? About Battery Charger & Solar Charger

tcvb
tcvb Solar Expert Posts: 44 ✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
I am in the process of bringing mysystem up,? i have is about Iota charger should it be isolated from solar charger when PV's are charging batteries?I installed a battery switch to isolate it from the bank,i just assumed that was supposed to be done.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: ? About Battery Charger & Solar Charger

    i don't see the need off hand to isolate it unless one confuses the other. try it as is.
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  • tcvb
    tcvb Solar Expert Posts: 44 ✭
    #3
    Re: ? About Battery Charger & Solar Charger
    niel wrote: »
    i don't see the need off hand to isolate it unless one confuses the other. try it as is.


    So it would be ok for Iota charger to be on while Solar Charger is also on?

    Thank's

    Tim
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: ? About Battery Charger & Solar Charger

    current outputs of both the solar and the iota should add to one another.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,639 admin
    #5
    Re: ? About Battery Charger & Solar Charger

    And, in any case--both chargers are limiting the voltage to your set amount...

    The different chargers will "transition" from Bulk to Absorb to Float at different times--but the end result will still be a charged battery bank.

    If the Iota is being fed by a generator--when its output current drops dramatically (as battery is charged and/or sun rises and the solar array starts adding its own current)--then shutting down the genset is a good idea to conserve fuel and let the solar finish off the charge.

    Running the genset with very light loads is usually very wasteful of fuel (and for diesels, can decrease engine life).

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