Hi All
I have just finished my modest installation on my caravan in Orihuela Spain.
The setup is as follows:
3 x 140w poly PV panels wired in series giving approx 62v (OC) and 8amps
Tracer-4210RN 40 amp MPPT controller with remote display
1500w (3000w peak) pure sine wave inverter 12v
2 x 250amp/h c100 lead acid batteries wired together in parallel hopefully giving 500amp/h and 12v
I've used earth spikes, a DC isolator for the PV, fuse for PV to controller, fuse for batteries to inverter. I also have a standard electricity meter to measure the kw/h consumption.
Here in southern Spain and with a great orientation I am getting loads of productive sun. In the books it says 5 hours for this time of year but I'm getting way more than that, almost 7!
All of the kit is brand new. Initially the batteries were charged quickly as I had only LEDS and an occasional 12v internal pump for the kitchen and bathroom taps plus 2 or 3 minutes of a 400 watt microwave once every 2 or 3 days.
I connected a small medium sized (for US readers a micro fridge ) fridge with small freezer box. The fridge runs at about 150w at full power and 80-100 at the normal cold setting. Obviously its hot here so during the day the motor is kicking in fairly regularly but at night it is quite dormant on a low setting. The first 24 hours including starting the fridge from warm our total consumption was 1.8kw for the caravan.
If I monitor the visual for the battery charge it seems to contradict the battery voltage. For example, last night at 9 oclock there was almost no charging input and I put a voltmeter across the 2 batteries and got 12.5v. This morning at 8 am the actual battery voltage was 12.4/5. To me that suggests I perhaps don't have a problem???? Trouble is the graphic on the Tracer remote display is all over the shop sometimes 40% sometimes 60% but never the 80% + that 12.5v should be?
Not everyone buys the remote display, shall I ignore it and keep physically measuring the voltage on the batteries when not being charged nor under load?
The inverter has low voltage protection so theroretically............I shouldn't be able to cycle my batteries more than 80%.........
Thanks in advance
I have just finished my modest installation on my caravan in Orihuela Spain.
The setup is as follows:
3 x 140w poly PV panels wired in series giving approx 62v (OC) and 8amps
Tracer-4210RN 40 amp MPPT controller with remote display
1500w (3000w peak) pure sine wave inverter 12v
2 x 250amp/h c100 lead acid batteries wired together in parallel hopefully giving 500amp/h and 12v
I've used earth spikes, a DC isolator for the PV, fuse for PV to controller, fuse for batteries to inverter. I also have a standard electricity meter to measure the kw/h consumption.
Here in southern Spain and with a great orientation I am getting loads of productive sun. In the books it says 5 hours for this time of year but I'm getting way more than that, almost 7!
All of the kit is brand new. Initially the batteries were charged quickly as I had only LEDS and an occasional 12v internal pump for the kitchen and bathroom taps plus 2 or 3 minutes of a 400 watt microwave once every 2 or 3 days.
I connected a small medium sized (for US readers a micro fridge ) fridge with small freezer box. The fridge runs at about 150w at full power and 80-100 at the normal cold setting. Obviously its hot here so during the day the motor is kicking in fairly regularly but at night it is quite dormant on a low setting. The first 24 hours including starting the fridge from warm our total consumption was 1.8kw for the caravan.
If I monitor the visual for the battery charge it seems to contradict the battery voltage. For example, last night at 9 oclock there was almost no charging input and I put a voltmeter across the 2 batteries and got 12.5v. This morning at 8 am the actual battery voltage was 12.4/5. To me that suggests I perhaps don't have a problem???? Trouble is the graphic on the Tracer remote display is all over the shop sometimes 40% sometimes 60% but never the 80% + that 12.5v should be?
Not everyone buys the remote display, shall I ignore it and keep physically measuring the voltage on the batteries when not being charged nor under load?
The inverter has low voltage protection so theroretically............I shouldn't be able to cycle my batteries more than 80%.........
Thanks in advance
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