EPEver Tracer 2210A MPPT Fitting and Testing - 12v Solar Shed 

+Nick Luce Yeah my battery bank is full again before I'm in the shed on a morning (especially at this time of year!). I too have been very pleased with it.

+David Pedder So I could see exactly what was happening. I've learned a lot from those meters. Exactly what was happening when the suns out and loads are on etc. They've gone now though - I think I mentioned they wasted a bit of power.

Glad to help. We enjoy a caravan trip too!

+David Underhill The temperature sensor basically allows the Tracer to adjust its charge slightly if the temperature is particularly high or low. In high temperatures it will reduce the charge to ensure you don't boil your batteries and in low temperatures it will increase the voltage to help prevent sulphation. I like the fact then when I look at the solar station monitor software that I can see the temperature of my battery bank - which is the overall temperature in my shed. They can be found on eBay for around 5USDs so for me it wasn't too expensive and a nice addition to the unit.

+Paul Weston As long as you are aware you should be able to avoid any issues. Just make sure you don't connect any part of your solar system to a vehicle chassis then you'll be fine.

Thank you .... cheers.

The epever 3210AN Is the same of 3210a in the video, but with negative common system...i have in yhe camper!

@@AdamWelchUK Great videos on this unit, I have one on the way to replace my current PWM controller. I often run a jumper to the battery installed in my ATV from the solar system's battery bank to maintain it's charge in my shed. Will this be an issue for the EPever controller?

Yeah this is normal (but odd) behaviour. The meter only shows full when the battery is being held at or above the float voltage. Once the sole drops and the batteries voltage naturally sags back down it drops to three bars. One of my few criticisms of the epever controllers.

+ZeroHour Hello. Yes it can you just need to be mindful that it is common positive. For example, don't use the chassis as the negative feed from your solar (although this would be unusual). The area you're more likely to trip up is the load side, but as long as your devices & lights etc. are isolated from the chassis you'll be fine.

Hey thanks for reply , mmm I don't use it for load ( lucky as all my stuff is negative ground. At some point in the wiring ) my battery is grounded to chassis ( as should be ) my solar 200 watt panel simply has positive and negative 2 cables that go into my current charge controller , so I presume these are fine wired as normal , ( positive into + Negative into - ) the output will be OK wired to battery bearing in mind my negative side is grounded at the battery ? Regards Z

When I say output I mean the output from controller ,simply wired to battery normal way , battery negative also has wire to chassis for safety etc

From your description it sounds like you'll be fine. Just make sure your charge controller is isolated from the chassis. The heatsink on the back should be electrically isolated but if it were me I'd be careful to ensure the heatsink or screws didn't touch the chassis.

Many thanks

+volvosan my system isn't actually grounded at the moment. Shh. :-) but yes, that's how you would do it with this charge controller I was brought up as a man city fan but I'm more into my rugby league.

+Jerone Guinn My 50 watt panels create a maximum of 2.86 amps each at 17.5 volts - which is 50.05 watts. I'll have been referring to the incoming current I would imagine. Now you might get 8 amps going into the battery of the battery is low (around 12 volts) but generally my batteries are better charged than that! Once your batteries raise their voltage the charge controller will do exactly that - control the charge going into the batteries by reducing current to ensure they're not over charged.

Adam Welch thanks for the quick response. That makes sense.

+saad alareqi Thanks for your comments. To answer your questions... 1. Like most (all?) MPPT charge controllers use maximum point tracking and DC to DC conversion when the charger is in bulk mode - a constant current phase. After which the charge controller goes into pwm mode in the constant voltage stage - float or absorb mode. So yes it does conversion - but it doesn't do it all the time. 2. Your panels should work fine. Either in parallel or series depending on your preference. 3. The two controllers are quite similar. You'd hope there are some improvements in the latest model - but unless you've got cash to spare and fancy giving it a go I'm not sure it'd be worth changing. I'm not sure it'd be a huge upgrade.

thanks for your reply, - the problem which i don't get is why i get 16~18 amps? shouldn't i get 25~ amps due to the fact i have the 24v battery and the panels produce 37v~, shouldn't the mmpt convert the diffrence (13v) and convert it to amps?! if i do calculations 16a*25v=400w which is 2/3 what the panels should produce!... what confuses me is that my friend has the same setup as mine above but his mppt controller (i think called morning star) produces 25a max!! which i couldn't with this Tracer (16a~)!!. what could be the problem? - another question if possible,what is best, having 2 300w panels as above or 4 150w panels? is it ok to connect 4 150w panels (18.7v * 8a) in series with 24v system and get the max power of them? if no, whats the best solution? thank you for your info Adam.

+saad alareqi Solar isn't an exact science. There are many factors why one system may differ to the other. Some panels over perform, some under. There isn't a perfect charge controller that can do 100% DC to DC conversion etc. I'd be looking at your battery bank and how that compares to your friends. Batteries will only take so much power and charge will naturally reduce as the battery gets full. How much are you discharging your batteries, because your system will perform best when the battery is low. Of cause when our batteries are lowest - first thing in a morning generally - the sun is low and the panels won't produce to their full potential. By the time the sun is high in the sky and the panels could perform well my batteries in the shed are full and the current has ramped way back down. The final thing to look at is cabling compared to your friend. It can make a huge difference. Either reduce the length or increase the thickness if you can.

+Peter Hancock Hello! Thanks for the question. On my load output I have lights with individual switches as well as some outside lights on a timer, a 12v radio etc. However I run my AC invertor and my bench power straight from the battery (via a breaker). You can use the button on the Tracer charge controller to switch your load on and off when it's in manual mode (117), so if you just had one set of lights on the load output you could save the need of any external switches. I hope that answers your question?

+Peter Hancock Should have said, you don't have to have something on the load if you don't want.

+Joshua B Hi Joshua. When your solar panel is producing enough power to run your load that is what will normally happen. If you're producing excess of your load it will also feed some into the battery. Obviously if your load needs more than the solar panel can provide your battery supplies current too. It's not really a function of the charge controller this - more that there's more resistance on the battery than your load and your power will generally take the easiest route.

An MPPT solar charge controller can't make your panel produce a higher voltage than the current sun will allow, but it can load the panel less and therefore allow the panel voltage to rise up higher - if the software allows for that. If you watch my video on living with the EPEver tracer A Series for 9 months you'll see that MPPT isn't always the solution - in fact through the winter I place my two panels in parallel rather than series because I find that reaps better results). When you battery voltage is as low as 11.9 your PWM solar charge controller will be connecting your panels straight to your batteries (effectively a 100% PWM duty cycle). This will bring the panel voltage down to that of the battery (or just a tad above). This is perfectly normal. Your panels wont be in their most efficient region but they are probably capable of creating a higher voltage and therefore you might reap rewards by using an MPPT charge controller - but their are efficiency losses in the conversion. If you have space on your roof - an extra panel might be a more sensible place to put some money. If you've run out of space an efficient MPPT charge controller might help you out a bit.

+Paul Lockyer No advantage except that with the higher current charge controller you could add more panels later :-) The larger connectors allow for thicker wire, but will still take the thinner cable if needed - just be careful to make sure you get a good connection. Thanks for your questions.

Thank you so much - Brilliant as ever and so quick

+Paul Locker I know your comment was some 2 years ago, but people still read them, so to answer your question. yep it doesn't matter on size of the cable you have, on your current solar panel wires. As long as they can carry the correct amps, so if you have 2 100W panels they should be rated at 5.5amps each so 11amps it will take your 4mm sq cable as it should be rated for around 20+ amps the recommended 10mm cable would carry between 50 an 70amps but yet the Tracer 2210A is only a 20amp controller so would only recommend 6mmsq an the 30 amp controller which is the 3210 tracer would recommend 10mm.

+Resist Dk Yeah features really. The Eco-Worthy charge controller is a decent unit but I wanted to monitor my batteries from the comfort of my house. This EPEver has allowed me to do that.

I ordered one for the same reason, features. After having seen you videos about the rj45 usb cabel monitoring. Tnx for those also :) i dont have a good spot yet for my 100 watt panel, need to clear some trees first. But i plan to test my various solar controllers soon using a psu set at 18 volts 5.55a which should simulate my panel at full load. its not testing the variation in voltage when its bumping up and down due to sun light variation, aka tracking, but it should give a good indication of the conversion efficiancy at full load. i have a 20a pmw, some cheap mppt 5a boards and the epever 10a which is in transport currently.

IF you can afford the expense of the cables,run your panel up as high as practical,to avoid the tree shadows. Otherwise, it's tree time.

+Charles Moore My system isn't actually earthed. The charge controller is common positive which means it switches in the negative side. If you grounded your solar panels negative to ground and you battery to ground you'd effectively bypass the charge controller. You can earth the positive connection if you feel it's necessary.

I'd suggest series parallel will be the best option - although you didn't say which version you have ordered. Two panels in series giving you a voltage of 76v open circuit and a MPP at about 62volts is well within the spec of the controller. So placing two sets of those panels in parallel will give you a maximum current of about 17 amps on the input. So the question is which controller model did you go for? Doing the maths I hope you've gone for the 40 amp?

So sorry for not mentioning the controller. I hv ordered Tracer 4210A 40 amps. So two sets of panels in series and both the sets in parallel. According to this setup i will be having 520w solar but high voltage , due to series setup in which voltage rises but amps n wattage remain the same compared to parallel connection in which both watts n amp will increase.... Adam this is where im mostly confused. Please educate me.

Super - I think you've gone for the right option then. Panels in series the voltage increases but the current stays the same. Panels in parallel the current increases but the voltage stays the same. I've drawn a diagram based on your panels which may or may not help! goo.gl/photos/iV9ESRHRVMQBq9UF6

I got the idea. Thanks Adam. I will setup my panels the way you showed in the diagram.

The tracers can be a bit confusing with their ratings. Most controllers are limited by their input current, but thats not quite my understanding with the tracers. The 20 amp limit on the 2210A is a limit on how much current it will deliver into the battery (or to the load). So 315w at 12v is something like 26 amps (assuming brilliant sun, a perfect conversion and a well discharged battery) which sounds like too much for the tracer. Thing is even on a bright clear morning your panel isn't going to hit it's maximum power for a while. Your battery will be charging up and the cotroller will start limiting the current coming in to prevent over charge. So having a panel which after conversion can create more current than the controller is designed to handle isn't neccasarily an issue. The advantage here also is when the weather is poor, you've got more potential on the imput than if you used a smaller panel which would never go over the operating limits. The tricky bit is how the system is going to perform when the dun comes from behind a thick cloud quickly - we it react quickly enough? I've never blown a charge controller however, and that's because I generally buy 'the next model up'. If I'm expecting 10 amps, I buy the 20 amp version. Expecting 30 amps, I'd go for the 40. Running these items well within their designed operating parameters (for me at least) makes good sense.

Thank you very much for the information Adam :)Actually that is also my understanding, the 20A on 2210A model means it can only charge at 20A max. I'm just confused on the marking/sticker on the box that says: "Max PV Input Power:260W (12V), 520W (24V) But on the manual/datasheet, Max PV Array Power 780W (12V), 1560W (24V).From what I know I can connect 2 - 315W panels in series for the Tracer 2210A for a total of 630W, 74V. If I just connect 1pc 315W panel with Imp of 8.51, I think it is also suited for the 2210A 20A? I just don't understand what the "Max PV Input Power of 260W" means. - or is it meant to be 20A (260W / 12 = 21.6A) ?

I’ve used EPEver MPPT solar charge controllers for a few years now. They are MPPT. They might not track quite as quickly as the more expensive models but they do the job pretty well and excellently for the price tag in my opinion.

@@AdamWelchUK in fact I believe that some more expensive European or American brands have the same internal components, but they cost more because they are European. victronenergy bluesolar 30a has the same specifications as epever but costs more. I have a Victronenergy inverter and it works very well, but the connection cable for monitoring (similar to rj45) cost me 30 euros !!! the cable for monitoring epever cost me 2 euros !! the wifi box epever cost me 17 euros, and works at 50 meters, the Victronenergy wifi box costs 60 euros and works 20 meters !!! I'm satisfied with my epever's algorithm, it seems very fast and almost 100%. Thank you for answer!

+thefeistycadavar I believe the bars on the battery symbol are to do with state of charge. I'm presuming these charge controllers determine SOC by monitoring the history of charging and discharging. They aren't directly connected to voltage from my experiments. The tracer A series doesn't seem to have any internal memory. It can stream stats out of the MODBUS port, but first store any data to download later - this can happen on the itracer or etracer I believe.

+Adam Welch Sorry should have said - but it doesn't store any data...

+Colin Hickey Although I use a 20A controller everything is based (and fused) on 10 amps in my install. The solar panels use 4mm wire which came with them but then after combining there is a short distance of 12AWG. The load outputs on the same 12AWG silicone stuff. With everything on my loads only come up to about 3.5 amps. My heavier loads come off straight after my DC breaker (they are also fused separately). The battery is on 10AWG for a short run to my breaker where it then uses fairly thick (although copper covered aluminium) jumper cable - although there's nothing on the insulation the box suggested a couple of hundred amps - although I guess that's for a short period. It could be beefier, but wire is so expensive!

The last comment is pretty much what caused me asking as when i've been looking at cabling it's so damn expensive. I wondered if i'd missed some cheap source or been thinking about it wrong. I think on reflection my solar cables could be 4mm2 too. I really need to sort some good cabling and breakers out though as it's currently on really in appropriate cabling, only on a 10w panel but have a 100w panel don't want to fry anything, well anything more as i've already destroyed a few small things.

+Colin Hickey Solar panels are fairly safe to be honest. They don't hold any charge, and shorting them shouldn't cause any real issues. Place a multi meter across the terminals and you'll see their open voltage. Connect pos to neg and you'll see current. But they are pretty much mutually exclusive. They only produce power (watts) somewhere in the middle. Batteries on the other hand - lots of potential stored and that's where you need to be more careful. I found it far cheaper to buy jumper cables than I ever could have bought the cable alone. Salvaging might be the best option if you have the opportunity.

+Adam Welch BandM did have jumper cables for a quick each which would have been great but couldn't find them on my last visit. The solar wasn't really an issue as you say, was the load side which i've ahem shorted a few times and also made a few booboo's which have knackred a few things lol

+Colin Hickey I'll take a look in B&M next time I'm passing - thanks. Got mine from a Tescos extra I think. I've had a few mistakes, but all my loads are individually fused at a reasonable level. The individual load fuse should pop well before anything gets damaged.

+James Grove Well the main difference out of the box is the integral screen but the other major difference is that the A series has a maximum panel voltage of 100 volts where as the BN series is 150 volts. Whether the algorithm has been updated or they've fixed any other internal issues is anyone's guess.

I have a feeling the algorithm will be the same across the series?

+James Grove Most probably.

+Mazen Noman Hello. Page nine and ten of the manual suggest the best wiring options. I think you'll find it says for your combination two panels in series and then the two sets in parallel. Hope that helps?

thanks alot

+Nicholas Holdridge Perfect. I've had quite a few comments on here asking this, lots of comments saying they've bought one and are happy, and I think one or two saying they've had issues. So from my fairly limited experience they seem fairly reliable. However your mileage may vary. A common complaint is the odd behaviour of the SOC meter - and it is odd. Generally I think the feedback I'm getting is pretty good.

There have been excessive heat issues. Good ventilation is required,depending on your out put. Heat is bad.

+Y Gator The complication in my system is around the fact that I divert my solar panels to other tasks once my main batteries are full. For most it really shouldn't make a difference if things are common positive or negative. As long as you wire your panels, battery and load straight to the charge controller it shouldn't be a problem. If your setup gets more complicated, you might find that some wiring configurations could effectively bypass the charge controller less you consider the charge controller type.

+Adam Welch How is grounding and lightning protection handled?

+Adam Welch Yeah, +ve common charge controllers are the absolute bain of developing a complex system...! I suppose you could start with positive common and keep everything that way all the time. But it somehow just doesn't seem to "sit right" I reckon. Although having said that the best way to use n-channel mosfets is to adopt a +ve common scheme. And that's why they do.

+xanataph Yeah my brain says you should switch the positive side. Just realised the tracer charge controller has a line drawn near the terminals which shows it is common pos.

+Y Gator Erm... It isn't. My shed is only 8 foot high at the highest point and is surrounded by higher buildings. In fact a telegraph pole is situated very close and some of its wires travel straight over my shed - so theory has it it really shouldn't be an issue. If anything changes I will re-evaluate.

+davidsuzuki256 Thank you. It's got one built in - I'm not using an external shunt.

+Alistair Clark I do have a video about that but since then it's changed. I run two panels in series now - but actually there is very little advantage in the summer as my panel cabling is very short. In the winter however I find the controller works better for me with the panels in parallel - I covered this is my video - The tracer A series after nine months.

+simon greaves Connecting mis-matched panels unfortunately doesn't work very well. Your larger panels can be dragged down to the maximum output of your smaller panel. Best to have different charge controllers for each size of panel.

+Rajesh Marichetti The load output is whatever voltage your battery is. If you're using 12v lighting on a 24v battery configuration then you'd needs step down converter.

thanks that helps. Is your system 24v? do you have dc loads?

+Rajesh Marichetti My main system is 12v but I also have a lithium pack which is set up in a 24v configuration.

You’ll find the tracer will limit its self to ensure it doesn’t go over spec. So you’re probably safe to leave all three connected all year round.

Adam Welch thanks for that Adam your videos are very helpful

+SuperMaiki76 Usually it makes sense with MPPT to maximise your voltage and allow the controller to do DC to DC conversion as you suggest. In my case I sometimes divert my panels to other tasks, my wires are reasonable and very short so it's less crucial for me. Thanks for your comment.

+Adam Welch I'm pretty happy with the controller but I was expecting a bit more I do have admit.

+SuperMaiki76 A bit more of what?

+Adam Welch well...this is pretty advanced already...so why cannot have more advanced settings too..instead have to buy more just to do that..

+SuperMaiki76 You get a lot more info out of your setup with this charge controller apposed to most of epsolars other charge controllers, but yes it's a shame you have to buy an extra. Have you seen my video on using the Windows software? That only cost me 99 pence and an old cat5 cable.

+Nick Luce At a guess that will probably be your kilowatt hour (kWh) accumulation.

+Roy Lucman The Tracer manual suggests that you should connect them in series parallel. So two panels in series, then two sets of those panels in parallel. That will end up with you bringing in about 38 volts at ten amps, which should convert to about 30 amps if you've got a low battery at 12 volts.

Hello and yes. MPPT technology allows for your panels to be higher voltages than your battery - in fact most manufacturers will recommend this for efficiency.

hi. i am having two 350w 24v solar panels and single 200ah Battery and mppt solar charge controller 40amp amberroot. should i connect my pannels in series or parralel to charge my battery and run some load on solar simultaneously.

My load positive goes straight to a fuse box where it is distributed from there.

@@AdamWelchUK That's brilliant and it's what I've done but I can't find other videos which show this

PS Thanks for the quick reply

+Eric Serrano I prefer the voltage method to State of Charge. I have a chart printed out which has much the same voltages as you've posted here. I'm sure many will find it useful. The EPEver tracer screen does not have a back light (neither does the viewstar PWM that uses the same module) I'm afraid. Thanks for your comments.

Don't go lower than 11.9 Volts,no load. I cut mine off @ 11.5 V. under load. It depends on the wattage/usage/amount of the load,really. Also the type of batteries that you are using!

+Daniel Pe If it stays within the specified output then yes you could, but I'd usually suggest running your inverter directly from the battery. Inverters usually have their own low voltage cut out to protect your batteries.

+Adam Welch Okay got it! Thanks! :)

Yes, the charge controller can cope with up to 96 volts on the solar input on a 12v battery system.

@@AdamWelchUK ok Thank You Very Much To That Information I've been asking that Question to many RU-vidrs and Solar Enthusiast. But Youre the Only One Answer It.Thank You

It depends on a few things... Solar cable length, your charge controller, your battery configuration, panel shading and direction etc. However generally it's best (and cheapest) to run your panels in series to increase the voltage. That means you can transmit the power further on thinner cable without as many losses. You can only do that to the input limit of your charge controller though. However if you are using PWM charge controllers, your panel voltage is better closer to your battery voltage. If you are using MPPT, then you can use higher voltage, but your controller will be more efficient in a particular voltage range. If you've got panels pointing in different directions you might want to wire them so you have an east string, and a west string to reduce any possible losses. Sadly there isn't a straight forward answer.

Yes it is, but obviously your battery will charge at a lower level. In the case of your load using more watts than your panels are producing your battery will take up the short fall, resulting in a net loss.

+Adam Welch I see, thank you very much, you have good video for learning, may be next time review hybrid inverter (china made) and advise which the best from china :)

There are limits to the load section of your charge controller.

With your set up,I would say NO. PWM is fine for your application. You may choose your upgrades as you progress. Pay attention to the voltage at the battery!

ddd228 thx

+Markycutey Cutey Like many simple questions there's not a simple answer. Charging a battery requires a voltage higher than the battery so that current will flow into the battery and the larger the current the quicker that battery will charge. Now a high voltage panel setup won't be much use on a PWM (or a switching) solar charge controller because the voltage of the panels will be pulled down to a level just slightly higher than the battery when they are connected together. So when using a switching or PWM solar charge controller it's best to connect panels in parallel so the voltage stays the same but the current increases. High voltage and low current travels better over longer or thinner cables. So if your panels are a long way from your battery you're perhaps better off with an MPPT charge controller which will convert a high voltage, low current input into a lower voltage, higher current output for the battery. So with an MPPT solar charge controller you'd typically wire identical panels in series (increasing the voltage but not the current) and allow the charge controller to convert that into a lower voltage higher current charge for the battery.

+Eric Serrano Sounds like you have a healthy battery Eric. Thanks for your comments.

I probably don’t put more than about 8-10 amps on the load output, but it’s good for up to 20.

Adam Welch ok thanks. Only got mine on friday after watching a lot of you vids great help. One more thing is it necessary to run a load or ok without?

Im having the same problem. It had me going nuts. I have the 30amp version and have a 300ah bank running my mini fridge which runs a at 5 watts and spikes to 70 watts for a few minutes then back to 5 watts. Doing the math I should be able to run the fridge for 3 days with out a solar charge before I have to shut iit off. The epever was showing full charge and when I woke up it was at 1 bar. I went and installed some external meters and found that my bank was a consistant 12.8 volts in the morning. I think the epever battery meter is off. Maybe the software. I went into the software and changed the 80% discharge setting to 50% in hopes it would maybe change the battery meter but its hasn't effected the battery reading at all. Have you found a solution yet? Thanks

Nope, Have not found a solution yet. far as I can tell the battery symbol relates only to how much power the solar is currently bringing in and has nothing to do with the actual battery charge level. very annoying.

Found a comment on another video that suggested going only off voltage, it suggested that 12.2 volts indicated about 40-50% charge. Hope that helps

It sound like your batteries are tired. You really need to monitor battery voltage and not let it lower than....11.9 Volts,with NO load. Comments?

ddd228 no batteries are fine, it's just this unit has a retarded battery level indicator. I don't pay any attention to it now and just watch voltage

96 volts is the maximum solar input