Disconnecting solar panels during layup? (1 Viewer)

[berni109]

Can anyone please explain if there are any consequences of disconnecting solar panels from the solar controller over an extended period of time?
As an alternative how about disconnecting the hab battery from the solar controller so just leaving a trickle charge to the vehicle battery.

 

[Nanniemate]

daft question but why would you want to disconnect ?

 

[berni109]

When I put a lithium battery in I dont want to charge it over winter because I wont be taking anything out of it. Charging lithium to 100% and the charge sitting at 100% for a long period is not good for lithium batteries

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[XxAnthxX]

If your worried about storing your lithium fully charged....I can swap you it for a five year old lead acid battery I have in the shed if you want?
You’d have to come and collect it to do the swap.

Failing that....probably just disconnecting it from the solar, sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[poppycamper]

If your worried about storing your lithium fully charged....I can swap you it for a five year old lead acid battery I have in the shed if you want?
You’d have to come and collect it to do the swap.

Failing that....probably just disconnecting it from the solar, sounds like a good idea to me.

Exactly what I do.. put switch between panel and controller....not between controller and battery..and switch off when not needed...
Battery is then still connected to van..

 

[Two on Tour]

With the Victron MPPT solar charger you just reduce the charge voltage cutoff so your lithium does not reach it's 100% SOC.

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[Tombola]

Question on the cahrgers.
We see that lithiums dont like being 100% all the time, what about charging with a mains charger.

I have the Victron 3 stage battery charger 30 amp, and it has a lithium setting, so when it says 100% is that really 90% (as they dont like 100%)
or does the offset take care of that,

Again, my Lithium battery has a built in bms with bluetooth so when that says 100% is it really 100% or does that also take an offset into consideration maybe, or a setting (that have looked and cant see)

or is it down to us to manually switch off at 90% ish

 

[poppycamper]

They are best not stored at 100%.
I charge mine with a mains charger and stop charging at about 80%. HOWEVER If I am heading away in van I will fully charge to 100%.
No I believe 100% means 100%

 

[Two on Tour]

Question on the cahrgers.
We see that lithiums dont like being 100% all the time, what about charging with a mains charger.

I have the Victron 3 stage battery charger 30 amp, and it has a lithium setting, so when it says 100% is that really 90% (as they dont like 100%)
or does the offset take care of that,

Again, my Lithium battery has a built in bms with bluetooth so when that says 100% is it really 100% or does that also take an offset into consideration maybe, or a setting (that have looked and cant see)

or is it down to us to manually switch off at 90% ish

My Victron battery monitor has a programable relay within it that I use to switch off Victron EHU charger at the voltage I have set (read % of SOC) and then back on again at a voltage I have set for the relay.

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[berni109]

Appreciate that to have an infinitely adjustable solar controller is the answer but I dont.
So will disconnecting the panels have any detrimental effect on the panels themselves over a 3 to 6 month period?

 

[poppycamper]

Appreciate that to have an infinitely adjustable solar controller is the answer but I dont.
So will disconnecting the panels have any detrimental effect on the panels themselves over a 3 to 6 month period?

As I say that's what I do and it does not cause any damage to panels at all.

 

[Googlebot]

Appreciate that to have an infinitely adjustable solar controller is the answer but I dont.
So will disconnecting the panels have any detrimental effect on the panels themselves over a 3 to 6 month period?

No and I have installed a switch between the panels and the controller to do just that.

Don’t just disconnect the battery and leave the controllers on without a battery, it won’t do them any good.

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[Minxy]

No and I have installed a switch between the panels and the controller to do just that.

Don’t just disconnect the battery and leave the controllers on without a battery, it won’t do them any good.

Good advice, never leave a solar panel connected to the controller without it having an output as you could easily fry the controller.

When I installed solar panels on our previous PVC I put fuses in the live feed from each panel to the controller, that way I could just pull the fuse to isolate them when required.

 

[berni109]

Raul you know about solar panels. Any comment.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Raul

Oh it doesn't go blue anymore

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[Tombola]

good idea but the switch, comes in handy when working on batteries or connections

 

[Raul]

You can disconnect the panels for any length of time. Once is disconnected, there is no current flow so no degradation except normal UV exposure. The controller should be off as well once the panels have been disconnected. That’s what we do when we leave the house for few months. Shut down two arrays, and just leave one on for the house loads.

 

[jumar]

Can anyone please explain if there are any consequences of disconnecting solar panels from the solar controller over an extended period of time?
As an alternative how about disconnecting the hab battery from the solar controller so just leaving a trickle charge to the vehicle battery.

Hi Berni, I took my leisure battery out to charge inside our apartment....when it was re-fitted my Oyster Sat controller stopped working and went into re-boot mode...I am waiting for it to come back from Oyster having needed their attention and re- installation of the software...

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[Stealaway]

Exactly what I do.. put switch between panel and controller..

I use one of these

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=114415383371

 

[poppycamper]

I use one of these

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=114415383371

Did you post that in the past in another thread....
If so I have to thank you because that is what I use after after seeing on this forum.

 

[Stealaway]

Did you post that in the past in another thread..

I was searching for a fuse and a switch when I first fitted some solar panels a good few years ago.
I found this switch /fuse that answered both issues and I did put on here for some other members solar projects.

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[berni109]

Stealaway think it was from your previous thread that I chose those mini breakers when fitting the solar to mine.