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when i connected my solar array to my charge controller it just started smoking? ive got 5 panels in series 68 watts each 16-23 volts 4-5 amps each. ive got a 500 watt 30 amp charge controller (thunderbolt).
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smoking charge controller
not the first time but it may be too late because i may have ruined the controller. ive got 6 sets of 5 panels in each set. each set runs in paralell to 6 charge controllers inside. after the first one smoked i hooked up the second one by connecting the controller to the battery cable block on the inverter first and the controller read 13volts but after i connected the panels it read no amps from the solar. just started smoking like the first one.Comment
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How about the panel polarity. CC's don't like the + & - being reversed.
Do you have fuses for each set of panels before it is wired into the CC? They are cheaper to replace.
I am also a little confused on how your system is wired. You also mentioned a string of 5 panels in series that equal 68 watts total. Is that correct? What is the total voltage for those 5 panels going to your CC?Comment
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One of three things:
1. Reverse Polarity.
2. I also strongly suspect you exceeded the input voltage of the controller, if not reverse poarity.
3. Battery was not connected before you connected panels.
If you let the magic smoke out, most likely you destroyed the controller.MSEE, PEComment
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smoking charge controller
my panels are 68watts each. the 5 panels should be under the 500 watts the controller is rated. when i put a meter on the wires from the panel one way shows a negative charge so i know that the + and - are switched. also im hooking into the battery at the easiest point where the battery cables connect to the inverter?Comment
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That does not matter. What manufacture and model number. With MPPT you have to abserve both input power limitations but more importantly Voc voltage input. With 5 panels in series assuming they are standard 12 volt panels is over 100 volts input. Good quality MPPT are around 150 volts, but smaller ones for 12/24 volts are often limited to 50 to 70 volts.MSEE, PEComment
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That Thunderbolt CC only has a maximum input voltage of 25v. if was made for a 12 volt system. If you had wired your panels in parallel it would have been ok. Of course you still need to have gotten the correct wiring polarity.
Whichever CC has let out the smoke is no longer good. Best to give up on it.Comment
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those uni-solar panels are very strong in power, they are 24volts, now saying the controller can handle 24v and you have them wired in parallel(all neg together and all pos together) now here's a word of advice, i have several of these so i know when i tell you they are not 4-5 amps, its more like 6-7 in good sunlight, so if you have 5 of them times 6amps your getting 30amps out(which i think you say is your amp max), and they tend to exceed the 6 amps very often, so you have more likely destroyed the pwm controller by sending in higher amp rating than what it can handle, cause 5 x 7amps= 35amps and 5 extra amps is a big difference.Comment
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Well we have some discrepancy going on here. If they are 68 watts each, then if they were 24 volts that would make them only 2.8 amps each.
68 w / 24v = 2.83 amps
More than likely they are around 4.5 amps so then at 68 w/ 4.5 amps = 15.1 volts.
Do they have any nameplate info showing the voltage and current ratings under load?Comment
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