Solar wired to load centre?

smkettner wrote:
Yes. As long as the battery is connected it will charge fine while in use or storage. You can even back feed into an unused 20a branch circuit assuming the system is no huge.

I wired my controller into an unused 15a branch circuit, backfeeding the battery via the load center and the 6ga wire that I installed from the load center in the rear of the trailer to the batteries on the tongue. The branch circuit feeds the battery, is fused at 15a and can be disconnected by pulling the branch circuit's 15a fuse.

Works for me.

There shouldn't be an issue with solar power distribution since the load center wires are in continuity with the battery.

Two things would stop me from doing it: the assumed problem of fusing the charger circuit at the load center and having the solar without a switch or circuit breaker somewhere in the solar circuit to remove power from the load center.

I put a Hipower manual breaker in between the module and the charge controller to interrupt power, should it be necessary.

AZRVCenter wrote:
Great question, hope you have found the answer! You know Google is a great spot to find some information if you have got some time to wait :)

been googling this for weeks, if not months, and nobody has been able to answer the question with a response that makes sense unless there is a disco swithc in use

Great question, hope you have found the answer! You know Google is a great spot to find some information if you have got some time to wait :)

You may find the handybob site wordy and it has some information that is dated at best.

Try these sites instead:

http://rvroadtrip.us/library/12v_system.php

http://rvroadtrip.us/library/solar_install.php

Four Words......Read Solar Bob's Blog!

Hi,

Assuming there is a battery disconnect switch the load center is not connected when that is in the off or storage position. So the solar power would have no way to get to the battery bank.

For a 150 watt pwm kit #10 wire is more than adequate.

go power 150 watt kit with 30 amp pwm charge controller. Why would I be giving up charging during storage? the wiring wouldnt change, not sure I understand?

Yes. As long as the battery is connected it will charge fine while in use or storage. You can even back feed into an unused 20a branch circuit assuming the system is no huge.

Hi,

You can do it--but you will give up charging during storage if you do.

How many watts do you plan on installing? What make and model of charge controller?