Wiring solar panels straight to breaker panel?

I have run my current trailers solar wiring down the fridge vent to the charge controller then into the 12v side of the control center. My previous trailer was direct to the batteries.
To compare the two trailers fairly, I used the same system on both trailers (260 watt with a 20Amp controller). I can't say that I really notice any difference in charging abilities even with the longer run of wire on the new one.
I know there will be some loss due to the length of wire, but in my case there is just not enough gain to be had to warrant a rewire direct to the batteries.

yes you can wire the Controller output to the DC converter battery wires

NO you are NOT connecting to the Breaker Panel {breaker panel side is 120vac}

the panels must connect to the controller, it is the go between controlling the charge voltage and protecting the batteries

BFL13 wrote:
"A poor connection to the battery will
also distort the battery voltage reading and cause the charging to stop too soon."

"Poor connection" != less than some arbitrary gauge wire.

.

mike-s wrote:
"With voltage drop the controller will "see" it has reached its high set point , but the battery voltage will be lower than that. This can leave the battery under-charged. "

Not really. The controller will regulate to the absorption voltage, and cut off when current drops below some level or some time has expired. By the time either happens, the current is so low that voltage drop is not an issue. You do loose a small bit of efficiency during bulk charge, when current is at max.

You can argue that with the ASC user's manual guys on the effect of voltage drop between battery and controller;

"A poor connection to the battery will
also distort the battery voltage reading and cause the charging to stop too soon."

"With voltage drop the controller will "see" it has reached its high set point , but the battery voltage will be lower than that. This can leave the battery under-charged. "

Not really. The controller will regulate to the absorption voltage, and cut off when current drops below some level or some time has expired. By the time either happens, the current is so low that voltage drop is not an issue. You do loose a small bit of efficiency during bulk charge, when current is at max.

Okay, thanks a lot. I think I'll try and find another way to wire these. There is vent on the roof fairly close, but I can't find an egress point in the trailer.

The panel wires go to the controller input and the controller output goes to the battery wires. Never have the controller downstream of the converter, which is also on those battery wires at the power centre fuse panel end.

So yes, you can wire the controller output NOT THE PANEL output to the battery wires at the fuse panel This puts the controller and converter in parallel, which is fine.

BTW, the longer distance from battery to controller is not a concern so much for lower amps, longer charge time, but for the effect on the controller's high set point for when to stop the voltage from rising any higher. With voltage drop the controller will "see" it has reached its high set point , but the battery voltage will be lower than that. This can leave the battery under-charged.

"Renogy Tracer 4210" So, no remote battery voltage monitoring. You may lose a couple percent in power by mounting it remote from the battery, but things will still work fine. There's a lot of dogma out there from the days when panels cost 4 times what they do now, and people were anal retentive about efficiency. Don't be that guy. If a couple of percent makes a real difference, you'd want another panel anyway.

40 amps through that battery connection is fine but you will have losses and slower charging.

You can connect until you figure out how to pull wire to the batteries and also move the controller close to the batteries. Or you may find it is plenty good enough.

Do make sure you are connecting to the 12v side of the panel. Connect same as the converter.