Advice on Improving Solar performance, please

[Sabino]

I have a 95w solar panel connected to a votronic SR 100 Digital pwm. And a 105 ah battery (I have no room for another)
I am looking to buy one of the Victon MPPT models either the 75/15 or 100/15.

Is it just a straight replacement of one with the other?
Will the MPPT improve performance?

I will then look in the future to add to my 95w SP.

Many thanks in advance

 

[DBK]

It should improve performance and be a simple swap but you may not notice much difference. I suggest fit a new controller and an extra panel, then you really will see a difference.

 

[Sabino]

@DKK, John, I was looking at doing it as money became available. That was why I mentioned adding the panel at the end.

My first concern was that this would be a straightforward unwire one and wire up the other. I also wondered if the claims of the MPPT devices really worked.

Thanks again.

 

[The Nomad]

I'd have thought it'd not make much difference - certainly nothing remotely like the benefit of adding another panel.

 

[peterc10]

You would get a better performance quicker if you added another solar panel first

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[Derbyshire wanderer]

Fitting the MPPT Victron is a like for like swop with the wiring.
I think they are rated about 30% more efficient than PWM and in my experience since fitting one a couple of years ago is that it definitely provides some charging later in the day than PWM.
As others have said an extra panel will give much more than a controller swop but is more work to do

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

An mppt controller will not give you 30% more power.it may be more efficient but with only one panel you wont see the difference,power wise, Better to fit the second panel and then decide if you need a vitron controller.

 

[100brian]

@DKK, John, I was looking at doing it as money became available. That was why I mentioned adding the panel at the end.

My first concern was that this would be a straightforward unwire one and wire up the other. I also wondered if the claims of the MPPT devices really worked.

Thanks again.

Hi.
If you buy a new controller and you are going to add another panel later make sure you get a controller that will take the amps from both panels.

 

[maxi77]

My suggestion would be to save the money on the new controller so you can buy the new panel sooner

 

[Sabino]

Thanks all

The SR100, from my research, only seems to handle up to 100 watts. So adding a 2nd panel first was not possible.

However, the 2 victrons (75/15 and 100/15) can handle up to 200 watt.

My thinking had been that if I had money to buy the controller first, it could be fitted with minimal effort and a small improvement.
I could then later buy and fit a second SP up to a total of 200 watts.

Thanks again

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[DBK]

@DKK, John, I was looking at doing it as money became available. That was why I mentioned adding the panel at the end.

My first concern was that this would be a straightforward unwire one and wire up the other. I also wondered if the claims of the MPPT devices really worked.

Thanks again.

This looks like the model you have.
It only has 4 terminals, 2 to the solar panel and 2 to the leisure battery. The Victron also has 2 terminals for the load - but you don't need to use them, I didn't on my installation. So you can just swap your existing wires onto the Victron, making sure you connect the battery first, then the solar panel. Doing it in this order ensures the controller knows it is in a12 volt system because it can also work on 24 volts.
As suggested, you won't notice a huge difference I think but the Victron 75/15 will work up to 200W from memory, the controller you have only goes up to 100W so it makes sense to change the controller first but mainly as preparation for fitting a second panel.

 

[camoyboy]

Just to throw in another option, you could upgrade to the Votronic MPP 250 Duo Digital controller which will take up to 250 watts of solar and has the option to trickle charge the cab battery too (just a single cable from the controller to the cab battery). I've had one of these for a couple of years now with 2 X 100 watt panels and have been impressed with the performance.

Amazon product ASIN B00WX7FE0O
Colin

 

[Sabino]

Just to throw in another option, you could upgrade to the Votronic MPP 250 Duo Digital controller which will take up to 250 watts of solar and has the option to trickle charge the cab battery too (just a single cable from the controller to the cab battery). I've had one of these for a couple of years now with 2 X 100 watt panels and have been impressed with the performance.

Amazon product ASIN B00WX7FE0O
Colin

Thanks for that. It looks like quite an elegant solution to 2 different problems.