9 replies to this topic

[Fielding.dots]

Having perused the many solar threads I've come to the following solar setup for my 2006 Kestrel. And, looking for some confirmation that I'm not missing anything and that my choices are actually up to date (2020).

Aaron @ 4WC helped me out with putting a solar plug in my roof so that part is taken care of.

This is the setup I'm thinking of:

- Renogy 200W rigid panel (25lbs) mounted to Yakima rails w/ aluminum L channel
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 Controller
- Use existing wire from behind lift panel to controller
- 10 gauge wire from controller to battery
- keep my current 12v battery and upgrade later on

Looks like other people installed the Trimetric monitor as well. However, it looks like the Victron has a bluetooth app for monitoring its performance. So I'm assuming I don't need a separate monitor. Is this correct?

I may add a portable panel later on.

Any comments/advice on this would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Edited by Fielding.dots, 26 August 2020 - 03:22 AM.

[PaulT]

That Renogy puts out 10.9 amps max. The 75/15 doesn't leave much for an additional panel in the future unless you put that one in series with another like it.  You might be better off with a charge controller that can handle 30 amps. That way, you could parallel another panel down the road. It may give you more freedom to handle a second battery or a larger battery when you want to do so.

 

The Victron charge controller does give you information on what the charge controller is doing but does not give you battery state of charge (SOC) like the Trimetric does.

 

If you are going to LiFePO4 batteries down the road, you may want to replace the Trimetric with a Victron BMV-712 as it directly supports LiFePO4.  The Trimetric can be configured to give an approximation of the charge and discharge cycles or LiFePO4 but it is not as accurate as the Victron unit for LiFePO4 batteries.

 

I have the Trimetric charge controller and the Trimetric Battery monitor in my Hawk with LiFePO4 batteries. The charge controller programmed for LiFePO4 works fine but the monitor is never as accurate as I would like. My setup worked great for AGM lead acid batteries and I had confidence in the SOC reading for them.  I can tell by the current reading that the BMS is allowing to go the batteries that they are fully charged but the Trimetric monitor does not agree.

 

YMMV but it is cheaper to make the changes now than down the road.

 

Paul

 

[Fielding.dots]

Thanks Paul! I don't think I'm ready for the LiFePO4 yet but would consider it in a couple years when my current battery needs replacing.

I think I'll go with their 30amp controller instead. Thanks for the recommendations!!

[veryactivelife]

The advice from Paul is spot on. I would add emphasis to what he mentioned about the Victron BMV712 battery monitor. It monitors all the amps going in and out of the batteries to provide an accurate SOC. The solar controller display only provides information on what the panels are producing and a basic voltage reading on the batteries. Reading voltage of batteries while charging or under load results in wildly fluctuating readings, so if you really want to monitor battery health get the BMV.

[Jack]

I would suggest that you also get the Victron battery temperature/voltage sensor for about $35. https://www.amazon.c...82&sr=8-17&th=1

Tape it to the battery. It connects via Bluetooth to the Smart MPPT, so no additional wiring. Whatever the wire gauge and distance from the MPPT to the battery, the MPPT will source the correct voltage at the battery. If you go to LiFePO4, you now have an easy read of battery temperature.

 

In the PNW, we can still get down to 0' F, so when we head off on a trip, it's easy to know if I need to heat the camper before leaving or run the heater while driving so that the battery can be charged.

[Fielding.dots]

Thanks Jack!

I'm moving to BC from California in a couple weeks so this will come in handy for those colder temps

[Sandokan]

Just completed my solar installation on my Eagle FWC and I am quite proud of it.

After research and reviews I settled for EPEVER instead of Victron. 

Link to the 30amp version.

https://www.amazon.c...0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They also have a 40 amp version. Can be monitored and programed with laptop if desired but comes with meter/programer unit and temp sensor. 

 

I added two Bayite meters to monitor battery charge and discharge. 

https://www.amazon.c...0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They come with 100amp Shunts, only one shunt is needed if using two for monitoring as stated above. 

 Wiring of meters and shunt is critical for proper functioning. 

 

Read good things about Trimetric but in my opinion it is way too expensive. Same can be done for much less. 

I may post photos of my set up sometime soon.

[Fielding.dots]

Thanks for all the input! It was such a big help.

During the summer lockdowns I installed a 200w panel, 100/30 victron mppt controller and monitor... And just ordered and installed a 100ah LiFePO4 battery from Canbat (I'm living in BC now). Works amazingly well, what an upgrade. I feel like power is no longer a limiting factor in trip length.

Thanks!

[chingchangchop]

Thanks for all the input! It was such a big help.

During the summer lockdowns I installed a 200w panel, 100/30 victron mppt controller and monitor... And just ordered and installed a 100ah LiFePO4 battery from Canbat (I'm living in BC now). Works amazingly well, what an upgrade. I feel like power is no longer a limiting factor in trip length.

Thanks!

How are you liking the Canbat 100ah battery? Did you purchase the cold weather version that has the internal heater to allow charging in cold weather?

[ri-f]

During the summer lockdowns I installed a 200w panel, 100/30 victron mppt controller and monitor... And just ordered and installed a 100ah LiFePO4 battery from Canbat (I'm living in BC now).

Happy to hear you went with the Victon 100/30 controller over the 75/15 for future expansion. And also the Battle Born 100 AH LiFePO4. Excellent combination.

 

Since you anticipate cold weather in your future, I'm assuming that if you just ordered the new battery it was the heated version BB10012H. If you got the non heated (original) version BB10012, like many of us did before the heatd version came out,, then you can still turn it into a heated version by adding their battery heating pad, which wraps around the BB10012 and functions, essentially, the same way as the internal heating element of the BB10012H. If you anticipate temps to drop below 24 degrees F where you travel, it could be a useful accessory. Especially if you are travelling in freezing weather and not using the cabin heater to warm up your batteries while underway. The heat pad, as well as the internal heating element, will self-consume < 2.0 amp/hr on average (that is, directly from the battery), while the battery temp is exposed to freezing conditions. When the battery internal temp rises to 35 degrees F the heating element will shut off automatically. This way your ability to charge your LiFePO4 when the temp drops below 24 degrees F will remain uninterupted. Fortunately, the battery has BMS, which will shut the battery down if internal temp drops below 24 degrees F. This will prevent internal damage to the battery if you were to try to charge the battery when it's core temp was dangerously low. Happy charging!

 

https://battlebornba...0012-or-bb5024/
 

Rich

 

p.s. One thing to note about heated batteries is that they will need to be recalibrated more frequently, because the current drawn from the battery does not go through your shunt, therefore the current and,of course the SOC, on your BMV 712 meter won't be accurate after a while, So, if the battery is actively being heated,by the element, be sure to take this into account when looking at your consumed amp hours  and SOC. Recalibrating and synching SOC periodically will sort this out. When the element is not active (above 35 degrees F), it does not affect your metering.

Edited by ri-f, 16 February 2021 - 09:19 PM.