DIY solar installation

[W7BE_Bob]

My panels had pigtails with MC4 connectors so it would be easy to check each panel for Voc and Isc. Regardless panel reliability is excellent so the chance of a problem seems slim. 

You might want to disconnect the controller from the battery for various reasons so a switch is a good idea. You definitely want a fuse just in case and mine is a Blue Seas switch and CB combo.

 

 

[Jim McGarvie]

22 minutes ago, W7BE_Bob said:

My panels had pigtails with MC4 connectors so it would be easy to check each panel for Voc and Isc. Regardless panel reliability is excellent so the chance of a problem seems slim. 

You might want to disconnect the controller from the battery for various reasons so a switch is a good idea. You definitely want a fuse just in case and mine is a Blue Seas switch and CB combo.

 

 

Mine have the pigtails too. My controller output will be connected to the inverter/charger terminals, and there is a fuse between there and the batteries. Does that serve the purpose or do I need something between the controller and the inverter/charger?

[Jim McGarvie]

3 hours ago, wamcneil said:

Yes, this needs a disconnect, but more importantly the wire needs overcurrent protection. A high-capacity DC circuit breaker on the inverter end of the cable serves both purposes. 
Cheers

Walter

Does the big fuse between the inverter/charger and batteries serve the purpose or do I need something between the controller and the inverter/charger in addition?

[Jim McGarvie]

1 hour ago, W7BE_Bob said:

 You definitely want a fuse just in case and mine is a Blue Seas switch and CB combo.

 

 

What size? Something like this? https://www.amazon.com/amp-Circuit-Breaker-12V-Motorhome/dp/B07QMJBDSB?th=1

[W7BE_Bob]

1 hour ago, Jim McGarvie said:

Mine have the pigtails too. My controller output will be connected to the inverter/charger terminals, and there is a fuse between there and the batteries. Does that serve the purpose or do I need something between the controller and the inverter/charger?

You can use the fuse to disconnect when needed. I wanted the convience of a switch. 

17 minutes ago, Jim McGarvie said:

What size? Something like this? https://www.amazon.com/amp-Circuit-Breaker-12V-Motorhome/dp/B07QMJBDSB?th=1

No the fuse is sized to protect the wires and 200A is much to high. I  have a 60A controller, 4ga wire and used a 80A CB.

Also mine is a Bussman not a Blue Seas.

[waterskier_1]

25 minutes ago, Jim McGarvie said:

What size? Something like this? https://www.amazon.com/amp-Circuit-Breaker-12V-Motorhome/dp/B07QMJBDSB?th=1

No, that is way to high!  If you had that much solar, none of us at Q-Site would ever need to run or generators  LOL.  You want a fuse or circuit breaker that is the size of the rated output of you controller or maybe just a little over.  If you controller is rated at 40 Amps, then go with a 40 or maybe up to a 60 Amp max fuse / circuit breaker 

Here is the box I used, along with the appropriate size breaker, but you could use a fuse with appropriate fuse holder.  

[wamcneil]

1 hour ago, Jim McGarvie said:

Does the big fuse between the inverter/charger and batteries serve the purpose or do I need something between the controller and the inverter/charger in addition?

The big fuse between the inverter and the batteries protects the WIRE between the battery and the inverter. That’s why it’s close to the battery and it is sized according to the max current of that wire gauge (and some other factors).  
Another circuit breaker or fuse needs to be between the inverter and the solar controller. It needs to be on the inverter end of that wire and sized no bigger  than the max current of that gauge of wire. So the fuse or circuit breaker should be rated at least as much as your controller can produce, and at most the max current that the wire is rated to carry. 
Cheers,

Walter

[Jim McGarvie]

22 minutes ago, waterskier_1 said:

No, that is way to high!  If you had that much solar, none of us at Q-Site would ever need to run or generators  LOL.  You want a fuse or circuit breaker that is the size of the rated output of you controller or maybe just a little over.  If you controller is rated at 40 Amps, then go with a 40 or maybe up to a 60 Amp max fuse / circuit breaker 

Here is the box I used, along with the appropriate size breaker, but you could use a fuse with appropriate fuse holder.  

Thanks Rick. My controller is 60 Amps, and they don't show anything between 60 and 200. I'm afraid a 60 Amp breaker would throw nuisance trips. I'll see if I can find something a little higher.

6 minutes ago, wamcneil said:

The big fuse between the inverter and the batteries protects the WIRE between the battery and the inverter. That’s why it’s close to the battery and it is sized according to the max current of that wire gauge (and some other factors).  
Another circuit breaker or fuse needs to be between the inverter and the solar controller. It needs to be on the inverter end of that wire and sized no bigger  than the max current of that gauge of wire. So the fuse or circuit breaker should be rated at least as much as your controller can produce, and at most the max current that the wire is rated to carry. 
Cheers,

Walter

OK, I'm with you. I've got a 60A controller and using 4 ga. wire between it and the inverter. I found this page and think a 70A or 80A breaker should do. https://www.amazon.com/amp-Circuit-Breaker-12V-Motorhome/dp/B07SHRCSTJ?th=1.

Thanks Walter.

 

[wamcneil]

1 hour ago, Jim McGarvie said:

OK, I'm with you. I've got a 60A controller and using 4 ga. wire between it and the inverter. I found this page and think a 70A or 80A breaker should do. https://www.amazon.com/amp-Circuit-Breaker-12V-Motorhome/dp/B07SHRCSTJ?th=1.

Thanks Walter.

 

I was a little uncomfortable taking a chance on a no-name Chinese safety device... so I used this one:

Bussmann CB285-90 Surface-Mount... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWMLZD6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

cheers

Walter

[Jim McGarvie]

7 minutes ago, wamcneil said:

I was a little uncomfortable taking a chance on a no-name Chinese safety device... so I used this one:

Bussmann CB285-90 Surface-Mount... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWMLZD6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

cheers

Walter

Thanks Walter, I agree. I would be more comfortable with a Buss. Do you think 90A is a bit high for my 4 ga. wire?

[Ivan K]

2 hours ago, Jim McGarvie said:

 I found this page and think a 70A or 80A breaker should do. https://www.amazon.com/amp-Circuit-Breaker-12V-Motorhome/dp/B07SHRCSTJ?th=1.

 

I would be curious to know if you find any kind of voltage drop across this breaker, if you will use it. I don't see where it states what kind of breaker it is. 

[W7BE_Bob]

3 minutes ago, wamcneil said:

I was a little uncomfortable taking a chance on a no-name Chinese safety device... so I used this one:

Bussmann CB285-90 Surface-Mount... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWMLZD6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

cheers

Walter

My last post is MIA. The purpose of a fuse/CB is to protect the wiring. If the controller shorts it's likely toast but you want to stop the heat. I used the Bussman 80A version of the above for my 60A controller with 4 ga wires. Yes, 4 ga is rated for 70A but I'm not concerned.

[wamcneil]

16 minutes ago, W7BE_Bob said:

... Yes, 4 ga is rated for 70A but I'm not concerned.

4ga should be good up to 160a if not bundled or in conduit. 
90a circuit breaker will protect it just fine  

Cheers

Walter

Edited September 28, 2020 by wamcneil

[Jim McGarvie]

9 minutes ago, W7BE_Bob said:

My last post is MIA. The purpose of a fuse/CB is to protect the wiring. If the controller shorts it's likely toast but you want to stop the heat. I used the Bussman 80A version of the above for my 60A controller with 4 ga wires. Yes, 4 ga is rated for 70A but I'm not concerned.

Thanks for all the help, Walter. I ended up ordering the 70A version of the Bussman.

14 minutes ago, Ivan K said:

I would be curious to know if you find any kind of voltage drop across this breaker, if you will use it. I don't see where it states what kind of breaker it is. 

I ended up ordering a 70A Bussman, Ivan. I will let you know how much voltage drop I find. I would hope it would be insignificant.

[Ivan K]

On 9/6/2020 at 12:54 PM, Jim McGarvie said:

I plan to install the charge controller--an Epever Tracer 60A

Jim, have you bought and installed the Tracer controller? If so, I believe the 60A has 2 ports for remote display and supposedly both can be used simultaneously. If you like, you can have my MT50 remote display for a different location.

My Tracer burned up last week when the breaker between it and battery tripped in nice sunny weather with PV connected. Not sure why it tripped, maybe road vibrations helped it, it was a nice Blue Sea magnetic breaker. Oh well...  I changed to Victron 150/70 yesterday which is supposed to be immune to that situation but I still made provisions to hopefully prevent the same from happening again.

[Jim McGarvie]

48 minutes ago, Ivan K said:

Jim, have you bought and installed the Tracer controller? If so, I believe the 60A has 2 ports for remote display and supposedly both can be used simultaneously. If you like, you can have my MT50 remote display for a different location.

My Tracer burned up last week when the breaker between it and battery tripped in nice sunny weather with PV connected. Not sure why it tripped, maybe road vibrations helped it, it was a nice Blue Sea magnetic breaker. Oh well...  I changed to Victron 150/70 yesterday which is supposed to be immune to that situation but I still made provisions to hopefully prevent the same from happening again.

Hi Ivan, thanks for the note. Yes, the Tracer is installed and working. It ended up coming with the MT50 remote display, but thanks for the offer.

It does have two ports, but the instructions say only one can be used at a time except for chaining controllers. I currently have an ethernet cable plugged into one, and I plug the other end into either the MT50 or a WiFi adapter to use with the phone app, depending upon the situation.

Sorry to hear your Tracer was fried. That is a bit concerning. I am using a Bussman 70A breaker between the controller and the battery, but maybe I should consider a different breaker and/or larger amperage.

Please let us know how you like the Victron.

Jim

[Ivan K]

Good deal you got it working, Jim. I like the Victron so far going on two days now 🙂, bluetooth everything but especially the 5 year warranty after what happened. I did like the Trace too, for two years.

Yeah, just remember to shut the PV first before flipping the battery switch to be safe. I have made a dual breaker setup at the controller location to hopefully prevent at least an other single breaker failure, if not a manual error.

[Jim McGarvie]

3 hours ago, Ivan K said:

Yeah, just remember to shut the PV first before flipping the battery switch to be safe. I have made a dual breaker setup at the controller location to hopefully prevent at least an other single breaker failure, if not a manual error.

I put a label under each breaker which will hopefully prevent me from accidentally turning the wrong switch on or off first, but you've got me concerned about the possibility of the output CB tripping on its own. I like your innovative solution to that.

[Smilintiger36]

If you haven't looked before, go to diysolarforum.com

It is sign in for membership (free) and so many answers for almost all questions solar.

[hitechpete]

On 8/7/2020 at 1:00 AM, Jim McGarvie said:

Can anyone point me to a good website to learn the basics? I have been through most of the AM Solar site (https://amsolar.com/diy-rv-solar-instructions/) and it is very helpful, but I still have questions.

Some of you may be able to answer one vehicle-specific question I have about routing the cables from the panels to the controller. I plan to install the controller in the rearmost curbside compartment where the inverter is, and immediately behind the battery compartment. The refrigerator is in a slide so using that vent is not an option. I seem to remember reading accounts of running cables (both solar and rear view camera) down through the rear cap, and that sounds appealing to me, but now I can't find those articles.

I have looked up from the engine compartment and from below the chassis, and it appears there is a bulkhead the entire width of the rear cap. It isn't clear to me where would be a good place to go through that bulkhead.

Thanks for any help and 

Edited March 4, 2021 by hitechpete
Replied twice by mistake, sorry.

[TomV48]

On 8/20/2020 at 8:07 PM, Jim McGarvie said:

A new question: What are folks using for disconnect switches for their solar panels? Just like our battery disconnect switches?

Thanks.

Jim

 

I use 30 amp resettable dc circuit breaker on 6 100 watt  Renogy panels.  I run two in series three times which hits about 40 v then  parallel the three pairs so peak is normally 5-7 amps X three.  Normally 25-35 amps to the batteries.   Optomisticly I breaker the battery feed at 60 amps but it's a dream.

Carry a spare 40 amp circuit breaker in case I am ever lucky enough to start producing more than 30 amp from the panels.  Still looking for a day that perfect.

[wamcneil]

I use a small battery disconnect switch (rated for 48v) on the positive solar feed wire. 
No harm in using a circuit breaker, but the solar panel cables don’t need overcurrent protection. 
Cheers

Walter

[W7BE_Bob]

3x serial panels 9A at 120V. I used a 30A 240VAC A/C disconnect switch and disconnected both poles. A fuse is not needed. Not DC rated but that's not really a factor.

80A switchable CB on the battery side. 

[saflyer]

On 8/6/2020 at 7:00 PM, Jim McGarvie said:

Can anyone point me to a good website to learn the basics? I have been through most of the AM Solar site (https://amsolar.com/diy-rv-solar-instructions/) and it is very helpful, but I still have questions.

Some of you may be able to answer one vehicle-specific question I have about routing the cables from the panels to the controller. I plan to install the controller in the rearmost curbside compartment where the inverter is, and immediately behind the battery compartment. The refrigerator is in a slide so using that vent is not an option. I seem to remember reading accounts of running cables (both solar and rear view camera) down through the rear cap, and that sounds appealing to me, but now I can't find those articles.

I have looked up from the engine compartment and from below the chassis, and it appears there is a bulkhead the entire width of the rear cap. It isn't clear to me where would be a good place to go through that bulkhead.

Thanks for any help and advice.

Jim

I’m going down the same road as you. Sounds like we have similar layouts in the after rear compartments. 

Try diysolarforums.com and explorist.life. A lot of good information.

Ed              
‘05 HR Ambassador 

[W7BE_Bob]

First consider a inside routing through cabinets or closets or walls. I've routed wires through hollow inside walls and insulated outside walls, be creative and use switches, lights etc that can help gain access. Cabinet panels may be decorative and can be removed. Mine are attached with brads and glue and come right off. Reattached with screws, no visible wires. 

For my rear cap I'd remove the camera and use mirrors, lights, small cameras to determine wire routings. Lacking that I'd drill a small hole on  top and probe with a wire to determine it opens down. Use a straight probe to determine about where it will reach the bottom. Drill a hole in the bottom. Drop a metal object on a string and use a magnet to bring it to the bottom hole. Use needle nose pliers, wires with a hook or whatever to get the string. 

Talk to an alarm installer about techniques. Consider 4' drills, 8' fiberglass (1/8" diameter) wire pulls. Think outside the box  and be creative. 

The "best" routing for me was midships through cabinets into the basement storage for the CC etc. Short 4ga wire run to the inverter which has long 4/0 wires to the rear batteries. This resulted in a 0.7V or 2% wire drop at 60A (CC max) from the panels to the batteries which is very acceptable. Plus the CC remote voltage sense makes that loss a non issue (or at least very acceptable) for battery charging. Plus consider that at 30A the wiring loss is half.