Does Solar Panel Charge Batteries With Control Panel Off?

TheBows

TheBows

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Our new Swift motorhome has a 150w (or was it 120w) solar panel and a Sargent controller. When it's in storage I turn the power off at the main control panel over the habitation door. Will the solar continue to charge the batteries, or should I leave the power on? I think I know the answer but why not ask?

Thanks

Stephen
 
Can't comment on your panel, but my set up will charge the leisure battery only with the control panel off, if the panel, (CBE) is on and the leisure battery voltage is >13V it will also charge the starting battery
 
TheBows said:
Our new Swift motorhome has a 150w (or was it 120w) solar panel and a Sargent controller. When it's in storage I turn the power off at the main control panel over the habitation door. Will the solar continue to charge the batteries, or should I leave the power on? I think I know the answer but why not ask?

Thanks

Stephen
Click to expand...
It will depend on how the solar controller is wired to the battery.. if it is through the Sargent then the panel will need to be switched on.. if its an aftermarket fit and a separate solar controller it is more common to wire them directly to the battery.. in that case you can switch the Sargent control panel off..
You should be able to tell by looking at the voltage on the leisure battery bank ..


Andy
 
My 2012 Bessacarr had a solar panel fitted by the dealer but the pre install & regulator was swift fitted via a Sergeant smart box. I spoke to Sergeant and they told me that when the main power switch was off then the solar panel defaulted to the vehicle battery, for obvious reasons. Ring them, they are very helpful.
 
Just spoken to Sargent. To clarify - I have a 120w solar panel on the roof feeding into a Sargent solar controller. This feeds the EC620 main control unit which in turn runs into the EC600 fuse box. Sargent say if the EC620 is off then the solar panel will NOT charge either battery.

Sargent advise keeping the EC620 off in winter (in storage) as they say that otherwise the power used by the motorhome will exceed that created by the panel. Better to have everything off. Summer should be different as the panel will do more.

I am slightly disappointed as I thought the solar panel would keep the batteries topped up all year round.

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On some Sargent models you can change the menu and switch from SMART to Normal charge and switch batteries which get charged.
 
TheBows said:
Just spoken to Sargent. To clarify - I have a 120w solar panel on the roof feeding into a Sargent solar controller. This feeds the EC620 main control unit which in turn runs into the EC600 fuse box. Sargent say if the EC620 is off then the solar panel will NOT charge either battery.

Sargent advise keeping the EC620 off in winter (in storage) as they say that otherwise the power used by the motorhome will exceed that created by the panel. Better to have everything off. Summer should be different as the panel will do more.

I am slightly disappointed as I thought the solar panel would keep the batteries topped up all year round.
Click to expand...
I would be surprised if a 120W solar panel couldn't cope with the drain when everything is on standby (provided the panel wasn't shaded) even through the winter. I would get a clamp ammeter and measure the drain with the control panel on. What else would be running - alarm, tracker?
 
I think the control panel itself can show the drain from the battery. I will take a look.
 
Mine charges the vehicle battery if leisure bank is above 13.6v whether panel is on or off. However I have 400w of solar and even so its only producing a couple of amps at this time of year.

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TheBows said:
Just spoken to Sargent. To clarify - I have a 120w solar panel on the roof feeding into a Sargent solar controller. This feeds the EC620 main control unit which in turn runs into the EC600 fuse box. Sargent say if the EC620 is off then the solar panel will NOT charge either battery.

Sargent advise keeping the EC620 off in winter (in storage) as they say that otherwise the power used by the motorhome will exceed that created by the panel. Better to have everything off. Summer should be different as the panel will do more.

I am slightly disappointed as I thought the solar panel would keep the batteries topped up all year round.
Click to expand...
hi bows . we have a swift 599 2019 with the same panel i think you got the wrong information from Sargent he must of thought you mean the main panel if you turn the main switch off ours is under the seat it will turn off the charging & i think the tracker . bills out so carn't ask him but we switch off the panel above the hab door & the panel will still charge both batteries . do you have swift command to check with your lap top or phone we can & it tells you what the panel is showing . val
 
Hello All,

I think I agree with the opinion that Sargent have misunderstood my question. I will try again with a written question to Sargent rather than verbal. I will report back.


Stephen
 
TheBows Mine was a different unit. So disregard the remote control switching over the Hab door & I shall tell you what Sargeants told me Re my 2012 Bessacarr.

The solar panel was integrated by them into the power unit. When the unit mains switch, top left on yours, was switched ON the unit regulator was a smart charger which was set to default the charge to the leisure battery.

When the veh battery voltage dropped below 12.4V it then changed to charging the veh battery for I think 4 hours and then reverted to the leisure battery again.

When in storage with the unit mains switch OFF the solar regulator defaulted to charge ONLY the veh battery.

When the mains unit was on EHU with the charger button on again the default charge was the leisure battery unless the veh battery dropped to less than 12.4Vwhen it would switch as above.

Whichever battery was getting charged by the EHU charger the solar defaulted to charge the opposite battery, hence when on EHU even for weeks the veh battery kept topped up by the solar until such time the life of the battery was getting old & it needed EHU too.

I could select manually which battery got charged via the control switching over the hab doo, like when at home to top both batteries up once a month in winter. When I did this I think it switched off the Smart charging system as I didn’t see it switch between the batteries automaticall.

I cannot imagine there is much difference between all the Sargeants units? but I am not knowledgeable in this regard.
 
Finally got a written response from Sargent. They said :

'I can confirm if you leave the EC600 power supply unit switched on (main fuse box under the seat) , the solar panel will charge both your leisure and vehicle battery. If you switch the power supply unit off, all the solar charge will be defaulted only to the vehicle battery.'

The bit in brackets is added by me for clarity. So when in storage I will leave the EC600 switched on, and just turn off the EC620 above the habitation door. Then both batteries will get a solar charge.
 
TheBows said:
Finally got a written response from Sargent. They said :

'I can confirm if you leave the EC600 power supply unit switched on (main fuse box under the seat) , the solar panel will charge both your leisure and vehicle battery. If you switch the power supply unit off, all the solar charge will be defaulted only to the vehicle battery.'

The bit in brackets is added by me for clarity. So when in storage I will leave the EC600 switched on, and just turn off the EC620 above the habitation door. Then both batteries will get a solar charge.
Click to expand...
hi thebows. yes that's spot on all so if you set the panel to text you it will give frost alerts battery condition etc etc ( we had 1 last 1 yesterday ) .val
 
Hello Val,

How do I get the control panel to send me text alerts?


Thanks

Stephen
 
TheBows said:
Hello Val,

How do I get the control panel to send me text alerts?


Thanks

Stephen
Click to expand...
I know that my setup with a CBE system charges both batteries from the panel, currently I have the solar charging the habitation batteries at 70% of the output 30% to the v vehicle which seems to be keeping both up to scratch judging by the voltages showing yesterday morning.
 
My new van has a 120W solar through a Sargent Ec700. It’s been sitting unused for the last 4-5 weeks, with control panel off but the Sargent power unit on, but last week I got a notification of low battery voltages - both having dropped below 11.5V. So it seems the solar will not be sufficient to keep the batteries charged.

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Richard n Ann said:
Unwire it from the Sargent and fit a Votronic duo controller, it will look after both batteries whether the control panel is switched on or off 👍
Click to expand...
160W should be enough to maintain charge the battries. Depends on quescient current drawn by the controller and other odds n sods. My questionswould be
is the charge controller PWM or MPPT
what is current drawn with everything off (and on if required to charge both)
Richard n Ann solution is what i would choose to do / have.

uni-t ut210e clamp meter is the one i use for such a job.
 
Last edited:

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