12v MPPT and 24v MPPT vs 24v PWM Test
Got a chance to try out comparing amps to the battery using MPPT vs PWM on a 24v battery bank and comparing those with the usual MPPT on 12v with my 230w panel. The bank is four 6s, so it was easy ...
Forum Discussion
You have options for sure. You don't seem to need an MPPT controller though which is a money issue. Assuming I understand the situation here is one way to play it:
-Leave the battery bank as 24v.
-Make your solar array 24v (one 24 or two 12s in series)
-simple PWM controller that will do 24v (or 12v)
-24v inverter with 120v output of course
-A 12v charger for the 12v engine battery if that gets low, which is powered by the 24v inverter on your 24v bank (which in turn is kept up by the 24v solar)
You would only need your 24v charger now if the solar couldn't keep up due to clouds or whatever.
A variation-Somebody can correct me, but I think with two 12v panels in series as a 24 you can still run an additional pair of wires from just one of them to a second 12v PWM controller that you could put on the engine battery to keep it up if you are parked for a long time. This would be instead of running your 12v charger off the 24v inverter if your rig is in "storage" for a time.
PWM controllers are about $25 on eBay, so you can have several :)
I'm sure there are other ways to play it too.
-Leave the battery bank as 24v.
-Make your solar array 24v (one 24 or two 12s in series)
-simple PWM controller that will do 24v (or 12v)
-24v inverter with 120v output of course
-A 12v charger for the 12v engine battery if that gets low, which is powered by the 24v inverter on your 24v bank (which in turn is kept up by the 24v solar)
You would only need your 24v charger now if the solar couldn't keep up due to clouds or whatever.
A variation-Somebody can correct me, but I think with two 12v panels in series as a 24 you can still run an additional pair of wires from just one of them to a second 12v PWM controller that you could put on the engine battery to keep it up if you are parked for a long time. This would be instead of running your 12v charger off the 24v inverter if your rig is in "storage" for a time.
PWM controllers are about $25 on eBay, so you can have several :)
I'm sure there are other ways to play it too.
