Basic ? about chargers/controllers

Arkansasoffgrid
Arkansasoffgrid Solar Expert Posts: 117 ✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
In a off grid / battery bank system, if the batteries are "charged", can the incoming power from panels be used through inverter to ac appliance? Or must ALL power come through batt to inverter then to ac appliance?
8-420AH US Battery L-16s, Midnite Classic 150cc, Whiz Bang Jr, Magnum MS4448PAE inverter/charger,  4590w Canadian Solar panels. Honda EU2000i generator.
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  • NorthGuy
    NorthGuy Solar Expert Posts: 1,913 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Basic ? about chargers/controllers

    Yes. There's a special "float" regime for that, where batteries are maintained at relatively low voltage and the rest of energy goes directly to inverter (if needed).
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  • bill von novak
    bill von novak Solar Expert Posts: 891 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Basic ? about chargers/controllers
    Arkansasoffgrid wrote: »
    In a off grid / battery bank system, if the batteries are "charged", can the incoming power from panels be used through inverter to ac appliance? Or must ALL power come through batt to inverter then to ac appliance?

    In a standard (DC linked) system, power is shared between battery, charge controller and inverter. It essentially goes wherever it is needed. If the battery is full, then the power goes from the panels, through the charge controller, through the inverter then to the AC appliances, effectively bypassing the battery.

    (And no there's no switching that forces this to happen. The system just "knows" how to do this on its own due to basic laws of electrical engineering.)
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  • Arkansasoffgrid
    Arkansasoffgrid Solar Expert Posts: 117 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Basic ? about chargers/controllers

    OK, lets assume it's summer, 12 noon and nobody's home. Will I need a "dump-load" after the batteries are full. If so could a "inverter mini-split" air cond be used to drain this excess voltage?
    8-420AH US Battery L-16s, Midnite Classic 150cc, Whiz Bang Jr, Magnum MS4448PAE inverter/charger,  4590w Canadian Solar panels. Honda EU2000i generator.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Basic ? about chargers/controllers
    Arkansasoffgrid wrote: »
    OK, lets assume it's summer, 12 noon and nobody's home. Will I need a "dump-load" after the batteries are full. If so could a "inverter mini-split" air cond be used to drain this excess voltage?

    No dump load is needed for solar panels.
    Having an "opportunity load" which activates once the batteries are fully charged will improve the over-all efficiency of the system by utilizing power from the panels that would otherwise go unrealized. But such is not required.

    Otherwise the regulation is based on battery Voltage: so long as the panels can maintain the battery's float Voltage point any loads are essentially powered 'directly' from the panels. if the loads should exceed the panels' power ability, the difference will be made up by the batteries (and the Voltage will dip below Float). Once the load is below panel capacity again the batteries will return to Float and the panels will be powering everything.
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  • Arkansasoffgrid
    Arkansasoffgrid Solar Expert Posts: 117 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: Basic ? about chargers/controllers

    I'm liking this. Can these "opportunity loads" be activated through the controller, or must they be self/timer activated? Ex. pumping well water to storage tank, or running mini-split air cond.
    8-420AH US Battery L-16s, Midnite Classic 150cc, Whiz Bang Jr, Magnum MS4448PAE inverter/charger,  4590w Canadian Solar panels. Honda EU2000i generator.
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Basic ? about chargers/controllers
    Arkansasoffgrid wrote: »
    I'm liking this. Can these "opportunity loads" be activated through the controller, or must they be self/timer activated? Ex. pumping well water to storage tank, or running mini-split air cond.
    They can be activated in several ways, some controllers can, some Inverters have axillary contacts and there are stand alone voltage controlled switches, all would do it automatically. You can always turn them on manually, timers have no way to tell if the sun is shining or the voltage of your batteries, but can work depending on the load.
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