It looks like the two banks are going to be getting different shading conditions, which means that they should each be going into a dedicated MPPT instead of being paralleled. If you parallel the banks, the charge controller's single MPPT will not be able to optimize the power for either bank... it will wind up picking a point somewhere in the middle which is not optimal for either. That's going to be a problem in variable shading conditions.. Also, depending on the sophistication of the MPPT, the paralleling will result in a fairly weird looking MPPT curve due to the shading and this can cause the MPPT controller to lock onto the wrong local maxima (the one for the weaker bank instead of the one for the stronger bank). -- Now lets look at the voltage. Not sure exactly which charge controller you have but if its the Rover 60 then max voltage is 130VDC, max current is 20A, and the MPPT range is ... hmm, its not in the specification but it probably needs a minimum voltage a few volts above the battery output voltage. Renogy 100W panels have an open-circuit voltage of 24V and an operating voltage of 20.4V. So that part of the setup is ok... 4 100W panels in series is the sweet spot (96V open circuit and 81.6V operating), you could do 5 panels (24V x 5 = 120V which is still lower than the 130VDC max voltage for the charge controller, but no reason to push it). One thing to keep in mind is that shading conditions will significantly drop the operating voltage of the system, so you want to make sure that the operating voltage is still decent in such conditions. If you check with a DC volt meter on the solar panel side while the charge controller is fully operational, the operating voltage on the solar input should always be significantly higher than the battery output voltage. If it isn't, then the shading on the panel configuration is too great for the MPPT to operate optimally. This can sometimes be compensated for by adding an additional panel in series, but you have to be absolutely sure that the combined open circuit voltage of the panels never exceeds the charge controller's max input voltage. -- Finally, amperage. The charge controller is specified for up to 20A on the solar side. The 100W renogy panels operate at 5A (4 in series is still 5A, just at a higher voltage). So you should only be seeing around 10A worst-case in your parallel configuration. That part should be fine. Make sure the wiring can handle it (pretty much a given at 5A or 10A, but more care must be taken if going higher). -- So if I were to make any suggestion, it would be to get a second charge controller so you have two MPPTs, one for each string. Do not parallel the strings. And given the shading conditions that I saw in the video, consider possibly adding a 5th 100W panel to each string. 5 x 24VOC = 120V which is still below the charge controller's max voltage. (If you ever upgrade to a different brand or wattage of panel, recalculate the voltages based on the specs, of course multiplied by the N panels in series, to ensure you do not exceed what the charge controller(s) can do). -Matt
@8:35 - one of the reasons I got into solar, no noisy generator. 👍 @0:35 - seeing some shade around the cabin so guessing you made the video late afternoon. But looking at the view of the panel array, if they are in series here (4s) then when 1 or more get shade this affects the whole set of 4. For the most part I agree with junkerzn7312's post below. I have the Rover 40 so in a 800 watt system I would be going with 2x 40mppt's feeding the same bank. Speaking of batteries this part can be some of the most $coin$ in any system. But also key to a good reserve. For years, I used 4x GC2 6v golf cart batteries in series/parallel for a 12v 400ish aH bank and that worked well. Flooded/wet cell deep cycle batteries have some maintenance but can be cost effective. Recently went with 4x agm sla's. Cheers & good luck! Edit to add: if you need to heat your bank maybe look into 12v tank or elbow heating pads. I'm sure they would draw a lot less power than a 120v deal.
And that heat will heat the battery - so raize that box verically and put the battery on top shelf. The heat from charge controller and invertor from bottom shelf will flow up to the battery.
in your outdoor box, Might be worth it to put the inverter in the same box as the batteries. Those things get warm and in the winter can help heat the batteries.
Many times if the battery is flat you should run the generator to charge it quickly at full power, then turn the generator off and live quietly on DC again.
Thnx for the video... Though it's actually the solar panels that take the solar energy & convert it into DC power... The charge controller only regulates battery charging voltage & current...
What up Doe!? Good info on the outdoors deck box for space saving solution. Have you tried a 12v cooler/fridge? It might cut down the DC draw from the battery.
