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qwerty11's avatar
qwerty11
Explorer
Jan 04, 2016

Battery charger, solar, converter, help please

I have a cabin that is off the grid. I want to leverage a deep cycle battery and have it charged via solar and a generator. When the generator is on I want it to recharge the battery and run the 12v lights and other accessories. I would also like the solar to auto switch off when the gen is turned on. What all exactly do I need to buy?

14 Replies

  • Lots of factors to consider. Including having a cutout switch to chop ALL LOADS. Does your cabin see shade during summer or winter? How cold it gets. How to know FOR SURE the batteries are 101% charged BEFORE you leave the cabin. Theft resistance of the solar panels. Panels for 12-volts are EXPENSIVE. Unless you buy cheaper panels for an EXPENSIVE MPPT controller. Sizing the charger AMPERES correctly to fit your generator AND your battery bank size.

    Those are some of the 1st questions to resolve. They have to be answered right off the bat.
  • Good points presented above. Also check out the solar-electric.com forums on off grid cabins.
  • As smkettner states, there is no need to have any special switching involved with generator and solar controller. When the generator is operating, the solar controller will sense the higher DC current and limit by itself. The best solution is to have the solar system active at all times. If set correctly, the controller will keep your batteries charged better than a manual charger.

    If you're still hesitant about this, install a manual circuit breaker (operates like a switch) between the panels and the controller. That will interrupt any power from the modules when in the "off" position.

    I'd suggest that you do an energy audit and calculate your power needs. The addition of batteries is typically cheaper than the cost of fuel to run a generator. You don't have to listen to the generator, either. If 120V AC is needed, an inverter can supply that, also quietly, and without fuel supply.
  • No need to disable either the generator-charger nor the solar-controller.
    Both can operate independent or together as sun and fuel permit.

    The real question is how big to go with each component.

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