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Solar Panel Charging: How To Regulate The Charge? Solar Panel Charging: How To Regulate The Charge?
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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 24 Jun 2013
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an MPPT tracker is fitted to inverters controlling multiple panel set ups. Under normal circumstances the output will drop to the level of the worst performing panel, say if one is in partial shade. An MPPT tracker helps minimise this effect by balancing the output better to the best performing panels.

However, an unshaded, or predominantly unshaded, system will perform better without the MPPT activated.

There is no value to having an MPPT tracker fitted to a single cell system.
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  #2  
Old 24 Jun 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moggy 1968 View Post
an MPPT tracker is fitted to inverters controlling multiple panel set ups. Under normal circumstances the output will drop to the level of the worst performing panel, say if one is in partial shade. An MPPT tracker helps minimise this effect by balancing the output better to the best performing panels.
Installation dependent.

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Originally Posted by moggy 1968 View Post
However, an unshaded, or predominantly unshaded, system will perform better without the MPPT activated.

There is no value to having an MPPT tracker fitted to a single cell system.
Incorrect. A good MPPT will adjust the load demand on a single panel to obtain maximum power out of the panel. As that maximum power point will change as the day progresses (changing angle of sun hitting panel, shading, temperature) you cannot have a simple load that matches the panel all the time.
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  #3  
Old 24 Jun 2013
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All this MPPT stuff sounds a bit over the top. No matter what you do, the panel can only give so much energy as is produced by the sunshine hitting it. The only way a controller can the increase working voltage of a panel, is by lowering the load but then you get a lower charge.

If you had several in series, thus giving a much higher voltage than 12V, there could be some benefits.

BUT to me the greatest advantage using the controller from Bimble is that you can get a meter that: "Displays Voltage, Current, Amp-Hours, Watt-Hours and Percentage Charge".
That will be a big help for administering your solar power in a vehicle.

Optional MPPT meter for Tracer Charge Controllers
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  #4  
Old 2 Jul 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Warin View Post
Installation dependent.



Incorrect. A good MPPT will adjust the load demand on a single panel to obtain maximum power out of the panel. As that maximum power point will change as the day progresses (changing angle of sun hitting panel, shading, temperature) you cannot have a simple load that matches the panel all the time.
elaborate 'installation dependant'
If in series, the panels will default to the current of the worst performing panel, if in parallel they will drop to the worst voltage. Short of individual inverters or power optimisers your stuck with that as far as I am aware

I am used to multiple panel installations. Under those installations using MPPT trackers in inverters can reduce the output of the system due to the varying characteristics of the panels. The best way of negating this is microinverters or power optimisers.
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  #5  
Old 2 Jul 2013
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Another configuration that is becoming more popular as the prices of all components comes down is to have two completely separate systems, panel, regulator and batteries - one supplying the need-to-have items such as refrigeration and the other for the nice-to-have stuff. This also fulfills the "mandatory" requirements for providing two way and even three-way redundancy in expedition vehicle systems.
One really important feature of solar systems is if you are ever silly enough or unlucky enough to stall the engine somewhere where a push start is impossible, and all of your batteries are too depleted to crank the battery (does happen in even the most anally-maintained systems) then having a decent area of panels does mean that getting mobile again is just a matter of a few hours of sunshine.

As for the 30%-guaranteed-no-matter-what claim for MPPT over PWM. Normally you only see that in duplicitous MPPT adverts on eBay, or by consumers with a bad case of confirmation bias, or from those who spend their entire life above the arctic circle where getting 30% more than just about zero isn't all that much of an achievement.
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  #6  
Old 20 Aug 2013
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Guys, what's your thoughts on this panel? A big wattage, will be used in West Africa so plenty of sunshine, should easily trickle enough juice in to keep the leisure batteries topped up:

Solar panel 250W ~ 24V ~ Mono ~Made in EU~ | eBay
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Old 20 Aug 2013
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Originally Posted by Dave The Hat View Post
Guys, what's your thoughts on this panel? A big wattage, will be used in West Africa so plenty of sunshine, should easily trickle enough juice in to keep the leisure batteries topped up:

Solar panel 250W ~ 24V ~ Mono ~Made in EU~ | eBay

personally I would never buy from a seller that spouts such tosh!

NO panel is 100% efficient. the best on the market at the moment are about 18% efficient and cost double the price of this panel.
This panel is a domestic panel, it is not designed for vehicular use. Now, you can use domestic panels, that in itself isn't a problem. I supplied one for my uncle to use on his yacht, but I made sure it was one man enough for the job, and a yacht is a very different environment to a truck.
It isn't 24V. Not that this matters especially, the regulator can deal with that, but it's still more tosh.
I have never heard of this panel. that may or may not be a problem as there are so many you can't know them all, but I am instantly suspiscious of panels with names I don't recognise, because there is a lot of tosh out there.

Now of course, it's entirely possible I don't know what I am talking about, but my company is Dorset Solar Power Ltd
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Old 20 Aug 2013
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Thanks for your thoughts Moggy! Will have a look for another, did seem very cheap for the wattage when compared to others.
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