Solar panel help and advice (1 Viewer)

[Northernraider]

Hello all.
I'm a complete novice when it comes to solar power. The motorhome I've recently purchased has two panels on the roof both are made by a company called "sunsie" I've no idea what wattage etc they are I can't see anything on them to identify other than the name, there's one with blue frame one with yellow, one of them the glass is cracked the other seems intact, they are both wired together then a cable drops down in to the wardrobe I'm to a little sensie junction box... Basically two wires from panel in to box two wires from box going to leisure battery.
I'm not sure if they are working or not, the battery is currently at 86%
There doesn't seem to be a switch anywhere to turn panels on etc so I assumed they just constantly feed the battery.
Is the cracked one likely to be knackered?
This is a pic of them not sure it will be much help

As I prefer to wildcamp and use Aires I think panels would be a very good and handy bonus, the van has two 130ah leisure battery's fitted and a 1000w inverter.

Don't know if there's anyone around my area who is knowledgeable in these areas but any help would be appreciated.
If they are knackered I'd like to replace them with something that would keep the battery topped up

 

[BwB]

The one with the broken glass could still be working (under par, but working) if the electronics are still ok. However, it could stop at any time once moisture gets under the glass and then may prevent the good panel working too (depending on how they're wired together). They don't look very large panels, possibly 40W each? You appear to have room for a much larger panel which might be of more use to you and prices of panels are very good these days so if you're going to the trouble of replacing the broken panel then dump both and treat yourself to a new panel and controller (the box in the cupboard) - is my suggestion

 

[Northernraider]

The one with the broken glass could still be working (under par, but working) if the electronics are still ok. However, it could stop at any time once moisture gets under the glass and then may prevent the good panel working too (depending on how they're wired together). They don't look very large panels, possibly 40W each? You appear to have room for a much larger panel which might be of more use to you and prices of panels are very good these days so if you're going to the trouble of replacing the broken panel then dump both and treat yourself to a new panel and controller (the box in the cupboard) - is my suggestion

That's what I'm thinking, not sure if I'm up to doing the job myself or not.
The broken panel is the one closest to the left in the picture, the wire goes from that one to the yellow and then from the yellow in to the van... But at present I'm not sure if there's any power coming from them at all.

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[Stealaway]

There will be some kind of controller to drop the panel voltages to 14+ volts to charge the batteries. You'll need to find that and see what voltage is coming from the panels with a multimeter and what voltage out to the batteries.
They do look small panels and I would recommend 2 x 100w at least to keep those batteries topped up.
This could be a starter kit you can add too -----

 

[BwB]

If there isn't a display on the controller in the cupboard then it may just have some LED lights, have a look at night and they're probably all off (or showing zero Amps) in the day if you get some lights (or display of Amps) then something is going into the battery. To be absolutely sure though, you'll need to get a bit more involved with the battery input. Any decent auto electrician would probably tell you if they're working if you can't get to a motorhome or specialist solar panel installer.

 

[Northernraider]

There will be some kind of controller to drop the panel voltages to 14+ volts to charge the batteries. You'll need to find that and see what voltage is coming from the panels with a multimeter and what voltage out to the batteries.
They do look small panels and I would recommend 2 x 100w at least to keep those batteries topped up.
This could be a starter kit you can add too -----

The only thing I can see between the panels and the battery is this small junction box inside the wardrobe which has no lights or display etc

They are quite small I think your probably correct at around 40w

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[Stealaway]

Does it have an Electroblok charge controler?

 

[Northernraider]

Does it have an Electroblok charge controler?

Hang on I think it's best I go out and take pics of what's there

 

[Northernraider]

OK this is the box inside wardrobe

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[Northernraider]

Those two wires coming from the box to the battery come out here

 

[Northernraider]

From threads I've seen on here it looks like the inverter is wired wrong also as it goes to only one battery

 

[BwB]

I think that sun in the middle should have a green Led when it's working correctly. Google Sunsei Charge Controller and some of the images show it glowing green. Might find an instruction document on there too?

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[Northernraider]

I think that sun in the middle should have a green Led when it's working correctly. Google Sunsei Charge Controller and some of the images show it glowing green. Might find an instruction document on there too?

Thanks I'll go have a look.... I will check the connections on the plugs on the roof too just in case they are corroded or something but I've not seen any leds from that box so it might be knackered

 

[peterc10]

Hang on I think it's best I go out and take pics of what's there

And tell us what make, model and year your motorhome is.

 

[BwB]

The inverter wiring might be because the link over to the second battery isn't man enough so both inverter cables go to one battery. Not a great way to wire it up in my opinion but...

Not a difficult fix.

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[Northernraider]

And tell us what make, model and year your motorhome is.

Its a 2008 frankia luxury i840bd but the solar and the inverter have been fitted aftermarket by a mobile caravan service engineer, done in the last few years by previous owner

 

[Northernraider]

The inverter wiring might be because the link over to the second battery isn't man enough so both inverter cables go to one battery. Not a great way to wire it up in my opinion but...

Not a difficult fix.

Yes certainly the wiring linking the two batteries doesn't look very heavy duty I may have to upgrade that and then put the inverter live to the other battery

 

[Northernraider]

Replaced the whole system with 2x 100watt panels and a new charge controller.

Much better

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[Mr Ed]

Did you do the work yourself or get someone "in"

 

[Northernraider]

Did you do the work yourself or get someone "in"

I did it myself, fairly straight forward really and all seems well

 

[Mr Ed]

Well done,

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[Northernraider]

All seems to be working too, batteries were at 70% this morning... Two hours of moderate sunshine and they are up at 100%

Good stuff

 

[Northernraider]

Still confused by these at times someday it tops the battery back up within an hour or so other days nothing despite it being sunny
3 days last weekend and didn't put a bean in
Yesterday topped it up no probs
Today again not a bean
Sunny and hitting direct on the panels
Controller says 13odd volts going in but gauge in van not showing it
Brains confuzzled

 

[mitzimad]

as your solars are run direct to battery it probably wil not show on the vans electric meters

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[Northernraider]

as your solars are run direct to battery it probably wil not show on the vans electric meters

It does though ....most days
But some it doesn't
The digital guage in the van shows the percentage of power in the battery, most days after a few hours of sunlight it's back at 100% but then other days it would appear nothing has gone in to the battery it did that 4 days in a row last week so the battery was down at 60% for a while

There seems to be some sort of delay on it

 

[Richard n Ann]

60% is well down, mine stops charging if the mains charger has been on or it let's the battery sometimes discharge slightly when it's fully charged but nowhere near that much. Sounds like the controller electronics are crashing /hanging. What make is it?

 

[funflair]

It does though ....most days
But some it doesn't
The digital guage in the van shows the percentage of power in the battery, most days after a few hours of sunlight it's back at 100% but then other days it would appear nothing has gone in to the battery it did that 4 days in a row last week so the battery was down at 60% for a while

There seems to be some sort of delay on it

I think you will have an issue if you are just reading battery % via its volts as as soon as the sun is on the panel the battery will quickly go to over 13volts which the panel might tell you is full but this is the voltage from the solar panels showing on the battery. We have two solar regulators for two sets of panels and I know the batteries are getting full when one regulator goes to sleep as it sees it has no work to do, that can be a long time after the panel shows over 13 volts.

Martin

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