classic 150, etc versus Schneider Electric Charge controllers

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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    edited January 2023 #32
    More or less, Vmp-actual is based on temperature and a minimum amount of sun (say weak morning sun directly on panels). Once you have that minimum sun, the panels will be operating at Vmp-actual (i.e., temperature of cells, and to a degree, a slight variation of current draw).

    https://forum.solar-electric.com/discussion/5458/two-strings-in-parallel-with-unequal-string-voltages

    Here is one example curve from the above link:

    Three different Watts per sq meter from 100% to 60% sun... See Vmax-power between those solar levels hardly changes...

    Note there are two sets of curves here... One is simply current vs voltage at xxx W/m^2. The other set is Power (Watts) vs voltage--And that is the one we "care about".

    An MPPT based controller is supposed to find that "peak power" point in the Power/Sun curve. Not all MPPT controllers are the same... Some work better than others. And some can "have issues" when clouds pass in front of sun, two or more arrays in parallel (i.e., one east facing, another west facing), random shading, etc...

    More or less, once there is "enough sun" to produce a "useful amount of power (i.e., more than a few percent of output)--Then if you have YY panels in series, you will have YY*Vmp per panel of output voltage.

    Just follow the MPPT input specs... I.e., Vmp-array-hot (minimum startup voltage) and Voc-array-cold. Whether that is a Vmp-array-std~36 Volts charging  a 12 volt battery bank, or a 200 to 600 Vmp-hot to Voc-cold array spec, it all will work fine...

    Remember that in reality, there are a bunch of Vmp=0.5 volt cells in series--I.e., 36 cells in series for a Vmp=18volt... So whether you have 36 cells for 18 Volt Vmp or 360 cells in series for 180 Volt Vmp--There is no "issue" with high voltage input controllers and a bunch of panels in series--Other than the usual (min/max temperatures, no random shadows on panel(s) in array, "array" facing on one plane, etc.).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,889 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    The PHD who helped design the Schneider high voltage controllers wrote the white paper below. I have used and tested them since the Beta in 2010. Your worries about low light are over thought. We  often get power of 300 watts or so in the rain or very dark cloudy conditions. It will not be any worse in the PNW, you just get more of them.

    https://solar.se.com/us/en/product/conext-mppt-100-600-6kw-solar-pv-charge-controller/#downloads

    Scroll down to technical publications and down load 

     Conext-MPPT-80-MPPT-100-Shade-Tolerant-Maximum-Power-Point-Tracking-Whitepaper_ENG
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Riley
    Riley Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
    Excellent info Bill and Dave. Thank you.

    I do tend to over think things and often...
    Sometimes it helps, other times it creates more issues and stress. 

    I think I am going to have to make a call here regarding the two vendors. 
    I do have questions on the Hawks Bay but I will first post over on the Midnite forum. 

    I also need to spend more thought on disconnect for 600V systems.  
    Off-grid: XW+6048 / 48V FLA battery bank (428 A/H (Rolls S-550 batteries)) / Conext MPPT 60 150 charge controller / SCP / Insight gateway / 12 - 260W solar panels / Kohler 12KW 12-RES propane genset
  • stokepade
    stokepade Registered Users Posts: 1
    I like Midnite and Schneider as the offer single shunt based battery monitoring. Outback does some adding and subtracting with a separate piece of equipment, and others don't. 
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,889 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    The key is a system that is on the same bus that goes out to the WEB.  Makes it easy and easy for others.

     I hate to say it but I am monitoring 3 systems now that the man has died or gone away. It would be very hard to help from 1,000+ miles out. I do save the special knowledge for my clients but try and get the general info out there.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Riley
    Riley Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
    I had a near death boating accident last summer and I almost drown. Scared me to death (almost). I have since started a detailed off-grid cabin manual for my family. It covers how to winterize and simple and important aspects of the solar power solution. Most important how to 'mothball' the FLA batteries over the winter time. But more needs to be added. 

    For sure, the solar aspects are the hardest aspects to document for my kids... 

    Off-grid: XW+6048 / 48V FLA battery bank (428 A/H (Rolls S-550 batteries)) / Conext MPPT 60 150 charge controller / SCP / Insight gateway / 12 - 260W solar panels / Kohler 12KW 12-RES propane genset