Please help, Very confused
Comments
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Re: Please help, Very confused
I / "we" are concerned that you do not have enough charging for the batteries that you do have... The two solar panels are fine to me, just not enough of them! Do you have a charge controller?
"2) 400w wind turbines (about 15-30kwh per month each)" is the 15-30Kwh per month a calculate amount or measured amount? You say the wind turbines are hooked directly to the batteries? Are the turbines self regulating? Note: most wind turbines do not produce what they claim! If yours do, great, "we" / I would like to hear about your success.
Any circuit breakers or fuses in this system?
As to battery brands, I like Surrette and Trojan... I also like BIG 2v cells. That having been said, I do not recommend you going out and buying as many as you can afford! Without proper wiring and charging, you will kill them in no time. I know you don't want to give it to the stinking power company but, you don't want to just trow it away either!
If you can, post a picture or diagram of how your current batteries are wired. That may be the best place to start.
yes I have a sunforce 30 amp controller. Yes there are breakers in the breaker box. (max 20amp breakers)
I tried several times to upload the images and it always fails. I can email them to someone??? -
Re: Please help, Very confused
my average usage per day (when the elec. co meter was running everything) is 28 kw per day. Now that the only thing on the electric company is 220v appliances and a outlet for the charger it is 7kw a day which would be 210kw per month. Our elec. co charges .11 per kw. -
Re: Please help, Very confused
Please review my last post--I made a big mistake and used the wrong battery bank voltage to calculate the array size. I have fixed the post with the correct values.
I will go ahead an show what a 10kW array (10,000 watt) can output for your area using PV Watts website:
Energy use a highly personal choice--Same house, two different families. $200-$300 a month electric bill for one. $30 per month electric bill for the other..."Station Identification"
"City:","Indianapolis"
"State:","Indiana"
"Lat (deg N):", 39.73
"Long (deg W):", 86.28
"Elev (m): ", 246
"PV System Specifications"
"DC Rating:"," 10.0 kW"
"DC to AC Derate Factor:"," 0.520"
"AC Rating:"," 5.2 kW"
"Array Type: Fixed Tilt"
"Array Tilt:"," 39.7"
"Array Azimuth:","180.0"
"Energy Specifications"
"Cost of Electricity:"," 7.3 cents/kWh"
"Results"
"Month", "Solar Radiation (kWh/m^2/day)", "AC Energy (kWh)", "Energy Value ($)"
1, 3.18, 520, 37.96
2, 4.14, 612, 44.68
3, 4.44, 689, 50.30
4, 5.15, 747, 54.53
5, 5.73, 836, 61.03
6, 5.84, 788, 57.52
7, 5.92, 817, 59.64
8, 5.67, 800, 58.40
9, 5.20, 720, 52.56
10, 4.70, 705, 51.47
11, 3.07, 455, 33.22
12, 2.37, 375, 27.38
"Year", 4.62, 8065, 588.75
If you are looking save money... Conservation... Almost any amount of money you spend on conservation will be better than spending 10x that amount for the cost of an off-grid solar power system if you have (reasonable cost) grid power available.
I understand wanting to be rid of monthly utility bills... But spending $2,000 to $8,000 for a new battery bank every 5-10 years, a new $3,000 inverter every 10-15 years... Even having to add a gallon or more of distilled water every month--the "joys" of owning an off-grid system never end.
And we have not even gotten to the ultimate fun of the design + care and feeding of generator backup power.
A hybrid system (Grid Tied inverter + off-grid battery bank + generator) an be a life saver for areas that get hit with weeks of no power after heavy weather... But, I believe you say your utility does not allow grid tied system--so even that compromise is not good for you either. (efficiency and "virtually unlimited power storage of the grid" and the off-grid emergency power when needed).
-BillNear San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset -
Re: Please help, Very confused
I sorry Rev., but I cannot make any sense out of this explanation.... Also let me try to better explain how the batteries are running in parallel. 5 battery deep so there is 2 rows.
with 10 batteries they are
battery 1 pos and neg's are going to batter number 2 which goes to #3 to #4 all the way to 10.
battery #1 pos is going over to battery #6 as well as the neg.
Battery #5 is doint this as well.
os in addition to the batteries going in parallel 1-10 1&5 and 6&10 are connected as well.
The first attachment shows what I consider to be the simplest configuration for your 10 batteries. Note that the positive and negative connections to the bank are taken from opposite ends. Sounds like you might be doing this already.
The second attachment takes in account the fact that you have two rows of batteries. It is important that all interconnects be equal in length and gauge. Note that in the second diagram the lengths of the connections between 5 and 6 are not equal and are greater than any others. Therefore, the length of the 2 connections (pos & neg) between 5 and 6 must be made equal. Then all other interconnects must be made equal to this length. This is not trivial, especially with this number of parallel connections.
Also, make no other connections to any battery except at points labeled Pand N. -
Re: Please help, Very confusedI sorry Rev., but I cannot make any sense out of this explanation.
The first attachment shows what I consider to be the simplest configuration for your 10 batteries. Note that the positive and negative connections to the bank are taken from opposite ends. Sounds like you might be doing this already.
The second attachment takes in account the fact that you have two rows of batteries. It is important that all interconnects be equal in length and gauge. Note that in the second diagram the lengths of the connections between 5 and 6 are not equal and are greater than any others. Therefore, the length of the 2 connections (pos & neg) between 5 and 6 must be made equal. Then all other interconnects must be made equal to this length. This is not trivial, especially with this number of parallel connections.
Also, make no other connections to any battery except at points labeled Pand N.
example 2 (the two rows) is what mine looks like except for the fact that i jumped 1 and 5 together and 6 and 10 toegther. I am now on the way to the bank to take those off so that my bank will be the SAME as the 2nd picture. -
Re: Please help, Very confused
I should say that this is still not the best configuration. Have you looked at the SmartGauge page yet?
Also, since you are mixing batteries of different capacities, this attempt at balancing the bank may be futile. Good for learning, though.
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Re: Please help, Very confusedI should say that this is still not the best configuration. Have you looked at the SmartGauge page yet?
Also, since you are mixing batteries of different capacities, this attempt at balancing the bank may be futile. Good for learning, though.
Right again, Kamala!
Completely futile. Even if there were enough PV to support the bank size, with mis-matched batteries some will get too much current and others not enough. Both of which shorten battery life.
I'd suggest going back to the drawing board on this one: determine the loads, size the inverter & battery bank, match up enough PV to do the charging.
But what do I know? I'm just a crazy old man!
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Re: Please help, Very confusedCariboocoot wrote: »... I'd suggest going back to the drawing board on this one...
I agree, but he's got what he's got and might as well play around with it while he can.Cariboocoot wrote: »... I'm just a crazy old man!
Right again, 'Coot! -
Re: Please help, Very confused
I am aware that the batteries are WRONG. I have said that from the begining. I now am trying to find out what are the correct batteries to buy for a 12v system. Thats my starting point with this. First I got to get that right, I know how many panels I need (35) BTW the 3rd 120 watt panel has arrived (hour ago) and it is now installed and in place. SO, now there is 3 solar panels running in parallel pos to neg etc and hooked into the 30amp sunforce controller (they told me that 3 is the max so I will be addressing controllers after the batteries)
Thank you all again for helping the beginer -
Re: Please help, Very confused... 3 solar panels running in parallel pos to neg etc ...
Look out! Pos to neg would suggest you are making a series connection!
Is this the controller you have?
If so, it's max input voltage is 25 volts. The operating voltage of your panels is ~17V. If you connect your 3 (even 2) panels is series you will exceed the maximum input voltage limit of your controller and may damage it. So be certain that your panels are in parallel, that is, pos to pos to pos and neg to neg to neg.Thank you all again for helping the beginer
No problem. Everyone was a beginner at some time.
Craig -
Re: Please help, Very confusedI am aware that the batteries are WRONG. I have said that from the begining. I now am trying to find out what are the correct batteries to buy for a 12v system. Thats my starting point with this. First I got to get that right, I know how many panels I need (35) BTW the 3rd 120 watt panel has arrived (hour ago) and it is now installed and in place. SO, now there is 3 solar panels running in parallel pos to neg etc and hooked into the 30amp sunforce controller (they told me that 3 is the max so I will be addressing controllers after the batteries)
Thank you all again for helping the beginer
I guess we all haven't done a very good job of explaining this, because you don't know how many panels you need until you know how much battery you need. The panels charge the batteries, so you can't know how many you need until you have the battery bank question solved. Gee, that's not a very good explanation either, is it?
Let's try it in basic form:
Loads first. The largest total load expected at any given time determines the size of the inverter. If you expect your total loads to be 1000 Watts, you need a 1000 Watt inverter. If 3000 Watts, a 3000 Watt inverter. Never rely on the 'surge' rating of an inverter for anything; they often don't ramp up fast enough. If you're over 2000 Watts in consistent load, you'll definitely want to go with a 24 Volt system rather than 12. If not, 12 Volts is fine.
The Watt/hrs per day (or between charge periods) determines the size of your battery bank. Roughly speaking, 1200 Watt/hrs per day @ 12 Volts means at least 100 usable Amp/hrs of battery. At 50% Depth Of Discharge you'd need at least 200 Amp/hr battery bank to supply this. (Lower DOD is better for longer battery life.)
Having settled on an inverter size and a battery bank size, you can then determine that you need 'X' Amps of current to satisfactorily charge the batteries. Those Amps times system charge Voltage equals the absolute minimum panel Wattage required, and will tell you what you need in a charge controller as well (if the charge current needs to be 60 Amps, obviously a 15 Amp controller won't do).
And none of that basic description takes into account losses for temperature, insolation, wire runs, or equipment efficiency.
Yes, it's bloody complicated. -
Re: Please help, Very confused
VanDeusen,
I have sized a couple options and suggested a some batteries (and their costs)...
It is difficult to size a system for somebody we have never met--It is not difficult to see a 10:1 ratio between two different people... What may work well for me (expensive but reliable electricity, relatively cheap natural gas appliances, no air conditioning) may not at all work out for you.
You have two choices with the existing bank... Keep it for now and learn with it (and live with its limitations)--Not a cheap lesson, but still a good one to start with.
Or, the second choice is to see if you can EBay/Craig's List/Donate the batteries to others before they break down and die...
And the next step is to size your loads and available funds. To build even a 100 kWhr per month (3.3 kWhrs per day) system is still on the order of $10-$20,000+ ---.
You really don't want to do this 1/2 way... Install a large bank and nothing to charge it... Or a lot of solar panels and no way to store the energy for use later (night/bad weather/etc.). Both ways you end up with no money in your pocket and a non-performing system (at least, that is my concern/fear).
If you want to stabilize the system so that "it takes care of itself" for now (battery charged, a bit of extra energy to start experimenting with--we can do that too.
Move the house back to utility power for now--and look at your electric loads--plan on lots of conservation measures and other options (moving to propane/etc. for cooking, hot water, heating; install solar thermal for hot water; look at heat pumps for A/C and Heating; also desuperheaters for hot water if propane/natural gas is not cost effective/accessible).
There are some very nice small mini-split AC systems (Sanyo mini-split A/C or Heat Pump will run on 300 watts very nicely--if you can use a system that small).
Lots of conservation options out there--and they all make going off-grid that much easier in the long term.
-BillNear San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset -
Re: Please help, Very confusedLook out! Pos to neg would suggest you are making a series connection!
Is this the controller you have?
If so, it's max input voltage is 25 volts. The operating voltage of your panels is ~17V. If you connect your 3 (even 2) panels is series you will exceed the maximum input voltage limit of your controller and may damage it. So be certain that your panels are in parallel, that is, pos to pos to pos and neg to neg to neg.
No problem. Everyone was a beginner at some time.
Craig
YES but I have the digital read out version but it is basically the same one. AS FAR AS THE panels they have connections on each one (pos and neg's) they ONLY connect with each other ONE way.
on the back of the panels the pos of panel 1 goes to the neg of panel 2 and that neg is going to the controller and the neg of panel 1 goes to the pos of panel 2 which the pos goes to the controllers and of course to the batteries.. The 3rd panel is actually 8-15 watt panels and they are all connected and of course they go to the controller. -
Re: Please help, Very confusedYES but I have the digital read out version but it is basically the same one. AS FAR AS THE panels they have connections on each one (pos and neg's) they ONLY connect with each other ONE way.
on the back of the panels the pos of panel 1 goes to the neg of panel 2 and that neg is going to the controller and the neg of panel 1 goes to the pos of panel 2 which the pos goes to the controllers and of course to the batteries.. The 3rd panel is actually 8-15 watt panels and they are all connected and of course they go to the controller.
This is a series connection; exactly what Kamal was warning about. That means with two panels your input to the charge controller is going to be double what one panel would be: a Voltage Open Circuit of roughly 34 Volts. This exceeds the charge controller's maximum input. Add a third panel this way and it will fry for sure.
It's tricky doing parallel panel connections because they terminate in polarized MC4 connectors. You need to get some extension cables, one per panel, cut them in half. Plug each panel into the extension halves and carefully make sure that the (+) 'pigtails' are together and the (-) 'pigtails' are together. If you're going with more panels, you need fuses between each panel and the junction. All this has to be weather-proof as well!
The other choice is to get a controller that can handle higher input Voltage. That means more expense, which probably doesn't surprise you in the least at this point. -
Re: Please help, Very confusedCariboocoot wrote: »... That means with two panels your input to the charge controller is going to be double what one panel would be: a Voltage Open Circuit of roughly 34 Volts. This exceeds the charge controller's maximum input. Add a third panel this way and it will fry for sure. ...
Looks like the 3rd panel (8 X 15W
) is connected directly to the controller, not in series with the other two. So that is not a problem. However, I am a little surprised that there have been no problems over-volting the CC to this point. Perhaps the original 2 panels are not optimally oriented. Or shaded. -
Re: Please help, Very confused
VanDeusen;
I don't know what the batteries you have now are, as "115 @ 160" isn't a rating method I know about. The one notation of "cca" means Cold Cranking Amps, indicating an automotive-type battery which is not suitable to Renewable Energy applications. You really need to use Deep Cycle batteries, of the 'golf cart' type (best for starters).
If you want to determine how much battery you can charge with your 3 120Watt panels, that would be approximately 192 to 384 Amp/hrs. A pretty wide range, owing to variances in how much current the particular batteries require and how efficient your over-all system is.
You might start off with 2 of the 'T105' 'golf cart' batteries in series. They are 6 Volt @ 225 Amp/hr ("20 hour" rating). This would supply you with a maximum of about 1 kilowatt/hour per day (if everything else is good and your charge controller isn't fried). -
Re: Please help, Very confused... The 3rd panel is actually 8-15 watt panels and they are all connected and of course they go to the controller.
How are these eight 15W panels connected together? Series or parallel? and what are their specs?
Van Duesen, will all due respect and good intention, I wonder if you have an adequate understanding of fundamental DC circuit theory (it's not real hard.) Perhaps you do and are simply having a little trouble communicating through this forum format. You might take a look at All About Circuits, particularly Chapter 5 and probably Chapter 2, as well. I apologize if I am out of line here, but I really do want to help.
Craig -
Re: Please help, Very confusedBTW the 3rd 120 watt panel has arrived (hour ago) and it is now installed and in place. SO, now there is 3 solar panels running in parallel pos to neg etc
We've got to agree on the termonology here. Pos to Neg is SERIES not parallel.
Batteries in the layout below, are in SERIES.
Hang in, and check with the board, before you change things - fried VanDeusen is not the way to go.
MikePowerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
|| Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
|| VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A
solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister , -
How many in Parallel
I found a site that suggest linking groups of 4 batteries in parallel then combining those groups in parallel that then go to your inverter. Is there some logic in this?
My Electronics 11 class (40 years ago) said parallel is parallel.
Can't find the site right now so I cannot include a diagram. -
Re: Please help, Very confused
Not sure--as long as the cable paths are all the same--should not be a problem...
I always wonder how many people paralleling batteries ever put a fuse per string on their banks (even professional installs). Most people have a real blind spot on batteries and electrical safety. Probably because the fuse/breaker per string solution is a pain to install and the parts are not cheap. What could go wrong. :roll:
In the old days--people simply did not have large house banks (or in marine use)--if they needed a lot of power, they just fired up the old genset.
The old wiring schemes (boats, cars, etc.) usually just assumed that the wiring was heavy enough short the battery bank out without the wire overheating and causing a fire (i.e., the battery gave up the ghost first).
Now-a-days, batteries can really help save fuel costs (only run the generator under optimum loads instead of anytime even a little bit of power is needed). And that is driving up the demand for large banks.
-BillNear San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset -
Re: How many in ParallelI found a site that suggest linking groups of 4 batteries in parallel then combining those groups in parallel that then go to your inverter. Is there some logic in this?
My Electronics 11 class (40 years ago) said parallel is parallel.
Can't find the site right now so I cannot include a diagram.
Parallel is parallel and series is series and the problems come when people get the two mixed up.
I think the wiring you're referring to is for massing banks, in which it becomes necessary to separate groups of banks just due to the mechanical complexities involved. Electrically there's no reason and even caveats against as this sort of thing causes resistance between banks which will make them charge/discharge unevenly. -
Re: Please help, Very confusedCariboocoot wrote: »This is a series connection; exactly what Kamal was warning about. That means with two panels your input to the charge controller is going to be double what one panel would be: a Voltage Open Circuit of roughly 34 Volts. This exceeds the charge controller's maximum input. Add a third panel this way and it will fry for sure.
It's tricky doing parallel panel connections because they terminate in polarized MC4 connectors. You need to get some extension cables, one per panel, cut them in half. Plug each panel into the extension halves and carefully make sure that the (+) 'pigtails' are together and the (-) 'pigtails' are together. If you're going with more panels, you need fuses between each panel and the junction. All this has to be weather-proof as well!
The other choice is to get a controller that can handle higher input Voltage. That means more expense, which probably doesn't surprise you in the least at this point.
if each panel puts out max 7.6 and the manufactor says to hook them up that way and even goes to say to hook each one up together and you can use 3 of the 120's to the one controller. Is that not right? Should each panel go to a seperate controller until I get a bigger one? (controller) and since I will be eventually hooking up more panels (one per week while I grow the system) then what would you recommend for a big controller. -
Re: Please help, Very confusedCariboocoot wrote: »VanDeusen;
I don't know what the batteries you have now are, as "115 @ 160" isn't a rating method I know about. The one notation of "cca" means Cold Cranking Amps, indicating an automotive-type battery which is not suitable to Renewable Energy applications. You really need to use Deep Cycle batteries, of the 'golf cart' type (best for starters).
If you want to determine how much battery you can charge with your 3 120Watt panels, that would be approximately 192 to 384 Amp/hrs. A pretty wide range, owing to variances in how much current the particular batteries require and how efficient your over-all system is.
You might start off with 2 of the 'T105' 'golf cart' batteries in series. They are 6 Volt @ 225 Amp/hr ("20 hour" rating). This would supply you with a maximum of about 1 kilowatt/hour per day (if everything else is good and your charge controller isn't fried).
ALL the batteries are deep cycle batteries and NONE are car batteries. In the ratings book is where the CCA came from. Controller is working fine. If I bought 2 of the t105's then would I be going pos to neg and neg to pos to get 12v? or would I still be running them in paryallel (pos to pos) If I can get 1kw per day I would be happy as that would be about right. -
Re: Please help, Very confusedHow are these eight 15W panels connected together? Series or parallel? and what are their specs?
Van Duesen, will all due respect and good intention, I wonder if you have an adequate understanding of fundamental DC circuit theory (it's not real hard.) Perhaps you do and are simply having a little trouble communicating through this forum format. You might take a look at All About Circuits, particularly Chapter 5 and probably Chapter 2, as well. I apologize if I am out of line here, but I really do want to help.
Craig
the 8-15 watt panels are actually 60 watt solar kits. They connect to each other the same way as the 120's do.
Sunforce 50044 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit
Product Features
Amorphous solar charging kit provides up to 60-Watts of clean, free, renewable power
Designed for RVs, cabins, homes, boats, back-up and remote power use, and more
Weatherproof, durable solar panels can withstand impacts from hailstones travelling 50 miles-per-hour
Includes four 15-Watt solar panels with durable mounting frames, a 200-Watt power inverter, a 7-Amp solar charge controller, and a wiring kit with accessories for easy installation
Built-in, ultra-bright blue LED charging indicator
Product Description
The Sunforce 50044 60 Watt Solar Charging Kit gives you another reason to love the sun -- it'll help keep your batteries charged. This kit is excellent for cabins, remote power, back-up power, and 12-volt battery charging. The kit includes a PVC mounting frame, 7 Amp charge controller, 200-watt inverter, and wiring/connection cables. And with the built-in blocking diode technology, this charger kit is designed to protect against battery discharge at night. You can also use this kit to maintain the charge on any 12-volt battery for clean, silent operation of various electronics, such as deer feeders and landscaping pumps. The 50044 features a built-in ultra-bright blue LED charging indicator, and is a great choice for automobiles, recreational vehicles (RV), tractors, all terrain vehicles (ATV), boats, electric fences, telemetry and more, and it is even effective on cloudy days. This battery charger kit is made of durable ABS plastic and amorphous solar cells and has a maximum temperature range of -40 to 176-degrees Fahrenheit. -
Re: Please help, Very confusedWe've got to agree on the termonology here. Pos to Neg is SERIES not parallel.
Batteries in the layout below, are in SERIES.
Hang in, and check with the board, before you change things - fried VanDeusen is not the way to go.
Mike
LOL, I am just GLAD there are people out there that is willing to help. This is a awesome forum for learning thats for sure. Your diagram is the FIRST one I had a chance to see. I use to be a truckdriver and used a dorm size fridge in the truck thru a inverter so I have the basic understanding. I know that I am NOT too far off track as I am on solar now. I just need to slow down how fast the batteries drain.
I took the fridge yesterday OFF solar and put it back to elec. co and when I woke up this morning for the first time I was still nicely charged. So for starters, the fridge is hurting me. I watched TV on the plasma like I normally do downstairs and the lcd upstairs and everything help up. Seems to me that my problem is the batteries.
I am getting ready to buy the multistage charger 40amp that handles 3 banks. might be a lil much (i think) but as I grow I would only have to keep upsizing the charger. -
Re: How many in ParallelCariboocoot wrote: »Parallel is parallel and series is series and the problems come when people get the two mixed up.
I think the wiring you're referring to is for massing banks, in which it becomes necessary to separate groups of banks just due to the mechanical complexities involved. Electrically there's no reason and even caveats against as this sort of thing causes resistance between banks which will make them charge/discharge unevenly.
Outback MX60 60 amp MPPT Charge Controller
Our Price: $597.92
does that sound right for the price? I might get this one since you use it..LOL and 60 amp is better then 40.... -
Re: How many in ParallelOutback MX60 60 amp MPPT Charge Controller
Our Price: $597.92
does that sound right for the price? I might get this one since you use it..LOL and 60 amp is better then 40....
I also found this one, Xantrex- C-60 Charge Controller 12/24V 60Amp
now there is a difference in the price but would this one be surffice? -
Re: Please help, Very confused
the c-60 is a pwm controller and not a more sophisticated mppt controller. the mx-60 has been replaced by the flexmax series with one at 60a and one at 80a available. there are other mppt controllers that you could view in the host's store (see link above) and there's one available by rogue that does not have nrtl or ul approval. -
Re: Please help, Very confusedthe c-60 is a pwm controller and not a more sophisticated mppt controller. the mx-60 has been replaced by the flexmax series with one at 60a and one at 80a available. there are other mppt controllers that you could view in the host's store (see link above) and there's one available by rogue that does not have nrtl or ul approval.
Which is the best one to get for the money? Keeping in mind that I will be eventually haveing 35- 120 watt panels. Thanx -
Re: Please help, Very confused
that's a tough call, but is one you'll have to make as there are minor differences between them. for sure you'll want mppt controllers and that is plural with the wattage handling ability depending on the battery bank voltage and the output current rating of the controller x 80% due to nec rules.
for example the flex-60 is rated 60a, but at 80% this is a max of 48a no matter what the output battery voltage is so this means at 12v each flex60 can handle 576w. at 24v it's 1152w and at 48v it's 2304w. designing for a 48v battery bank voltage results in smaller numbers of controllers needed and would mean smaller wires could be used over other systems lowering costs for wire and reducing voltage drop losses.
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