Newbies > Newbies
Have a running Hydro System. Want to add Solar for backup...Questions
kcebcj:
I have a Stream Engine in a small creek that I installed 13 years ago that produces all the energy that I can use up until a couple years ago. I'm totally off the grid and the creek has been struggling during the last couple summers so was thinking I would like to install some solar panels just for summer use to back up the hydro and maybe allow for a A/C to run some. Loose the sun in here all winter.
What I have now is a 48 volt system with a Outback Inverter 600 Watts a Xantrex C40 charge controller and a Absolite 48 Volt Gel Pod 350 amp battery setup. I put all of this together with the guidance of a solar professional who has sense passed so I'm somewhat familiar with the components but would like some help.
What I need to know. Do I need to find a charge controller that will handle both solar and hydro or do I just add another controller for the solar? I have not checked with the Outback Inverter people yet but I would think after the controller connecting to the Outback would not be a problem but don't know.
So to those who know any response is appreciated.
DamonHD:
I'd say that as long as you never overcharge your batteries (or overwhelm any dump regulators) when everything is generating at once, it's not uncommon to have two entirely separate systems/controllers that touch only at the batteries.
For example in my tiny off-grid system that I write about here:
http://www.earth.org.uk/expanding-off-grid-PV-system.html
I have one big set of panels on a nice MPPT controller, and a few odds and ends on a separate cheap PWM controller. They know nothing about one another. They are both set to 'gel' battery charging. It is not possible even in full sun to hurt my battery bank by charging too fast I believe.
Rgds
Damon
kcebcj:
Thanks for the response.
Kind of skimmed the article you posted and most of it is over my head.
I don't think it will over charge the batteries as the turbine has a diversion so the excess energy would get dumped I think. When batteries are full doesn't solar just kinda shut down? Don't know much about how solar panels operate.
Need to open up the Outback Inverter and see how I tied in the hydro and that might give me a clue as to what I need to do.
Anyone who has done something similar to my original post would sure appreciate your input.
DamonHD:
If you have a diversion load then the solar will generally attempt to dump through it, not stop charging, so would have to be rated for hydro+solar.
You could probably work round that by setting your solar to charge to a slightly lower voltage than the dump will run so that it will indeed give up charging before the dump cuts in, but you will have difficulties with the absorption/equalisation phases of solar charging.
But a grown-up will be along any minute to give you a better answer than I can!
Rgds
Damon
george65:
Just set up a seperate system for the solar. You can get controllers cheap and all you have to do is connect them to your batteries. When either the solar or the Hydro system senses the batteries are full, they will dump or in the case of the solar, just stop charging.
If you are dumping the excess with the Hydro, just set the cut off point on the Solar a couple of 10ths of a volt below that of the hydro so the solar won't be feeding the dump load.... unless you want it to for water heating or whatever.
Myself, given you have a backup source, I wouldn't spend a lot on a controller. I have used Fleabay controllers and they have been very good even though they were just PWM. You can also have 2 controllers running off the one string of panels. they will divide the load and that way you can get more amps into the batteries.
It is simple, no hidden catches. Just have 2 separate systems both charging the same batteries. One will make up the shortfall of the other and if the batteries are full, the solar will turn off and the hydro can run as normal.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version