Fitting Additional Solar System For Inverter (1 Viewer)

Oct 20, 2010
2,238
37,582
Burry Port South Wales
Funster No
14,190
MH
A Class
Exp
Since 2003
For a while we have been planning to add extra solar panels, batteries and an inverter to our van to give us complete electric independence while on aires, wintering in Spain. (they charge for electric on the meter), also to give us the possibility to go full time.

We currently have 2 new 125Ah batteries under the front lounge seats with a single 175w panel on the roof at the front of the van. The entry point for the existing panel supply is mid length of the van, however the PWM controller is in the garage at the rear with all the other electrics.

I intend to fit 3 x 100w panels at the rear using a 300w MPPT controller in the garage supplying an additional 250 Ah of batteries coupled to a 2000w psw inverter the output from the inverter would be connected to the normal mains / hookup using the @Techno relay method.

I have thought about incorporating the additional panels on the roof with the existing one however I dont think the supply cable from the roof will be man enough to take the extra power and I would still need to replace the PWM controller to deal with the additional power also I am reluctant to interfere with the fitted CBE charging and distribution system.

Has anybody else fitted a similar system? If so I would grateful for any feedback.

Cheers

Ed
 

Lenny HB

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 18, 2007
52,682
147,573
On the coast in West Sussex
Funster No
658
MH
Hymer B678 DL
Exp
Since 2008 & many years tugging
Although the CBE units have connectivity for solar when my mate contacted both Carthago and CBE they both said wire the solar regulator direct to the batteries.
@Robert Clark has a similar system to what you are planning.
 
R

Robert Clark

Deleted User
We've got 2x100w panels connected to 4x80w gel batteries, via 2 x Victron MMPT controllers.
We've also got a Victron 2000w inverter charger, which is connected directly to our 240v circuit.
We didn't fit the system ourselves, but have found it very effective. Less so in winter (in Spain) due to short days, but it performed excellently subsequently in Portugal and Italy in the spring
We also have a factory fitted B2B charger

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funflair

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 11, 2013
19,196
29,879
Guisborough
Funster No
29,351
MH
MORELO palace
Exp
since 2012
We have the CBE controller and again somebody said go straight to the batteries so that is what I did, we have one original 80 watt panel on its own MPPT controller and 3 newer 80 watt panels on a seperate MPPT controller, originally we had only two 80ah GEL batteries but I have added two more to them making total of 320 ah, these batteries then serve as the habitation and inverter batteries as I don't know the argument for having two seperate systems.

The CBE system CSB2 looks after charging the starter battery after the habitation batteries reach float voltage.

We have a Votronic MPPT regulator with AES output so it will control a AES fridge to use any spare solar power when the batteries are full.

Works for us.

Martin
 
Jan 8, 2013
8,478
11,516
Dronfield - Derbyshire
Funster No
24,202
MH
Burstner Lyseo 690G
Exp
Happy FLT since 2011
I fitted 2 x 125W panels this year and decided to keep the solar totally isolated from the vans standard Elektroblock charging system.

I fitted one of these kits directly to the battery's --

$_12.JPG


I ran the cables directly down to the hab battery's and mounted the controller next to them. I found a void in the paneling from the top cupboard directly down to under the seats that I could drop down a weight and pulled them through that. I mounted the amp meter so as to hide any wiring.

Although I did get a little concerned when the amp meter was reading 21.2 A on a sunny day with flat battery's.
Its all been OK since and am very pleased with the performance of the panels.

DSC01351.JPG
 
Oct 5, 2012
4,283
9,569
Ayrshire
Funster No
23,166
MH
Carado T132
Exp
5 years, feel free to ask me about the Carado!!
I fitted 2 x 125W panels this year and decided to keep the solar totally isolated from the vans standard Elektroblock charging system.

I fitted one of these kits directly to the battery's --

View attachment 104182

I ran the cables directly down to the hab battery's and mounted the controller next to them. I found a void in the paneling from the top cupboard directly down to under the seats that I could drop down a weight and pulled them through that. I mounted the amp meter so as to hide any wiring.

Although I did get a little concerned when the amp meter was reading 21.2 A on a sunny day with flat battery's.
Its all been OK since and am very pleased with the performance of the panels.

View attachment 104186
But you are not sending a 2Amp float charge to the cab battery, with this system ?

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Jan 8, 2013
8,478
11,516
Dronfield - Derbyshire
Funster No
24,202
MH
Burstner Lyseo 690G
Exp
Happy FLT since 2011
I don't know what you mean. The cab battery is also charged by the controller at a selected 20% of total charge from the panels. I could select 100% to the cab battery.
 
Oct 5, 2012
4,283
9,569
Ayrshire
Funster No
23,166
MH
Carado T132
Exp
5 years, feel free to ask me about the Carado!!
I don't know what you mean. The cab battery is also charged by the controller at a selected 20% of total charge from the panels. I could select 100% to the cab battery.
OK, same or near to as using the additional solar module for the
Elektroblock system. I am going to fit that extra solar module as I would prefer to just add to the existing OEM electricity framework.
 
Jan 8, 2013
8,478
11,516
Dronfield - Derbyshire
Funster No
24,202
MH
Burstner Lyseo 690G
Exp
Happy FLT since 2011
Ignoring the difference in cost will the Electro block solar module handle this amount of charging?

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