Solar Controllers--Don't be a Sucker! :(
Just got to say it again, how it is we are sitting here for five months off grid on solar with no problems at all (third season on solar like this), using the non-programmable, non-MPPT, solar control...
Forum Discussion
BFL
You were interested in my 230w poly and Eco-worthy controllers combos max output. The best I saw was 16.21a in MPPT when I had a brief break in the clouds between 12 and 1 pm. I used a 200w coffee maker as the load to pull the battery down below float and then connected the panel. The battery voltage was steady at 13.4, 16.21a briefly and then steady between 15.75 and 15.95a. I didn't see the watts at 16.21a but at the high 15s the watts were 212.
I've only tested the coffee pot once and it was sooooo slow. Not this time, it was about as fast as a normal drip pot. The plug however got so hot I don't think it will do to many test.
Weather was not good for testing at noon. We had bright sun early every day and storms late morning on. The sun broke the treeline around 7am and as soon as I put the panel in the sun I saw 13-14a MPPT. It didn't last long, the batteries were never that far down especially after being at float till nightfall. The group 27 would drop to the same 12.5v+ over night after being charged at home and we ran the furnace more this time.
In absorb and in float with a load I saw up to 13a. My first test was to turn on everything in the trailer including the furnace. The amps in float went up to 11 but the battery voltage never dropped. Heavy cloudy weather only produces a few amps in MPPT but absorb and float saw up to 5, 4a in the rain.
In the end the Schott poly 230w and Eco-Worthy had no problem covering our uses. It was a cool rainy 5 days and we ran the furnace every night and during the day quite a few times. We actually used twice the propane that we used on our last 10 day trip. Between the furnace, vent fans, LEDs and inverter something was always on and we never ran the generator for charging.
Now I have many more test I want to run on the Eco-worthy.
You were interested in my 230w poly and Eco-worthy controllers combos max output. The best I saw was 16.21a in MPPT when I had a brief break in the clouds between 12 and 1 pm. I used a 200w coffee maker as the load to pull the battery down below float and then connected the panel. The battery voltage was steady at 13.4, 16.21a briefly and then steady between 15.75 and 15.95a. I didn't see the watts at 16.21a but at the high 15s the watts were 212.
I've only tested the coffee pot once and it was sooooo slow. Not this time, it was about as fast as a normal drip pot. The plug however got so hot I don't think it will do to many test.
Weather was not good for testing at noon. We had bright sun early every day and storms late morning on. The sun broke the treeline around 7am and as soon as I put the panel in the sun I saw 13-14a MPPT. It didn't last long, the batteries were never that far down especially after being at float till nightfall. The group 27 would drop to the same 12.5v+ over night after being charged at home and we ran the furnace more this time.
In absorb and in float with a load I saw up to 13a. My first test was to turn on everything in the trailer including the furnace. The amps in float went up to 11 but the battery voltage never dropped. Heavy cloudy weather only produces a few amps in MPPT but absorb and float saw up to 5, 4a in the rain.
In the end the Schott poly 230w and Eco-Worthy had no problem covering our uses. It was a cool rainy 5 days and we ran the furnace every night and during the day quite a few times. We actually used twice the propane that we used on our last 10 day trip. Between the furnace, vent fans, LEDs and inverter something was always on and we never ran the generator for charging.
Now I have many more test I want to run on the Eco-worthy.
