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I'm a noobie to solar and while this is a very, very small project, I want to do it right the first time and not have to back up and punt too many times.
The load is small but the voltages I need are fairly precise... 12V @ 400ma 12 hours a day, six days a week. 24v @ 1A 30 minutes a day, six days a week. (The 24V load is to power PA speakers and there are forty-eight pages during a 12 hour day. Each page lasts about 15 seconds. The pages are approximately two pages every 30 minutes.)
The speakers require the 24V @ 1A. (Four speakers @ 300ma each.) The page controller requires the 12V @ 400ma and is on 12 hours a day. (During the shorter day seasons the hours per day would drop to 8 hours a day.)
This system has been running for a year using two 12V, 12AH gel cell batteries wired in series. (We're using these batteries because they were available/donated.) The 12V equipment is connected to one battery and the 24V equipment is connected to the series config. The equipment will operate at least two to three days before having to charge the batteries.
I want to see what it will take to get a solar setup to power this and not have to be charging the batteries the hard way.
I have a lot of questions such as...
Is it ok to wire the two different voltage sources as it is now or would a charging controller have the 12V and 24V connections to power the equipment.
What type battery config and type is best? Two 12V batteries, one 24V, etc...or other config.
Note: this equipment is out of the weather but will be operating at the outside temperatures. It's in TN so the summers can be warm to hot and the winters mild to 30s and sometimes to zero.
The other forum said to start with the correct battery setup first so I'd welcome any and all help.
Thanks!
The load is small but the voltages I need are fairly precise... 12V @ 400ma 12 hours a day, six days a week. 24v @ 1A 30 minutes a day, six days a week. (The 24V load is to power PA speakers and there are forty-eight pages during a 12 hour day. Each page lasts about 15 seconds. The pages are approximately two pages every 30 minutes.)
The speakers require the 24V @ 1A. (Four speakers @ 300ma each.) The page controller requires the 12V @ 400ma and is on 12 hours a day. (During the shorter day seasons the hours per day would drop to 8 hours a day.)
This system has been running for a year using two 12V, 12AH gel cell batteries wired in series. (We're using these batteries because they were available/donated.) The 12V equipment is connected to one battery and the 24V equipment is connected to the series config. The equipment will operate at least two to three days before having to charge the batteries.
I want to see what it will take to get a solar setup to power this and not have to be charging the batteries the hard way.
I have a lot of questions such as...
Is it ok to wire the two different voltage sources as it is now or would a charging controller have the 12V and 24V connections to power the equipment.
What type battery config and type is best? Two 12V batteries, one 24V, etc...or other config.
Note: this equipment is out of the weather but will be operating at the outside temperatures. It's in TN so the summers can be warm to hot and the winters mild to 30s and sometimes to zero.
The other forum said to start with the correct battery setup first so I'd welcome any and all help.
Thanks!
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