Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Canadian Poncho Homepage -> Canadian Poncho -> The Lounge -> Charging battery with solar panel, have questions
Post Info TOPIC: Charging battery with solar panel, have questions
4SPEED427


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Online
Posts: 48854
Date:
Charging battery with solar panel, have questions
Permalink  

I am setting up a system to charge a 12 volt battery with 3 solar panels. They put out a maximun of 2 amps each. I have drawn the wiring diagram on how the instructions say to wire the 3 together. In my mind, this will still only be charging 2 amps, but I am NO electrical genius. I enjoy electrical, but have no training on it so there is a lot I don't understand.

Question is this--

Assuming I wire as shown, joining the 3 positive terminals from each panel before the charge controller, doing the same with the 3 negatives, do I actually have 6 amps coming out of the controller to the battery?



__________________

1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles 

1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
59poncho


Poncho Master!

Status: Offline
Posts: 1921
Date:
Permalink  

let me ask my father in law tommorow, he actually worked for a company for a little while that made and tested there panels until they got all the bugs worked out thanks to him and then moved to the states! Also, how big are there panels?

__________________
1959 El Poncho!!
4SPEED427


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Online
Posts: 48854
Date:
Permalink  

This is 3 30 watt panels.

It says they max out at 2 amps each.

That would be great if you can ask him, thanks.

__________________

1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles 

1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
59poncho


Poncho Master!

Status: Offline
Posts: 1921
Date:
Permalink  

no problem, i'm off work tommorow so i will give him a ring. hes actually a metrologist and at one time used to work for CSA and made sure your bar-b-cues and other things dident blow up on you! He had a couple really nice late 60's pontiacs for company cars at one time.Those were his first american cars(hes british) and then the first one he bought was a 69 barracuda. He really wishes he had those cars now!

__________________
1959 El Poncho!!
SD 396


Poncho Master!

Status: Offline
Posts: 1977
Date:
Permalink  

Wired in parallel you will get 6 amps total. You made need to isolate the panels from each other with a diode on each of the positive wires. 
 Is there a reason you need so many amps?

-- Edited by SD 396 at 08:55, 2008-10-17

__________________
4SPEED427


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Online
Posts: 48854
Date:
Permalink  

I'm sorry for my ignorance, but the way my drawing is, is that in series or parallel?

6 amps is pretty necessary because on a good sunny day the panels will only get a solid 5 hours of time.

__________________

1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles 

1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
BILTIT


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 52
Date:
Permalink  

That is wired in parallel. Series would have one panel wired to another and that one wired to another with only two wires going to the controller.

Parallel will give you ~12V and 6Amps as how you have it drawn.

Parallel wiring keeps the same voltage as one panel, series will add all the voltages together of all the panels for an output ~36V.


You dont need to join the panel wires before the controller, they can all be tied in at the controller terminals, its no different than what you have.

-- Edited by BILTIT at 08:43, 2008-10-17

__________________
'74 ventura with a P455. Runs 11.98's in the quarter so far, shooting for low 11's.

1980 chev pickup, 6'' lift and 36'' iroks, 10k winch, soon to have a pontiac 400 under the hood.

See my junk here:

www.putfile.com/biltit
SD 396


Poncho Master!

Status: Offline
Posts: 1977
Date:
Permalink  

Sorry about that. I meant parallel.

 You may still need to isolate the panels from each other. 
 Are you hooking this up to maintain a battery over the winter that already has a good charge?
 

__________________
4SPEED427


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Online
Posts: 48854
Date:
Permalink  

This is for charging batteries at a cabin that is off the grid, so we use generator, solar and propane for the various appliances etc.

And thanks to both of you. My question is answered perfectly and the answer was what I was hoping for!

Canadian Poncho, offering tons of free car advice as well as pretty much anything else as well!!!!

__________________

1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles 

1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
59poncho


Poncho Master!

Status: Offline
Posts: 1921
Date:
Permalink  

i talked to my father in law and he said the same thing the other guys said. When you hook it up and its not working right let me know and he can pick his brain for ya.

__________________
1959 El Poncho!!
4SPEED427


A Poncho Legend!

Status: Online
Posts: 48854
Date:
Permalink  

Thanks Trevor for the help and the offer too.

We already have one 30 watt that we have used, and that is all fine. I was just wondering about adding 2 more. We purchased them already (identical to the first one) and the instructions make no mention of using them together.

__________________

1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles 

1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Canadian Poncho Homepage -> Canadian Poncho -> The Lounge -> Charging battery with solar panel, have questions
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us
.
Support Canadian Poncho!
Select Amount:
<
.
.
.