wind turbine + solar into same charge controler

[madmilitia]

so i'm new to this, and have a couple questions.

A. i have a goal zero 30 watt solar panle and a goal zero charge controler, the charge control says max input 150 watt's. i have another solar panel coming, it's 120 watts, do i put them both into the charge controller or do i have to hook the panels togther and then into the charge controller?

and

B. i'm a little confused at the differance between solar and wind turbine charge controllers, i'd planed on also buying a 200 watt wind turbine and useing this controller. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...o_cart_title_1

is it even feesibale to conect 2 charge controller to one batter bank?

thanks for the help

[inetdog]

so i'm new to this, and have a couple questions.

A. i have a goal zero 30 watt solar panle and a goal zero charge controler, the charge control says max input 150 watt's. i have another solar panel coming, it's 120 watts, do i put them both into the charge controller or do i have to hook the panels togther and then into the charge controller?

and

B. i'm a little confused at the differance between solar and wind turbine charge controllers, i'd planed on also buying a 200 watt wind turbine and useing this controller. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...o_cart_title_1

is it even feesibale to conect 2 charge controller to one batter bank?

thanks for the help

a. It is possible to connect two very different panels in parallel if their Vmp ratings are within about 10% and the Voc of both panels is less than the maximum input voltage rating of the CC. You will not get 150 watts out of the two panels in parallel except under ideal conditions, so the CC should be OK. That said, the extra power from using the 30 watt panel may not be worth the effort of wiring them both up. Just replace the 30 with the 120 and figure out another use for the 30.

If you give us the full specifications on the 30 watt panel and the 120 watt panel, we could give more detailed advice.

b. Yes, it is possible to connect two different charging sources and CCs to one battery bank, but they need to have compatible voltage settings, use the same ground polarity if grounded, and the sudden load changes on the wind-input CC caused by the solar CC changing its output voltage would have to be compatible with the whole wind system controls and dump load use. HOWEVER: The CC you list above is designed for use with solar panels (relatively constant voltage input) and may not be satisfactory or even safe for use with a wind turbine whose output voltage may also vary with wind speed. Wind turbines and their CCs form a more tightly integrated system than solar panels and their CCs and mix-and-match construction of a system can have very bad results.

c. Small wind turbines (e.g. 200 watt rated) are often not as useful as the advertising would lead you to believe. Check out internet forums on wind energy to get more information on what sort of wind speeds and tower heights you need to get useful output before you make a decision!

[madmilitia]

awsome thanks for the info,

my goal zero panel is more of an on the go thing, like for camping, so i didn't really want to use that other then an portable little extra power. which means i'll be hooking up 2 CC's to my battery bank. i was hoping to do wind turbine so i could take advantage at night, but it sound's like it's not worth it.

guess i'll just start looking into building some solar panels as that's much cheaper then buying them.

[inetdog]

guess i'll just start looking into building some solar panels as that's much cheaper then buying them.

Time for another correction. Building solar panels can be cheaper if you don't consider your own labor AND you do not care if the panels perform poorly and only last a year or two.
Current prices on panels are so low that it is impossible to build cheaper than buying, considering that the cells you buy on flea-bay are manufacturers' seconds, with unknown problems.
And if you ever want to wire the panels into a system that requires permits and inspections like a grid-tied system, or want to maintain your insurance coverage on your home, homemade panels will not be allowed.

[madmilitia]

hmmmm, well i can't seem to find any panels that are less then 2 bucks a watt, and i'll never have 30k to do a grid tie system. do you have actual datasheets that show DIY panels only last a year?

[russ]

hmmmm, well i can't seem to find any panels that are less then 2 bucks a watt, and i'll never have 30k to do a grid tie system. do you have actual datasheets that show DIY panels only last a year?

Nope - Do it and provide the data sheets if you like.