Need help with wiring

[Donniebosko]

So, I bought a grape solar kit. It came with 2 single 100 watt panels, a charge controller,an inverter, and the wire and connectors. I have the panels mounted, and the charge controller and inverter mounted. I have a single 12v 95ah AGM battery. This is to power a light and a water heater in a chicken coop. It's too far from the house to run a line and, I thought this would be a great way to experiment with this. So, the book shows the wiring to run through a GFP, a disconnect, a shunt, and a battery disconnect. None of those things came with the kit. But they state that everything I need is here. I know little about this, and I am just learning. So here's my questions.
1. Do I need the GFP,shunt and disconnects?
2. Does the array go directly to the charge controller with the positive to the pv load and the negative to the common negative?
3. Do,I then run those out to the battery and then to the inverter?
4. Is just the one battery okay?
5. The wires have metal loops on one end. Do I need those loops or can I cut them off and crimp into the mc4 connector
After you're done chuckling (I know I am) please help me with some knowledge. Thanks everyone.

[Amy@altE]

So, I bought a grape solar kit. It came with 2 single 100 watt panels, a charge controller,an inverter, and the wire and connectors. I have the panels mounted, and the charge controller and inverter mounted. I have a single 12v 95ah AGM battery. This is to power a light and a water heater in a chicken coop. It's too far from the house to run a line and, I thought this would be a great way to experiment with this. So, the book shows the wiring to run through a GFP, a disconnect, a shunt, and a battery disconnect. None of those things came with the kit. But they state that everything I need is here. I know little about this, and I am just learning. So here's my questions.
1. Do I need the GFP,shunt and disconnects?
2. Does the array go directly to the charge controller with the positive to the pv load and the negative to the common negative?
3. Do,I then run those out to the battery and then to the inverter?
4. Is just the one battery okay?
5. The wires have metal loops on one end. Do I need those loops or can I cut them off and crimp into the mc4 connector
After you're done chuckling (I know I am) please help me with some knowledge. Thanks everyone.

Since it is being mounted on a chicken coop, you are fine without the GFP. However, do make sure to connect the ground to the negative at one spot, the GFP usually does that for you. I would not install a system without over current protection, fuses or breakers, even on a chicken coop (unless you like fried chicken). At least get some 20A DC fuses for some sort of protection, although a breaker would be better and acts as a disconnect. Something like the Midnite Big Baby Box would give you a nice place to put the breakers for before and after the charge controller, and be able to shut things down when needed. The shunt is generally used for 2 things, a way to measure current, which you are not doing, and acts as a negative bus bar. If you get a Big Baby Box you can also get a negative bus bar to go in there and that will do the trick. Then run through another fuse or breaker to the inverter. I don't know how big your inverter is, so I can't say what size breaker. Hopefully the manual does.

You don't say how much power your loads use, so we cannot say if 1 battery is enough. I have no idea what you mean by loops, but I know doing a proper crimp to an MC4 connector is difficult without the right tools. You could use MC4 couplers to combine the 2 panels in parallel.

[Living Large]

I would not install a system without over current protection, fuses or breakers, even on a chicken coop (unless you like fried chicken).

Is that The Dance of Joy, or did you just get shocked by your PV system?

[Amy@altE]

Is that The Dance of Joy, or did you just get shocked by your PV system?

I just like BBQ

[Donniebosko]

Since it is being mounted on a chicken coop, you are fine without the GFP. However, do make sure to connect the ground to the negative at one spot, the GFP usually does that for you. I would not install a system without over current protection, fuses or breakers, even on a chicken coop (unless you like fried chicken). At least get some 20A DC fuses for some sort of protection, although a breaker would be better and acts as a disconnect. Something like the Midnite Big Baby Box would give you a nice place to put the breakers for before and after the charge controller, and be able to shut things down when needed. The shunt is generally used for 2 things, a way to measure current, which you are not doing, and acts as a negative bus bar. If you get a Big Baby Box you can also get a negative bus bar to go in there and that will do the trick. Then run through another fuse or breaker to the inverter. I don't know how big your inverter is, so I can't say what size breaker. Hopefully the manual does.

You don't say how much power your loads use, so we cannot say if 1 battery is enough. I have no idea what you mean by loops, but I know doing a proper crimp to an MC4 connector is difficult without the right tools. You could use MC4 couplers to combine the 2 panels in parallel.

I am powering an LED light that draws 13 volts and a water heater that draws 125 volts when it runs. It is thermostatically controlled and does not run constantly. That's it. So I figured it assuming a max time of 4 hours at 140 volts and 10 more at 13 volts. I think it comes out to roughly 60% of the battery but, I don't know how long it takes to charge and I plan on adding another... It's just expensive and, I'm learning as I go.

[Amy@altE]

I am powering an LED light that draws 13 volts and a water heater that draws 125 volts when it runs. It is thermostatically controlled and does not run constantly. That's it. So I figured it assuming a max time of 4 hours at 140 volts and 10 more at 13 volts. I think it comes out to roughly 60% of the battery but, I don't know how long it takes to charge and I plan on adding another... It's just expensive and, I'm learning as I go.

Assuming you meant watts, not volts, (10 hours x 13 watts = 130 watt hours) + (4 hours x 140 watts = 560 watt hours) = 690 watt hours x 1 day x 50% depth of discharge x 1.4 temperature compensation (assuming 30F temp) = 1932 Wh / 12V = 161 amp hour 12V battery bank per day. that's assuming the sun is up fully every day. So you probably need to double or triple that for days without sunshine, unless you don't run those loads on non-sunny days.

[Living Large]

Assuming you meant watts, not volts, (10 hours x 13 watts = 130 watt hours) + (4 hours x 140 watts = 560 watt hours) = 690 watt hours x 1 day x 50% depth of discharge x 1.4 temperature compensation (assuming 30F temp) = 1932 Wh / 12V = 161 amp hour 12V battery bank per day. that's assuming the sun is up fully every day. So you probably need to double or triple that for days without sunshine, unless you don't run those loads on non-sunny days.

Yep, he will want to double check that power use. To the OP - one draws current, not amps. Watts = current * volts, so you draw watts as well. That is a rate. So to find out your total use, you multiply rate * time for a constant rate, and you get watt-hours. The water heater sounds like a small one if it only draws 140 watts, but that could be for a chicken coup I guess. I don't know anything about chicken coups, and I suppose I don't want to. I lived in a former chicken coup once - true story - or at least the footprint of one. Now I'm living large. Everything is relative