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  • #16
    That will work just fine, but will require a larger battery than 80 AH @ 24 volts.
    MSEE, PE

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    • #17
      Originally posted by Sunking View Post
      That will work just fine, but will require a larger battery than 80 AH @ 24 volts.
      What size batteries would I need? Thx

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      • #18
        Something a little larger like 100 to 140AH. Maybe a pair of Trojan 24 MTX or T-1260 Plus. I think a bit overkill as that will give you a Solid 600 Watt Hours/Day usable. You can go several days without sun.
        Last edited by Sunking; 07-31-2017, 03:38 PM.
        MSEE, PE

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        • #19
          Originally posted by Sunking View Post
          Something a little larger like 100 to 140AH. Maybe a pair of Trojan 24 MTX or T-1260 Plus.
          Ok. I was thinking about the SAGM 12 135 that Trojan makes.

          What do you think about this setup? I don't know if the vendor is good/bad/ugly, but it seems to be pretty much what I have been discussing with you.

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          • #20
            Originally posted by iuc View Post

            Ok. I was thinking about the SAGM 12 135 that Trojan makes.
            That will work, but I must inform you of the consequences of using AGM. You wallet is not going to like it because they cost roughly twice as much as FLA and only last half as long as FLA. So you are paying up 400% to do that.

            This is not to say AGM has a place in solar because they do for special circumstances you need to pay up for.\

            1. Very high Charge or Discharge Currents are required. This one may work for you because that means you can downsize the battery to 80 AH. Th eAGM can take th elarger current of a 300 watt plus pane.

            2. Extreme cold of -40 for extended periods.

            3. Spills cannot be tolerated.That is why they were Invented for Aircraft.

            4. Unusual mounting orientation like on there side with some models.



            Originally posted by iuc View Post
            What do you think about this setup? I don't know if the vendor is good/bad/ugly, but it seems to be pretty much what I have been discussing with you.
            I think you can beat $1900 for a 360 watt panel. More like $400 to $500 or even as low as $350. At $1990 is robbery.

            What am I missing on that price?

            MSEE, PE

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            • #21
              Originally posted by Sunking View Post

              That will work, but I must inform you of the consequences of using AGM. You wallet is not going to like it because they cost roughly twice as much as FLA and only last half as long as FLA. So you are paying up 400% to do that.

              This is not to say AGM has a place in solar because they do for special circumstances you need to pay up for.\

              1. Very high Charge or Discharge Currents are required. This one may work for you because that means you can downsize the battery to 80 AH. Th eAGM can take th elarger current of a 300 watt plus pane.

              2. Extreme cold of -40 for extended periods.

              3. Spills cannot be tolerated.That is why they were Invented for Aircraft.

              4. Unusual mounting orientation like on there side with some models.



              I think you can beat $1900 for a 360 watt panel. More like $400 to $500 or even as low as $350. At $1990 is robbery.

              What am I missing on that price?
              If you scroll down you see the contents of the package. I agree it's a poor webpage layout. These are the contents of the kit.

              Components

              Qty Item Type Item #
              2 Solarland SLP160S-12 Silver Mono Solar Panels Solar Panels 9433160
              1 Electrical Design Diagram Services 9000129
              4 Heyco Products Inc. HEYClip Sunrunner Cable Clip - S-6405 - Single Racking 7500013
              1 Tamarack Solar Products Inc. UNI-TP/02A Top of Pole Mount Racking 6904320
              1 Morningstar Corporation TriStar TS-M-2 Display Charge Controller Accessories 3611115
              1 Four Star Solar MC4 10 AWG - 50' Cable Extension Cables 9994165
              1 Four Star Solar MC4 Unlocking Tool Cables 9981081
              2 Four Star Solar Waterproof Strain Relief With 2 Holes Cables 9932525
              1 MidNite Solar MNEPV-15 Breakers 8500322
              1 MidNite Solar MNEPV-80 Breakers 8930800
              1 Morningstar Corporation TriStar TS-MPPT-60 Charge Controller Charge Controllers 3611105
              1 MidNite Solar MNBB Big Baby Box Breaker Box 9925269
              Back to Top

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              • #22
                OK Thx
                MSEE, PE

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                • #23
                  Originally posted by Sunking View Post
                  OK Thx
                  I finally got this all put together and installed. Below is a list of components and some photos.

                  1ea - Canadian Solar CS6U-330P-4BB > 330 Watt Solar Panel
                  1ea - MorningStar TriStar MPPT60
                  2ea - Trojan SCS200
                  1ea - Vented Battery box (left over from an school zone flasher we took down)
                  3ea - 5A MidNite Solar branch circuit breakers (one each for PTZ, Cell Modem, and ethernet switch)
                  1ea - 20A MidNite Solar breaker between battery bank and CC
                  1ea - 30A MidNite Solar breaker between panel and CC
                  1ea - AXIS P5635-E Mk II PTZ Network Camera
                  1ea - Sierra Wireless RV50 Cellular Gateway
                  1ea - Brainboxes 5 Port Switch

                  Attached Files

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Nice install. Only thing that catches my eye is the camera above the panel. Will it cast any shadow on the panel in summer months when the sun is high in the sky?
                    MSEE, PE

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by Sunking View Post
                      Nice install. Only thing that catches my eye is the camera above the panel. Will it cast any shadow on the panel in summer months when the sun is high in the sky?
                      Good question. I wanted the camera above the top of the pole to reduce the blind spot... did not think about shadowing the panel. I will pay close attention.

                      Should I be using anything, besides breakers, between the battery bank and the load equipment?

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by iuc View Post

                        Good question. I wanted the camera above the top of the pole to reduce the blind spot... did not think about shadowing the panel. I will pay close attention.

                        Should I be using anything, besides breakers, between the battery bank and the load equipment?
                        To late now to know if a shadow will be a problem if there is not one there TODAY as we are well past June 21. Depends on how far south or close to the Equator you are. Further south, higher the Sun.

                        With a single panel or two parallel strings or less makes over current protection devices [OCPD] really easy. First thing to realize is Solar panels are not Voltage Power Sources, they are current limited sources and Imp is the maximum current a panel can generate. So if your panel Imp is say 10 amps, it cannot generate more than 10 amps of current even shorted out. Well 10 amps on 14 AWG and larger wire is not a fault, it is normal load current and thus 10 amps can do no damage to a 14 AWG or larger wire. Now look at your panel wiring. Bet it is 14 AWg or larger wire right? Wonder why they used 14 AWg wire? Because it is more than safe.

                        Batteries on the other hand are very powerful voltage power sources and can generate hundreds to thousands of amps of current if shorted out. Enough to vaporize steel and copper into plasma gas. not to mention boiling hot battery acid exploding into STEAM. Get the picturre?

                        So you use OCPD on the wiring between the Controller and Battery, and another between Battery and Load device. The fuses or breakers get installed directly to the Battery Term Post to protect the wiring to the Controller and Load. Something like below.



                        Ask questions if you do not understand. The only other thing I can critique is your choice of Color Coded Wire. Does not follow standard code or engineering practices. May not be an issue for you, but more for anyone else to figure out what you did. Not a big deal other than if I had to work on it would have to spend some time drawing things out.


                        Last edited by Sunking; 08-25-2017, 09:06 PM.
                        MSEE, PE

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by Sunking View Post

                          To late now to know if a shadow will be a problem if there is not one there TODAY as we are well past June 21. Depends on how far south or close to the Equator you are. Further south, higher the Sun.

                          With a single panel or two parallel strings or less makes over current protection devices [OCPD] really easy. First thing to realize is Solar panels are not Voltage Power Sources, they are current limited sources and Imp is the maximum current a panel can generate. So if your panel Imp is say 10 amps, it cannot generate more than 10 amps of current even shorted out. Well 10 amps on 14 AWG and larger wire is not a fault, it is normal load current and thus 10 amps can do no damage to a 14 AWG or larger wire. Now look at your panel wiring. Bet it is 14 AWg or larger wire right? Wonder why they used 14 AWg wire? Because it is more than safe.

                          Batteries on the other hand are very powerful voltage power sources and can generate hundreds to thousands of amps of current if shorted out. Enough to vaporize steel and copper into plasma gas. not to mention boiling hot battery acid exploding into STEAM. Get the picturre?

                          So you use OCPD on the wiring between the Controller and Battery, and another between Battery and Load device. The fuses or breakers get installed directly to the Battery Term Post to protect the wiring to the Controller and Load. Something like below.



                          Ask questions if you do not understand. The only other thing I can critique is your choice of Color Coded Wire. Does not follow standard code or engineering practices. May not be an issue for you, but more for anyone else to figure out what you did. Not a big deal other than if I had to work on it would have to spend some time drawing things out.

                          Ok, I am using the floating system as best I can tell from your diagrams. I have no AC power or inverter in my setup, the switch, camera, and cell modem are all powered with 24VDC. Which colors are wrong? I used red for positive, black for negative, and green for ground. There is a white wire landed on one breaker's load side... that is for the cell modem. I could clean that up.

                          The wire from the panel to CC is #8 and from battery bank to CC (and in the connections of the bank) is #4. On the positive wire from the battery to the CC is a breaker rated at 20A. Left of CC in picture. The breaker on the right of the CC in the picture is between panel and CC. If nothing else it works as my disconnect switch.

                          I am more concerned about the voltage powering the load devices. They are getting power directly from the batteries via separate positive and negative cables. The positive cable lands on a bus that distributes power to 3ea 5A breakers... each breaker is protecting one device, ie: modem, switch, camera. Is that not correct? Should I have something else that limits/regulates the voltage to 24VDC? The batteries can fluctuate as high as 29 when charging from what I am seeing on the MorningStar Live Data. See attached.
                          Attached Files

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