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2oldman's avatar
2oldman
Explorer II
Aug 02, 2015

48v system -UPDATE

Just for kicks I'm going to upgrade to a 48v system this winter. I love smaller wiring!

It'll be 8- 12v AGMs in series-parallel. I'd rather go 8 -6v but these AGMs are still pretty new.

I considered 36v, but 48 seems to have more products available. I may consider running 2 -24v IOTA chargers in series. I'll probably need a new DC-DC converter for the 12v stuff as I asked Victron about running two of the 24v models in series. They said no.

Curious if I'll get any better performance over 24v.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Aug 03, 2015
    Same panel-battery voltage solar is more efficient than bucking so part of the advantage would be to use a 48v controller with the array done up as 48v too.

    I reported the better 24-24 than 24-12 results a while back. It could be worth it with 48-48.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Aug 02, 2015
    I'm deciding between the Cotek and the Outback inverter. That Outback is a monster unit! Cotek looks a lot like Samlex, which I have now, and it occasionally will shut down at 28.6v, which it's not supposed to do.

    Some of the websites I find say that chargers can be seriesed. At this point not sure, but there are certainly plenty of 48v golf cart chargers.
  • Matt_Colie's avatar
    Matt_Colie
    Explorer II
    Aug 02, 2015
    Hang on a little while. Automotive is going to 40V (maybe 48). You will find that you cannot series smart chargers. It just won't work. You can charge both halves of the bank, but only if the chargers have isolated charging sides.

    Me, I want to get the main bank out of a hybrid.

    Matt

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