Battery charger, solar, converter, help please

I'm confused. It looks like I am reading different options. I'm not wanting to spend any more money than necessary to accomplish my modest goals. Could you please link me to exactly what I need?

qwerty11 wrote:
I'm confused. It looks like I am reading different options. I'm not wanting to spend any more money than necessary to accomplish my modest goals. Could you please link me to exactly what I need?

You need to tell the approximate location of your cabin. Solar output depends on location. It also matters whether there is any shade from trees etc, on your cabin.

For somebody in Southern parts - I wouldn't bother with 100W panel as intended main source of charging in winter. Get at least 200-250W.
Link to "one" of suitable panels: 230W, 24V. You might find something cheaper and/or closer to you.

Link to controller Eco 20 to be used with 200-250W panel was provided earlier. There also exist other controllers in this amps range.

If you are not in Az, Ca etc - then you might need bigger (or more) panels, and a different controller.

Link to cable from panel to controller:
MC4 extension cable. Measure length from panel to controller, multiply by 2 and order the closest size or slightly longer, then cut it in two. Gauge AWG 12 or 10 is Ok with this type of controller and this panel voltage. Solar Blvd have this type of cable too, but their price is two times higher than in Unlimited Solar link, and selection is fewer.

Again, if you will install bigger and/or more panels, you might need a different cable.

Link to inverter: 300W PSW.

I would provide a link to Olympian Wave catalytic propane heater, but there are 3 different models on Amazon, of different output. Depends on how big area you need to heat and how cold is outside. You should probably start a separate topic for heater.

Thanks!

FYI - I'm in Tennessee.

Well, it's not too bad in Tennessee, the latitude is about LA or SF. Clouds and precipitation in winter must be different/worse, as my solar maps show "the worst case scenario in December" similar to Oregon.

With winter in mind, if it were me, I would get 350-450W array. This would be 2*200W panels (or 2*230W like the one in the earlier link) and 30-40A MPPT controller. MC4 cable will be the same gauge AWG 10 as in earlier scenario.

Of half-decent 30-40A MPPT controllers only one comes to mind in lower price range: Blue Sky Energy Solar Boost, $270. No experience with this one.

Total cost of panels, cable and controller: about $620. Plus $$$ for shipping panels - can be as much as $100-140. Look for 200-230W panels in solar stores in your area and pick them up. There are dozens of solar outlets in phone book.

The previous scenario - 230W panel, Eco 20 controller, cable, $300 total - might work... most of the time. Hard to tell for sure. With 400W you'll have better chances to eliminate the use of generator in winter. As long as there are no tall trees shadowing the cabin in your Boonsborough.

And, when rain comes, all bets are off and you have to run a genny - or get a 2nd battery, to keep juices running until sun comes up. Solar is "all or nothing", on a rainy day you get close to nothing and on a sunny day you harvest more than you can use, so you store this extra crop in batteries. that's why you need a 2nd battery.

Edit-PS:
Checked the Blue Sky controller specs, - now I know why I didn't like it. Stupid design, high amps but low input volts. With this controller you'll have to buy a pair of Y-connectors, $13 each, one Male and one Female, and wire panels in parallel.