The Electric Control brings together the inputs from solar panels via terminal, where adjustments can be made, to charge controllers that feed the batteries. The main update for 2018 is the terminal blocks that allow the solar panels to be connected separately to two banks of batteries, and be connected in parallel or series and bypass the controllers to fed the batteries directly.
control panel with MPPT
To connect two panels a terminal block of eight is used. A terminal for the positive and negative of each panel, each of which is then connected to another terminal.
1. The top of the block has the inputs. To the left, the larger black cables with blue and red tape to indicate polarity, and to the right a brown and blue mains electric style wires.
2. The negative outputs are connected to the respective controllers and there is a blue wire that joins the negative of both solar panels and controllers.
3. The positive outputs are the red wires going to the two double terminal blocks immediately below.The two blocks below take the positive output from the main block via the red wires. The outputs of each are wired to a) the input terminal of the controllers and b) to battery output of the controllers to bypass an feed directly to the batteries. The selection being done manually by moving the red input wires.
Alternative arrangements for the solar inputs are:
1. In parallel: Take the red output wire from one panel and connect it to the spare terminal at the bottom adjacent to and connected to the other output.
2. In cloudy weather this gives increased output to be used with the controller or can be done to overcharge (equalise) batteries when the controller doesn't have that function.
3. In series: Only used when the cloud cover is very low and the combined voltage is below 75v the maximum for the Victron 75 | 15
Run a 6mm copper bar via a terminal block from the inner wall to the outer. Have yet to connect the rod to the external earth.
6mm rod held of from wall by paduk block. July 4th Have used old stiff 7 strand 3mm earth wire and connected MPPT, Battery and Inverter to earth block.
Earthing of inverter, battery and MPPT. (Highlighted)
July 11th I have finally soldered the internal earth rod to the external grounding strip, it is not pretty and I could have a) made a better job of it by protecting the wood and mains cable or b) made a nice copper clamp to join them ~ a future mini project.
Connection is only soldered at rod end but soldered and bolted at strip end. Area has been tar-oiled.
To see a better extent of the scorch marks view ~ Scorch ExtentThe batteries arrived today with the MPPT and have been installed. It was late in the day before I had finshed and initially the controller went to bulk then abs.
The first thing I did was to make a stainless steel backplate to fasten the controller to and use copper and plastic tubing to keep it off the wall, only a centimetere or so.
I have also connected the 1200w inverter, but there is no other loading.
Layout of supply and controllersMay 7th Battery voltage of the 2 x S6 145's in series was 12.76. The electrolyte was high in one cell so I distributed it amongst all six.
Cable from MPPT to batteries is approx AWG 8 or 8.4㎜² (50 amps)
Could do with
See https://www.altecautomotive.co.uk/25mm2--4-awg-automotive-cable-17000amp-2040watts-rated-various-colours-available-375-p.aspMay 9th Electrolyte levels are fine
May 13th Must use VE Direct USB to set up MPPT and equalise. ✓
June 17thHave fitted a fuse box to inverter output and wiring from there to a) 6A fuse to wiring for sockets to a double socket about the workbench, a double socket by the computer platform and wire to a further socket by the steps. b) 16A fuse for cable to external socket and c) Unfused to a 3 gang row above the electric work bench.
So for power to any 1) switch on inverter, 2) switch on fuse box.
I will not be making a spreadsheet of input and output for a while.