Opinions on patching together a small, new array?

softdown
softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,898 ✭✭✭✭
edited August 2016 in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Panels: 2 Grape Solar 180 watt panels pointed south. Output ~40 volts with sun.
             4   BP  Solar   150 watt panels pointed east.   Output ~39 volts with sun.

Charge Controller: Renogy MPPT40CC Voltage: 12/24   Current 40 A   Max PV input @ 24 V = 1000 watts

Inverter: 1500 watt pure sine wave (high frequency) Cotek

Battery: 1650 pound 24 V forklift battery

Objective: Run (2) chest type Energy Star freezers kept in cool to cold location & (1) 19 cu.ft. Energy Star refrigerator

Wire runs: #10 AWG for 50 feet. Branch into two #12 AWG wire runs of ~50 feet each. ~100 foot run to freezers. ~100 foot run to refrigerator.

Why all the freezers? Moving Denver home food stash to mountain home. Can't afford Denver home taxes anymore...(I'm selling most of my real estate for that reason).
First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • just starting
    just starting Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭✭
    #2
    What altitude are you going to? I'm assuming in colorado? Lot of snow might reflect on to two arrays on one controller? My 1500w array has hit 1800 watts and 1700watts
    200ah LiFePO4 24v Electrodacus Sbms40 quad breaker chest freezer to fridge- Samlex PST 1524 - Samlex pst3024  - 1hp shallow well pump-Marey 4.3 GPM on demand waterheater - mama bear Fisher wood burning stove, 30" fridgarair oven ,fridegaire dishwasher  Unique 290l stainless D.C. Fridge-unique 120l portable fridge/freezer 
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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,898 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    ^^~7500 feet. MPPT controllers are almost designed for split arrays such as mine. A PWM controller would have been a very poor choice.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,898 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Playing with the idea of adding four BP Solar 150 watt panels pointed to the west. The roof slope on the "solar" shed is only 1:12. Wondering about the possibility of overloading the controller at high noon? There will be ~360 watts from the panels pointed to the south....plus a significant amount from both the west facing and the east facing panels.

    I bought 48 used BP Solar panels last year. Instead of frames they have 2" of tongue and groove blue insulation board and 1/2" of cement board. They are....heavy. The lack of frames has made them a harder sell. They are perfect for laying on a roof and increasing r-value.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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