Somewhat new to solar but have a pretty good understanding of how it all works.
My hope is to install 400 - 800 watts worth of panels and to have them power a few circuits of appropriate size.
I'll also install batteries of similar size.
My question regards switching on and off the grid.
I would like to power these circuits as long as my batteries hold up then switch to the grid and let the solar recharge the batteries. Of course, the solar array would be contributing to powering these circuits as long as there was sufficient light.
Once recharged, I'd like to switch back to the batteries/ solar.
I believe a relay (magnetic or solid state) will handle the switching but my problem is building/ buying the appropriate electronics to handle the relay.
I'll need to de-energize this relay at 11.6 volts and re-energize around 12.8 volts.
A thought involves one of these battery voltage indicators/ IC's where the relay is energized by the 11.6 v output but how to keep it off until the voltage rises to 12.8v?
Thanks for your input.
Alex in Myrtle Beach
My hope is to install 400 - 800 watts worth of panels and to have them power a few circuits of appropriate size.
I'll also install batteries of similar size.
My question regards switching on and off the grid.
I would like to power these circuits as long as my batteries hold up then switch to the grid and let the solar recharge the batteries. Of course, the solar array would be contributing to powering these circuits as long as there was sufficient light.
Once recharged, I'd like to switch back to the batteries/ solar.
I believe a relay (magnetic or solid state) will handle the switching but my problem is building/ buying the appropriate electronics to handle the relay.
I'll need to de-energize this relay at 11.6 volts and re-energize around 12.8 volts.
A thought involves one of these battery voltage indicators/ IC's where the relay is energized by the 11.6 v output but how to keep it off until the voltage rises to 12.8v?
Thanks for your input.
Alex in Myrtle Beach
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