solar system for shed

[Freeesun]

So I hooked everything up and it works great!!!! A lot of reading and buying returning items but I've finally built it and had it running.

I thiught my cc had a amp reading on how many amps my solar panel is producing but it doesn't.

does anybody have a suggestion for a cheap amp reading device so I can see how many I'm producing?

i thiught every cc shows a amp reading?

[Freeesun]

Thank you very much for telling me about that. I will look into that. I might even just buy a good crimping tool crimp some connectors on it and return them. But I defiantly not solder it.

[Mike90250]

Sadly my panel didn't come with any connectors just bare wire so I think I'm just going to solder a 10 gauge wire to it and run it to my cc

Please don't.. Soldering sounds good, but creates a high stress point where the solder wicking up the wire under the insulation. Any movement will rapidly break the wire.

Using proper size split bolts is a better way. And don't consider wire nuts, unless you like a fire in 3 years.

[Freeesun]

Sadly my panel didn't come with any connectors just bare wire so I think I'm just going to solder a 10 gauge wire to it and run it to my cc

[SunEagle]

Thank you very much for the info. I'm looking at some pv wire and also getting some mc4 connectors and making some custom wire length myself.

It would be better to follow Tecnodave's suggestion about getting an extension cable with the MC4 connectors already on the wire. Installing your own mc4 connectors will require a quality crimping tool to make sure you get a good connection.

[Tecnodave]

An easy way to do it, buy an p.v. extension cable twice as long as from controller to panels, cut it in half, now you have two cables that will plug into panels and wire into controller, if you have more than one panel, you can find solar "Y" connectors in various combinations, at : greener world stores......wire and cable your way, and many more places

[Freeesun]

Thank you very much for the info. I'm looking at some pv wire and also getting some mc4 connectors and making some custom wire length myself.

[Tecnodave]

Ampster

yes primary wire is automotive, it's PVC jacketed and rated 50 volts, so thinner insulation than THHN building wire, but totally suitable for low voltage. It's quite a bit more flexible than THHN with its outer nylon jacket.

@Freesun,
This wire is ok for your low voltage charge controller, when the voltages exceed 50 volts AC or DC then THHN building wire is required (rated 600 volts AC or DC). THHN can be used at low voltage as well, it's the standard. It's what is sold at Home Cheepo.

THHN is thermoplastic , hot, hot, not weatherproof......hot, hot means rated 90 degrees C, not rated for sun exposure, the outer jacket will peel in direct sunlight. For full sun and weather exposure use USE-2 wire a.k.a. P.V. wire

[Freeesun]

What wire would you suggest? This is for connecting my solar panel to cc and my cc to fuse box.

for the lights I'm going to be using 12 gauge speaker wire.

[Ampster]

Grand General 55260 Black 10-Gauge Primary Wire https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00INVF468/..._TGQbDbMWBFWHC


??? Any good?

Yes, good for something. Probably designed for automotive, Not the kind of insulation rated for use in conduit. Can carry 20 Amps. Probably overkill for some LEDs drawing a few Amps,

[Freeesun]

Grand General 55260 Black 10-Gauge Primary Wire https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00INVF468/..._TGQbDbMWBFWHC


??? Any good?

[Ampster]

One not really obvious reason to use the COB LED boards is that they are series regulated by a resistor, not by a switch mode regulator.....have you ever used a spectrum analyzer looking at switch mode power supplies, try putting a sensitive radio next to one of those Chinese bayonet LED "bulbs" , horrendous EMI/RFI......

I can echo that thought about EMI/RFI from my experience a few years ago putting some LEDs in a car. The interference was so bad i was getting error messages that my tires were flat. The LEDs were interfering with the signal from my tire pressure sensors.

[Freeesun]

I see some 12v light bulbs that use regular light sockets and I have a bunch of those laying around. Also I have 12 gauge speaker wire laying around so I figured I would wire all that up. And I already have a switch.

Now just terminals and wire and I'm all done.

[Tecnodave]

littleharbor

I agree totally, I'm just throwing out an option here, the OP is attempting a "solar shed" on a limited budget, this is a cheap way to do super efficient lighting for a limited power limited budget solar system. Some of the better COB LED boards that I have purchased on Amazon have not failed in 5 years of daily use. Those were 48 chip 5050 led boards that were 13$ for 2 boards, very bright and no EMI/RFI,

[littleharbor]

@bcroe,

That is exactly most of my solar gear is MidNite and the rest is from MMMOES.......MidNite,Mstar, MagnaSine,Outback.Exeltech, Schnieder, no cheep Chinese stuff where it counts! I do experiment a lot to find what works. Good 12 volt LED fixtures are not inexpensive, I can build one for <$10.00, better looking and brighter than what's available. A failed led string on a chip board is not a crisis! I use 6-12 chip boards in a 14" light fixture.

Really a matter of whether the OP wants to build from scratch or simply swap out lights. I could see having a bright cooking area but not necessarily overly bright overhead and uplighting.