my solar install
Thanks to a LOT of people's help on this forum my panels are up and working.
I got my 120 watt panels, MC4 cables, Tristar 45 PWM contoller and TS-RM-2 display from Solar Blvd who matched the prices of the controller, display, temp probe etc I got from Ecodirect, I thought that was pretty good.
Instead of a 'combiner box' I used Blue Sea feed through posts in the fridge vent, they're not exposed to much UV at all under the fridge vent so I'm pretty confident that won't be a problem.
I ran 4ga down the fridge vent, through the floor into conduit underneath the trailer coming back up in the front cupboard then over to the are under the front sofa where my PD-9280 and 600 watt inverter are located. I ran the output of the controller to the 4 ga cables going from the batteries (through a fuse) to the inverter.
Used a 50 amp breaker on the 4 ga from the panels to the controller.
Don't like the idea of the 'Z brackets' most places sell so I made my own out of aluminium angle and stainless hardware.
Other than the length going to the first panel all the cable is held in place to the bottom of the panels. I made the brackets for the front panel slightly different so it's tilted a bit otherwise it wouldn't have had any tilt at all for water to run off, might help tot avoid lift too maybe..?
The most I've seen them put out so far is 16.5 amps, I think I woulda got a little more as the sun got higher but right then it dropped down to 'absorption' mode. By adding a Y-connector to the cable feeding the lst panel I'll be able to add another panel in the future, something tells me that will be in the spring! ;)
Thanks to everyone who helped me out, and sorry for all the stupid questions the last little while.
Will
Feb 2017, edit
August 2016 I picked up another 120 watt panel from Solar Blvd, they must have a new supplier, this one seemed to be maybe a little better made with a slightly beefier frame, the finish on the top of the panel is slightly different as well.
I added it on the left side of the trailer 'wyeing' into the cable that was coming from the panel in front of it, so now we have 480 watts on the roof.
Also a pic of the bracket I made up and the stainless screws I used, think they were 12 x 1.75" long.
So far no complaints, even added a pigtail off my trailer batteries I use for charging my boat battery, of course doing that screws up the readings on my Trimeteric until I reset it once the boat battery is removed.
I got my 120 watt panels, MC4 cables, Tristar 45 PWM contoller and TS-RM-2 display from Solar Blvd who matched the prices of the controller, display, temp probe etc I got from Ecodirect, I thought that was pretty good.
Instead of a 'combiner box' I used Blue Sea feed through posts in the fridge vent, they're not exposed to much UV at all under the fridge vent so I'm pretty confident that won't be a problem.
I ran 4ga down the fridge vent, through the floor into conduit underneath the trailer coming back up in the front cupboard then over to the are under the front sofa where my PD-9280 and 600 watt inverter are located. I ran the output of the controller to the 4 ga cables going from the batteries (through a fuse) to the inverter.
Used a 50 amp breaker on the 4 ga from the panels to the controller.
Don't like the idea of the 'Z brackets' most places sell so I made my own out of aluminium angle and stainless hardware.
Other than the length going to the first panel all the cable is held in place to the bottom of the panels. I made the brackets for the front panel slightly different so it's tilted a bit otherwise it wouldn't have had any tilt at all for water to run off, might help tot avoid lift too maybe..?
The most I've seen them put out so far is 16.5 amps, I think I woulda got a little more as the sun got higher but right then it dropped down to 'absorption' mode. By adding a Y-connector to the cable feeding the lst panel I'll be able to add another panel in the future, something tells me that will be in the spring! ;)
Thanks to everyone who helped me out, and sorry for all the stupid questions the last little while.
Will
Feb 2017, edit
August 2016 I picked up another 120 watt panel from Solar Blvd, they must have a new supplier, this one seemed to be maybe a little better made with a slightly beefier frame, the finish on the top of the panel is slightly different as well.
I added it on the left side of the trailer 'wyeing' into the cable that was coming from the panel in front of it, so now we have 480 watts on the roof.
Also a pic of the bracket I made up and the stainless screws I used, think they were 12 x 1.75" long.
So far no complaints, even added a pigtail off my trailer batteries I use for charging my boat battery, of course doing that screws up the readings on my Trimeteric until I reset it once the boat battery is removed.
