My new 140 watt solar panel

[super windy]

Hi guys

Just thought I show my new 140 watt solar panel, which I will be selling as of next week through my website, at the moment its hooked together with my 50 watt panel giving me 190 watts, its nice to go to the shed bring the extension into the house, plug the laptop and router into it and still see 10 to 11 amps going in to the battery and with a volt meter see the voltage under load on the battery side go up slowly, so this is totally renewable powered.

I also saw that when I got home the batteries were charged to the full, so I used the hedge trimmer and the edge trimmer through my inverter, I can now do my garden and other things without touching the mains power[][][].

I think I have finally reached a "peak" of what I can do in my garden as far as renewable energy,2 wind turbines, 3 solar panels, big battery banks, although I could get more of these panels I suppose[], speech the wifee[].

Anyway here's the pics, and hopefully although I am in the middle of getting a deal from the manufacturer they will be the cheapest in the u.k I think:

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z34/humberto900/15072009003.jpg

Its so nice to go from 3.5amps from the 50 watt panel to now seeing 11 amps, and the batteries always full.

super windy

www.windchasers.eu

[super windy]

Hi guys just made a quick video of it:

cheers

super windy

www.windchasers.eu

[super windy]

bugger i can't get the hang of this, here's the video:

http://s191.photobucket.com/albums/z34/humberto900/?action=view&current=16072009040.flv

super windy

[ghurd]

Now you need more uses for the power!

G-

[super windy]

Hi ghurd

Hows things with you buddy, yes I must admit when its sunny and the big turbine is working it takes the batteries to 14.40 in no time, actually a couple of questions, that you or someone else may be able to help me with;

1. I connected the ouput of the new 140watt panel and the 50 watt together at the charge controller I think this is not the correct practise but after opening the box at the back of the 140 watt and saw 2 diodes and all the other bits i was scared of damaging the panel, so far its working o.k, but whats the best way???
   
2. I now have 40+ amps from the big turbine,( sometimes more ), and 11 amps from the 2 solar panels, am I pushing it to much, I am abit worried of pushing almost 800 watts peak into the batteries at 12v or should it be o.k.
   
3. my solar charge controller is rated at 12v, 16 amps, so far I have seen 12 amps peak is this too close for comfort??
   
   

I still need a reliable charge controller for my wind turbine and I remember you mentioning that the xantrez c 60 wasn't the best for my application, which other one was it??, why can't you live in the u.k to build those amazing controllers for us here, bugger.

I think that's it for now, I must admit I used to sit there with my voltmeter and see my little ametek 30v and the 50 watt panel slowly raising my 525 amp battery bank voltage up very slowly, now when the big turbine and the new solar panel are working its scary how quick it goes from 12.5 to 14.25, matter of minutes, but i LOVE IT.

SUPER WINDY

www.windchasers.eu

[ghurd]

TS-60 controller.

The 2 diodes in the PV box are 'bypass diodes'.

They are in parallel with 6V sections of the panel.

I'd honestly cut those out because they cause more troubles than they are worth in a 12V or 24V system.

They do not function the same as a 'blocking diode'.

A blocking diode goes in the positive line.

Whether each PV needs a blocking diode is mostly up for debate.

My stand is they do not hurt anything with a decent PV because the PV is designed to compensate.

Most standard solar controllers have a suitable provision making the blocking diode unnecessary.

MPPT controllers are another species altogether.

Might be importing/exporting assembled controllers to the UK myself.

I seem to have lost contact with the person who was doing the UK end.

G-

[super windy]

Hi ghurd

Please do get those controllers here in the u.k, if someone is able to build it and test it I would be quite happy to sell them for you on my site, its the least I can do when you guys mention blocking diodes inline with the positive of the panels, will my ametek 40v blocking diode do, I am sure they are different do, I have a maplin store next to me(electical store) what sort of blocking diode should I ask for, also I have the juta 16 amp charge controller so I think it has the blocking diode built in???, maybe not.

Its amazing just how much one needs to know,to put a simple system together, I have learned loads from you guys here and specially at gotwind, and still dumb dumb, I couldn't put any circuits together, I am a chippie,(woodbruiser) so its nice to now have a bit of more confidence to try and fix things, although most of the time when I try and fix things I always go the wrong way about it and unscrew and pull it apart and srings screws etc.. just drop into the floor, I have 3 cordless drills that are o.k, just can't put them back together.

See u at windchasers.

Super windy

www.windchasers.eu

[ghurd]

For your set up, I would skip the blocking diodes.

You will not have times of good direct sun,with any of them shaded.

They would only prevent power from a sunny panel from going backwards through a shaded panel.  

And I do not believe that actually happens because a shaded panel still makes enough forward voltage to hold back the reverse flow from the sunny panel.

I do not recall being overly impressed with the Juta controllers, but they will have a blocking diode provision.

If you want to install blocking diodes, a 6A05 on each of the smaller PVs, and a 35A bridge rectifier on the large panel would be fine.

I would recommend installing the bridge using 2 of the internal diodes.

PV+ to both the ~AC bridge terminals.  Bridge + to the controller + input.

And use a big heat sink.

If that is not clear, there is a sketch here.

Replace "Ametek" with PV, and the controller is between the PV and battery.

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww20/ghurd1/Sketches/BridgeAsBlockingDiode.jpg

Debating the implications of direct importation of assembled controllers.

You guys have some funny rules.

And even assembled, they still are not 100% idiot-proof (one of my top priorities for assembled items).

G-

[super windy]

cheers ghurd

for your sketch and your knowledge, and may I add that for me a charge controller that is idiot prof is exactly what I need (lol), and I am sure other people not so technical in electronics will feel the same, hopefully you will be able to set up something good and reliable and someone else here can understand it and work with it, I am sure there's plenty of able people here in the u.k, like I said I will love to sell it on my site for you, but obviously would need backup here from someone, since if a customer returned a faulty item back, my way of fixing things is with a hammer, so I think I would have to call that item problematic(lol), and put it in bits in the bin.

super windy

www.windchasers.eu