Advice, 36V or 48V?

Victron has my money for the forseeable future, the myriad of connectivity options and presentation is pretty hands-down awesome. I wrote a Java library to talk to VE.Direct devices: https://github.com/kazetsukaimiko/freedriver/tree/master/victron

The voltage surging/sagging issue - that could screw up some more sensitive items.

The Victrons also have big heatsinks/fanless as you likely know, I'd be adverse to any charge controller with a fan.

3 hours ago, Sid Genetry Solar said:

I'd say to stay at 48v.  Apart from cost of the MPPTs, system voltage doesn't make an extreme difference in cost--but if it costs twice as much in charge controllers to do 24v vs 48v...well, I went 48v 😉 .

Not to mention thinner wires are cheaper, and the system will be more efficient.  There's a reason the big power transmission lines run in the KV range.

Well, if you already at 48v, then yes its fine, however, to me 48v, would mean have to get more panels and that would mean the wind turbin I got is no longer able to be use cause its o nly rated for 12v or 24v. and I doubt its wise to mix different Ah batterys, for me to be able to pull off 48 v, I got two 200 ah and two 100 ah batteries, doubt i can connect them and get away with a 48v, the 100 ah would charge up before the 200 ah batterys would.

And besides, 24v at 6k is only 300 amp at 24 v, which is better then 600 at 12v, cause the wire I got right now was far 12v and its thicker then the wire that comes into the house so I should be able to pull over 600 amp on them for two 24v inverters.  As long as I got enough batteries to push over 600 Amps at 24v I should be good.

Sid, you would know, having two 12v batts able to push out 100 amh each would haveing two of them together means it can pull 200 amp at 24v? or still restricted to 1j00 amps?

57 minutes ago, Sid Genetry Solar said:

Sounds like a lead-acid 12v battery setup.

Another option you might consider is the Epever Tracer MPPT series.  They're a good bit cheaper--$420 for a 200v input 100A battery output model on eBay right now.  I personally have 2 of them (Tracer 8420ANs to be precise, i.e. 80A, 200v max input), and for the price, I really can't complain.  Definitely no comparison to the (much more expensive) Morningstar Tristar TS-MPPT-60 that I started out with--but I somehow blew one of those out via MODBUS commands.  (Warranty was stellar; they replaced it with very quick shipping.)

The only issue I have had with the Epever Tracers (besides that either a computer cable or their "remote meter" is required for configuration setup--well, same for the Morningstar...), is that the actual voltage regulation is quite slow.  Meaning that if you go from a big load to no load, the battery voltage will surge for 15-30 seconds.  Same on the other direction: putting a huge load on it, the battery voltage will sag for 15-30 seconds.  Obviously, this is a software issue--and probably a band-aid for oscillations or other issues they might have had.  (Definitely not an issue on the Morningstar though--I can go from 20W to 3,300W and back in the blink of an eye.)

But for the price...and the 200v max input...not to mention RS-485 MODBUS (@115kbaud though), as well as MODBUS-controllable relay outputs, etc., there's some potential with the Tracers.  Not to mention that they don't have a cooling fan--they use a huge heatsink on the back.

I have one of thos Epever  40A tracer, and I can't not connect to it with ethernet, or wifi modual, so I can't even program it.  I hate the thing. so switch to Make sky blue and I do have a victron 12/24v/ 15A that I started off with when I got into solar.  I like the sky blue controllers.

2 Batteries * 12V * 100Ah = 2400Wh. Wh always adds up to the same regardless of the configuration. In Series, that's 24V 100Ah (2400Wh), in parallel that's 12V 200Ah.

In parallel, you can draw the accumulative amperage of the rating of all of the batteries in the group. In Series, you are I believe limited to the amperage of the lowest rated battery in the series- both also limited by cable size. While under some circumstances you can mix different kinds and capacities of battery, it isn't recommended.

"Only" 300A, wow. I don't know your requirements or average usage but I think 300A is an insanely high draw, and that you are better off looking at a higher voltage system if possible.

If "the wire that comes into the house" is what I think it is, its 240V AC and is never going to see that kind of current.

17 minutes ago, The Blind Wolf said:

I have one of thos Epever  40A tracer, and I can't not connect to it with ethernet, or wifi modual, so I can't even program it.

The RJ45 connectors on the Epever Tracers are NOT an Ethernet port.  That's an RS-485 port that must be connected to a compatible RS-485 adapter.  Unfortunately, I have no experience with the Epever Tracer's RS-485 to WiFi adapter.

Yeah well, AC wire is different then DC wire, AC runs on the outside of the wire and DC runs on the inside I think  or it could be reverse.  Anyhow, yes 300 A is high, but one GS 6 inverter at 24v would use that, and then drop down since I only hit a high watt for a few mintues it no big deal, I stay on low end of power, the second GS inverter would be only used maybe once a day if that for anything.  During the summer, it would probley never get used unless I run the dryer, and turn on a microwave or air frier..

I'll stick with 24v, all my panels I have outside are 100 watt panels.  I have more panels sitting in the house right now waiting to go outisde when it warms up.  Going to order probley another 16 of them and another 60a Make sky bluee controller.

You also got to remeber I'm total blind, so I don't even use T.V.s and everything else most folks used during the day, matter, of fact all my lights are led, and they stay off all the time 😛

1 minute ago, Sid Genetry Solar said:

The RJ45 connectors on the Epever Tracers are NOT an Ethernet port.  That's an RS-485 port that must be connected to a compatible RS-485 adapter.  Unfortunately, I have no experience with the Epever Tracer's RS-485 to WiFi adapter.

I bought the cable witht he usb on the end that made for it and the wifi adaptor, neither one I could get working. so I gave up on it, I can use it, just can't program it to do anything I want.

7 hours ago, The Blind Wolf said:

I bought the cable witht he usb on the end that made for it and the wifi adaptor, neither one I could get working. so I gave up on it, I can use it, just can't program it to do anything I want.

If I had one I could probably figure it out. What were you hoping to do with it?

 <a contenteditable="false" data-ipshover="" data-ipshover-target="/profile/2-sid-genetry-solar/?do=hovercard" data-mentionid="2" href="/profile/2-sid-genetry-solar/" rel="">@Sid Genetry Solar do they have any protocol specs for use with the USB or WiFi adapters?

I did manage to find a MODBUS protocol PDF document of the registers, etc.  Haven't gotten enough other stuff off my plate yet to get to it though.

On 3/8/2021 at 3:58 AM, The Blind Wolf said:

I bought the cable witht he usb on the end that made for it and the wifi adaptor, neither one I could get working. so I gave up on it, I can use it, just can't program it to do anything I want.

It sounds a lot like you would benefit from using the optional remote control panel.  It lets you do pretty much every configuration item you can do via the PC software.  Given the rather bare bones options that the MakeSkyBlue units present, you can't even set a time limit nor tail current for end of absorption charge, I'm surprised that you aren't happy with what the epever can do via the less capable configuration with the built in display / buttons.

Oh, you are really blind?  That'd kinda rule out the remote control panel then... but how do you go about configuring the MakeSkyBlue if you can't read the LCD?

36 minutes ago, TheButcher said:

It sounds a lot like you would benefit from using the optional remote control panel.  It lets you do pretty much every configuration item you can do via the PC software.  Given the rather bare bones options that the MakeSkyBlue units present, you can't even set a time limit nor tail current for end of absorption charge, I'm surprised that you aren't happy with what the epever can do via the less capable configuration with the built in display / buttons.

 

Oh, you are really blind?  That'd kinda rule out the remote control panel then... but how do you go about configuring the MakeSkyBlue if you can't read the LCD?

*smirks*  Being blind don't mean I'm unable.   😛

Nah, the Make sky blue controller I buy is the wifi models, I connect to it with the android app, and can config it to what ever I need with no issue, same with the BMS I buy which has bluetooth.

The other charge controller just will not let me connec useing a pc or a IOS and Android app, so I gave up on it, I still use it, just let it do its thing, since I can't get into it. and telling somebody sighted what I want it to do would be like fighting a kid who can't sit still.

Also I have a Victron 100/15 charger as well,  and I can log into it with no issue, It's going to be used to keep a 12v batt floating for the generator and what ever else I need to still run 12v such as USB items and fans.

Sid with both 6000gs together 1master 2nd come in as needed.will 200ah lpo4 be sufficient for whatever had 12000w draw?

My 2 cents, no. 14000 watts on the dc side. (85% efficiency at 12000 watts. Might be a little off but that's average I believe.) So 14000÷48=291 amps and that's assuming you got the 48v inverters. A 200ah lifepo4 battery will most likely be rated at 200amps (1c) continues and even at that you'd shorten the life quite a bit. You'd need at least 2 strings of those 200ah at 48v in my opinion.

Well, at 48Vdc with two inverters running 6k each would use 150A each for a combine 300A max load  So roughly 330A for good mesure for a 48Vdc

If you going to run that kind of load for a hour, you better have the battery bank to support that kind of draw.  You would need the least a 300ah bank to pull that and thats three  100ah 48Vdc not one 300ah.  

Your problem would be the limited amprage a battery bank can push, and most Lp4 batteries are only able to push out 100A without shutting down. unless you build your own and you get the nearly $400 dollar daily BMS that can give 250A.

My setup is right now at 550A at 26Vdc.  Which is more then 12k.  I will have the master GS 6K on that battery bank, and the Slave on a lead deep cycle batts, simply because I don't use that much power, and the longest my high draw is, is roughly 10 mins, and thats if I not running the drier, which I only run during the day and only when the sun is out and I am producing power.

My setup will draw over roughly over 600A.  Fun, Fun.

I didn't go with 48V because its limited in some ways, more  likely to have issue then a 2 12v battery bank would and only have to use tow solar panel to get the voltage I need instead of 4 to charge a 48V system.