GreenPowerManiac Solar Expert Posts: 453 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Solar Array on Vacation

    Not too concerned about the wind since it's low amps and directly hooked up to battery bank.

    Batteries get PM'd every 3 months of hard work. Today, officially winter, doesn't pose a direct threat to the system since the sun is the weakest time of the year and in short supply, however, need to keep the batteries maintained (batteries on vacation too) while I'm gone, rather than overcharge to dry out the cells and cause a possible explosion hazard.

    Once I get back, will test out my new fully automatic transfer switch, potentiometer, and timer relay system. Then I should not have to touch the system at all but once every 3 months for PM's.
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