Charge controllers in parallel configuration.

[cyberfast]

I have 10 100watt panels and 1 30 amp controller which can only handle 500 watts of solar power @ a 12 volt configuration. If i buy another controller and hook it up to the other 5 panels and connect the output of both controllers in a parallel configuration to the same battery bank (12 volt in parallel) . will the controllers fight each other? Thank you.

[Mike90250]

Charge controllers CAN be paralleled. Good ones "fight" each other less, cheap ones, have lousy voltage calibration, and one is very likely to go to FLOAT long before the other one. Sometimes, in the same model, you can use a "sync" cable, so they both work together, instead of independently.

[Bala]

I have that set up and find that even with a special unit to make them talk they would appear to have a little tiff at times and not talk to each other properly, generally they make up and get along fine but its never been a perfect relationship and not somewhere I will ever go again

[Mike90250]

I have that set up and find that even with a special unit to make them talk they would appear to have a little tiff at times and not talk to each other properly, generally they make up and get along fine but its never been a perfect relationship and not somewhere I will ever go again

I find that disturbing, if this is happening with controllers from the same Mfg. They are "supposed" to play well with their siblings, and not get into a tiff ! Cable and any recomended boxes are all from the same Mfg ?? It makes me think that something is really wrong or broken. Could you describe or attach a schematic of your layout ?

[Bala]

I had a thread not long ago about options what new charge controller to use, I think one component is , ie one reg or the PLA isplaying up, they worked Ok, but i have never been totally happy, for 5 years and have just recently started doing weird things.

http://www.plasmatronics.com.au/downloads/PLAmanv1.5.pdf

I have to PL40 regs set up with the PLA as shown in the manual attached

Will look further into a new single reg when I get back home next week, as i now work away 4 weeks at a time its more important that my system is running correctly

[cyberfast]

Charge controllers CAN be paralleled. Good ones "fight" each other less, cheap ones, have lousy voltage calibration, and one is very likely to go to FLOAT long before the other one. Sometimes, in the same model, you can use a "sync" cable, so they both work together, instead of independently.

do you think this is a better idea for a controller.
60amp TriStar TS-60 SOLAR & WIND Power PWM Charge CONTROLLER with DIGITAL METER
here a link

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60amp-TriStar-TS-60-SOLAR-WIND-Power-PWM-Charge-CONTROLLER-DIGITAL-METER-/360422234994?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D360419698610%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5379654558511904272#ht_3959wt_754

or do you recommend something different? thanks so much for your help.

[Mike90250]

It's hard to recomend something picemeal like you are presenting it.

What are your loads ? For how many hours ?

Your batteries ?

You have "10 100watt panels "

Then it's easier for someone to evaulate it

[cyberfast]

Ok so this is what i got so far. 10 100w panels in parallel spec of each panel.
Operatine Voltage: 17.5V
Operatine Current: 5.71A
Open-Circuit Voltage: 21.8V
Short-circuit Current : 6.2A
Max-Power: 100W
Max System Voltage: 1000V

not all of the panels are connected yet. only 4

1 charge controller
Volt 12
Amps 30
Watts 450

1 deep cycle battery

12v Interstate Type

BCI Grp # 4DM CCA 1314 MCA 1645 RC at 25A 390 MIN


1 2500/5000 watt inverter 12 v not conneced

2 350 watt grid tie inverters 12 v not conneced

Basically rite now im using the solar power to power my 12 volt led lighting system in my house and sometimes connecting the tv up with the inverter @ a full charge the tv will run around 9 hours. it takes 2 days to recharge the battery. I understand that i need more batterys. Im not looking to go off the grid just to save some on my electric bill and have a backup when the power goes out. surely 1000 watts of panels would not be enough to power the whole house. the leds helped with the bill cause i don't use a ac lights now. so as you being the expert i was wondering what you would do with what i have and what else to buy. i cannot buy more panels since they are being attached to a trailer. (no more room) I attached a picture the other 3 panels will be connected soon. Thank you again for your help.

[Mike90250]

to power an average house, you need 4-5 KWH of PV, so you are in no danger of powering your whole house.

Your battery is way too small to expect it to adequately power the large inverter you have listed

Do not connect the 12V grid tie inverters to a battery, they are designed to run from a solar panel, and if supplied with a battery that has hundreds of amps available for a surge, they will likely fry.

A battery with a CCA spec, is NOT a deep cycle battery.

You need enough solar to recharge your battery in one day, under most conditions. When a battery sits low for 2 days, it begins to sulfate. A sulfated battery is trash. 1,000w of panel will BBQ your single battery, in fact, even 400w is too much for the 1 battery. If you are draining the battery so far with the TV, that it takes 2 days w/400w of panels to recharge, you have likely damaged the battery already.

If you use 12V, you will need to get an 80A charge controller, if you raise your battery system to 24V, and wire your panels in series/parallel, you could use a 45a controller.

Solar is not at all like a car or truck where you can just throw parts together and come up with a dune buggy. The electronic components have design limits, that you can't just slap parts together and expect it to work reliably, for a long time. Generally, each system needs to be purpose built to match the loads.

[cyberfast]

Ok thank you for the information. I,m just confused about the battery. I bought it from Interstate Battery and it is the biggest rv\marine deep cycle battery they offer. the thing weighs 119 lbs it the 4dm heres the link

http://www.interstatebatteries.com/cs_eStore/content/product_info/marine_f.asp

if this is the wrong battery type please tell me what kind i should use? Also i did not drain the battery completely the inverter shuts down at 10.9 volts. is that still bad? what volts are safe for the battery to drop down to? my 400 watts of panels took 2 days to full recharge the battery under completely cloudy days (all day) also my led lights were being used at the same time of charging and at night.

how many battery's do you recommend for 400 watts? @ 12 volts

After doing A little research (and i know not to connect the tie grid inverters to the battery)

what do you think if i configure my system like this?

use 4 panels in parallel (400 watts)@ 12volts for a backup to run small stuff if the power goes out. Battery

use 3 panels in parallel (300 watts)@ 12volts to run the grid tie inverter to help the electric bill

and the last 3 doing the same thing for the other grid tie inverter

Thank you again you have been allot of help.

[Mike90250]

DONT BUY ANYTHING MORE !!

That's NOT the right battery. If you can return it, return it. It's not a "good" deep cycle battery, it's a hybrid start/deep cycle / marine and will not last as long for deep cycle

10.9 volts. is that still bad?

Yes, you took 8 months off the life right there! Battery charge chart attached.

how many battery's do you recommend for 400 watts? @ 12 volts

for how many hours ? We count things in WATT HOURS, that's the easiest. 400W of panels for 5 hours (only DIRECT, Bright Sunlight counts, cloudy day = 5% of full sun #'s My 3,000 w array produces 200 - 300 watts in clouds.)

[cyberfast]

ok far as that chart if i stay in the green section i should be ok with different batterys?

suppose i want to run all of this stuff for 4 hrs after there is no sun. here are the rates.

tv 145 watts

fish tank filter 30 watts

dvd\surrond sound 100 watts

these are the rates on the labels on the items above

so does this mean im pulling 275 watt hrs?

if i times that by 4 it equals 1100 watts

so with that given i would need 91.6 hrs of reserve capacity on the 12 volt batterys system? (i did 1100w divide by 12v) i think im not figuring this out right. this would mean i need allot of batterys.

am i calculating wrong?

i know im a pain with my questions but i greatly appreciate your help.

[Mike90250]

Yep, more battery

so does this mean im pulling 275 watt hrs?
if i times that by 4 it equals 1100 watts

Almost - 275W x 4 hr = 1100WH

Now times 1.2 (to allow for 80% inverter efficiency) and you are pulling 1320watt hours from the battery. / 12V = 110ah consumed, at night. That will require about 30% more power to recharge them fully, or close to 2,000wh harvest the next day (4 hours of sun, you'd need 500 w of HARVEST, or close to 700W of panels)

Rule of thumb, for daily discharge, and longest battery life, consume no more than 20-30% of the battery capacity. The deeper you discharge the battery, the the shorter the lifetime. A deep cycle battery may have 100, 100% discharges in it, 300, 80% discharges, and 900, 20% discharges. Chart attached.

so, for learning, and assuming you won't get full life out of the batteries, you need a battery bank of 220A @ 12V, and you will be running them hard, 50% discharge every night, with the loads you listed.
2, 200A-6V golf cart batteries, wired in series, would do it. Or 2, 100A, 12V hybrid marine batteries like you just bought, wired in parallel, would work too.
Read up on connecting batteries on the "diagonal" :

http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html

(connect parallel batteries on diagonal ) and the book:
http://www.batteryfaq.org/ (very large)


Additionally, getting a high efficiency inverter like the Morningstar SureSine 300/600w, would also help save a few %.

[cyberfast]

wow thanks so much that was very help full info. i will get my batterys right first. then get back with you.

[cyberfast]

wow thanks so much that was very help full info. i will get my batterys right first. then get back with you.

i sent you a email on your home page. this is kinda to repay you for your time.