Solar panel shading

Almot wrote:

Itinerant1 wrote:
... battery bank normally gets back to 95-100% even after a couple/ few days of playing catch up but in this location it's been getting to 70% (350ah) by sundown ...
That's what seemed odd to me that I wasn't gaining back the lost power after a couple days of heavy overcast and snow. The way I'm parked and the path of the sun is enough for the antenna shadow to stay on the panels a fair amount of the day.

Hard to tell why it couldn't catch up to 95% when changing the location. Antenna shade could've contributed, or this location had some trees/mountains blocking the early sun when you needed it the most, or there is less sun in late October than it was in August :). Or you changed the time pattern of loads. Increased current is needed only until you get to Absorb, then you can get by with very little charging current - until you turn some heavy loads on. If battery can't catch up past 70% - change the way you run loads, avoid running heavy loads after sunset.

Most solar systems require a fair amount of self-discipline, charging all the tools and running other loads is better in daytime - especially after the battery went to Float. Then you could use the energy from the sun directly, rather then discharging the battery. Battery stays in Float, sun runs your devices.

These are lithium batteries no absorb.

Beleive it or not the antenna shadow was enough to drag the power from the 2 series strings. Same weather conditions as the past few days and between yesterday and today the batteries are just about full again.

Thanks again guys.