Victron MPPT 75/15 Settings Query re Streetlight Option

[deleted79651]

Daylight Solar charging in Scotland at this time of year is a wee challenge, and the Starter Battery Trickle Charge often fails to kick in. There is a Streetlight option in the Settings Menu, but this just seems to waffle about lights turning on and off according to the true solar midnight. I did hope that the Streetlight option would have enabled the Solar Panel to switch on after dark and squeeze a little more energy for the Leisure Battery ...

Has anyone used the Streetlight setting and, if so, what are the practical benefits, please?

Steve

 

[Kannon Fodda]

The streetlight is for control of an external light fitting, if you had somehow hard wired it to the MPPT, not to get charge from it.

 

[deleted79651]

The streetlight is for control of an external light fitting, if you had somehow hard wired it to the MPPT, not to get charge from it.

Thanks. I was just hoping against hope that the Streetlight would add a wee bit of Solar current ...

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Realistically, if a night time solar were even achievable, you'd get more on a full moon night than off a streetlight. You'd need to be directly under the streetlight. After all that is designed to cast illumination over a wide area. Even the old orangey lights were perhaps 1000W, modern lights will use far less than 100W. The tiny area of your panel(s) would get next to nothing of that, probably not even enough for the panel to register something, let alone enough of a voltage capable of starting the harvesting process.

 

[Guigsy]

Thanks. I was just hoping against hope that the Streetlight would add a wee bit of Solar current ...

Even if that's what it was for...

A streetlight is only about 100w at source. So 5m away from it, it's spread out to about 0.3w per square metre. So about 3000 times less strong that summer sunshine.

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[Diabalo]

Forget the street light thing, what you need is the dark light add on module to get the most out of the solar charger during the night time

 

[deleted79651]

Even if that's what it was for...

A streetlight is only about 100w at source. So 5m away from it, it's spread out to about 0.3w per square metre. So about 3000 times less strong that summer sunshine.

Aah, but we've got the super posey LED lights, and there's one just about dead above the Solar Panel!

Steve

 

[Raul]

Thanks. I was just hoping against hope that the Streetlight would add a wee bit of Solar current ...

Where from? The street light function is just that, provides street lighting if you connect a light to it, from the battery that’s been charged during the day. I use it for garden and outside lighting. When solar production stops, the lights turn on, when solar starts, the lights go of; that’s the dusk to down setting. There are various combination to chose from.

 

[Lenny HB]

Get youself a military searchlight and point it at the Motorhome roof from you flat window.

 

[JustifiedAncient]

Daylight Solar charging in Scotland at this time of year is a wee challenge, and the Starter Battery Trickle Charge often fails to kick in.

When you say the starter battery trickle charger often fails to kick in, do you have something separate to do this?
I got around the fact that the Victron 75/15 MPPT controller is only designed for one battery by connecting a VanBitz battery master to the Victron load output terminals (with the load output set to 'Always on').
Although this is probably not the cheapest overall option it does give some advantages:
1. It's easy to wire up as there are enough terminals to avoid trying to get multiple wires into one hole.
2. The Victron app then shows the instantaneous and total power that is being diverted back into the starter battery to keep it charged. This shows even when there is no solar power and its the leisure battery that is trickle charging the starter battery.
3. I can turn the battery master off altogether if I want by changing the load output settings in the Victron app.

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[Jimbohorlicks]

We were on an Aire just outside Lagos, a van opposite was ,parked up directly under the streetlight ,he reckoned it gave him some "solar power" plus he had the light coming in through his roof light ,so saved putting on his internal lights,I kid you not .

 

[deleted79651]

When you say the starter battery trickle charger often fails to kick in, do you have something separate to do this?
I got around the fact that the Victron 75/15 MPPT controller is only designed for one battery by connecting a VanBitz battery master to the Victron load output terminals (with the load output set to 'Always on').
Although this is probably not the cheapest overall option it does give some advantages:
1. It's easy to wire up as there are enough terminals to avoid trying to get multiple wires into one hole.
2. The Victron app then shows the instantaneous and total power that is being diverted back into the starter battery to keep it charged. This shows even when there is no solar power and its the leisure battery that is trickle charging the starter battery.
3. I can turn the battery master off altogether if I want by changing the load output settings in the Victron app.

The Leisure Battery is a Lithium. I'm waiting to get an Ablemail AMT12-2 Battery Conditioner fitted; this has at least 2 Lithium profiles that are programmable.

Steve

 

[Minxy]

Nah, what you need is moon panels!

 

[Tombola]

Nah, what you need is moon panels!

they are all me arse them

 

[deleted79651]

Nah, what you need is moon panels!

Some people on here think I'm wired to the Moon, so I won't have to worry about the electrical connections ...

Steve