Adjustible Solar PV Controllers

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Max power:50W
Working voltage:18V
Open circuit voltage: 20V
Working current: peak near 2.5A
Short circuit current:2.8A
Size of panel:550*540*3mm
Material of solar panel: 1/2 sunpower solar cells


It is a very good price, however we don't know about the longevity and reliability. EFTE cover coating? And it probably does not have nearly the same UV layers as Soliban.

So how long is it expected to last? 1 year? 2 years? 3?

It is cheap enough so that you could start with these panels and try them to see how long they actually last, and how well they perform, and then make a decision after that period.

One advantage to this is you will be riding the technology curve down, theoretically (except Trump has disrupted that expectation recently with his changes to trade agreements), so the next purchase will be better and at less cost. Also since they are higher voltage panels you could use Victron mppt controllers.

At this point I have no idea which way is best. I expect they both will work to a certain extent. I believe Soliban will provide more output at greater cost, and probably be more reliable.

iirc they are normally 3 year warranty just like all flex panels.
But as with anything you pays your fare you takes your chances.
I have not had any complaints from my customers here in the Seattle area.

[john61ct]

SC = solar controller

AHT = Absorb Hold Time

And it's Solbian. Are they really $10 a watt before installation labor?

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by john61ct

SC = solar controller

AHT = Absorb Hold Time

And it's Solbian. Are they really $10 a watt before installation labor?

dang that's crazy and here we were talking about Lfp being expensive at 6 bucks an ah
10 a watt must be a misprint.
Same sunpower cells
What's different?

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by newhaul

dang that's crazy and here we were talking about Lfp being expensive at 6 bucks an ah
10 a watt must be a misprint.
Same sunpower cells
What's different?

Not a misprint. While I don't doubt that they are better I do not believe they are as many times better as their price suggests.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

Not a misprint. While I don't doubt that they are better I do not believe they are as many times better as their price suggests.

one 54 watt panel cost more than my whole 400 watt setup.

[john61ct]

Well people with boats very commonly pay more.

Hand made in Italy, well supported by local installers.

May even last a lot longer than the 1-3 years I expect DIYers to get from mass-market semi-flex.

[mitiempo]

My experience is with Go Power panels, both flexible and aluminum framed. The flexible panels are good quality and well backed by Go Power. Prices are reasonable, not as low as many but nowhere near Solbian. Warranty is 5 years on output.

https://gpelectric.com/products/100-...r-flex-module/

[tomtriad]

Genasun controllers need no adjusting. They are set initially for the battery type, then moniter usage and charge, self adjusting as necessary. I've been using them for 5 years with my AGM batteries and they work perfectly, charging to acceptance when possible, and even tracking voltage pattern and automatically equalizing charge when needed. If you have any questions about their function, talk to their tech support.

[rgleason]

Originally Posted by tomtriad

Genasun controllers need no adjusting. They are set initially for the battery type, then moniter usage and charge, self adjusting as necessary. I've been using them for 5 years with my AGM batteries and they work perfectly, charging to acceptance when possible, and even tracking voltage pattern and automatically equalizing charge when needed. If you have any questions about their function, talk to their tech support.

I too have an older Genasun controller and have been corresponding with Ocean Planet and Genasun about how their control logic works with fully charging batteries over multiple days, using low v low a panels. It is not yet clear to me that they will work effectively (maximizing PV output for the purpose). There are several questions about their sensing and control. They can be ordered for special settings to improve charging for specific batteries, however they use only CV and not CC, as they have no shunt sensing wires, which most battery manufacturers charging routines require.

My main concern is effective use of the PV/Controller output over multiple days (without human intervention) to get the battery charge up to 98-99% SOC, so the House bank can reach 100%SOC in a short period of time using Eng/Alt at the end. See this thread

Genasun GVB-8 Boost - How to charge the FLA batteries with low voltage and amperage panels over multiple days, avoiding PSoC and overvoltage damage?

I will report any correspondence there.

[john61ct]

Fully custom adjustability by the user is IMO a dealbreaker, basic requirement for future-proofing

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by tomtriad

Genasun controllers need no adjusting. They are set initially for the battery type, then moniter usage and charge, self adjusting as necessary. I've been using them for 5 years with my AGM batteries and they work perfectly, charging to acceptance when possible, and even tracking voltage pattern and automatically equalizing charge when needed. If you have any questions about their function, talk to their tech support.

For battery type yes, but not for the voltages required by different battery manufacturers. And they do not have any adjustments for the user.

By contrast Victron controllers (as well as many others) can be adjusted in virtually every way - all voltages, absorption time and more as shown below.

[rgleason]

Fully custom adjustability by the user is IMO a dealbreaker, basic requirement for future-proofing

Yes, I totally agree that this feature is needed. I have encouraged this change, and shunt sensing connections.

On the other hand... Victron needs a boosting controller!! or rather, I might need one.

[john61ct]

Decide on the controller, then the panel setup to suit it.