Renogy kit or mix and match?

[WithAlligators]

Hey folks,

Looking for best mix of price/performance/ease of setup. I can fit 3 of the Renogy 100W panels on the roof of my transit connect, and still have room for an exhaust vent.

First off, I'll mostly be in the southwest US, is an MPPT controller worth it over a PWM?

Amazon has several 200W kits which are kinda tempting in their completeness (I can't post links yet, so I'll describe the controllers, which seems to be the main difference between them):

This one for 322: Renogy Wanderer 30A PWM Negative-Ground Charge Controller and 2 x 100W panels

and 516: Renogy Tracer 4210 40 Amp MPPT Charge Controller and 2 x 100W panels

and 500 even, which seems overpriced, but what do I know: 2 x 100W and a Viewstar 20 Amp PWM Charge Controller w/ LCD Display showing real time battery voltages, levels and input amperage, volts.

What about windstar kits, or recommendations on DIY mix and matches? I've never done this before, so keep that in mind.

Thanks!

 

[Joe917]

MPPT is a waste of money below 600 Watts. Money is better spent on more panels in a small system.
Mix and match is far better as you can put together better components especially the charge controller. You can't go wrong with MorningStar.
Battery voltage, panel watts and blinkey lights are a waste of money. Buy a good battery monitor(with a shunt). What goes in and out of the battery is all that matters.
Building your own system will force you to educate yourself.
Have fun.

 

[bat]

Building your own system will force you to educate yourself.

:ugh:

 

[4x4junkie]

MPPT is a waste of money below 600 Watts. Money is better spent on more panels in a small system.

No, not always...

It being a waste of money depends on other factors, such as:

1.
Do you have space on your roof for another panel if your power needs are not being met? If so, then sure, adding another panel often can be cheaper than purchasing a quality MPPT controller. Lacking the space for another panel, MPPT could very well be worthwhile to maximize the power harvest of what you do have space for.

2.
Is your solar system a portable setup? (or do you want it as a portable?) If so, a MPPT controller will give you the most energy for it's weight & size, as well as allowing you to use a longer and/or smaller gauge (lighter weight) cable between the two panels of a bi-fold setup to the controller if the panels are wired in series.

MPPT is also especially effective in extracting power from the panels on cloudy days.
MPPT also allows more flexibility in what type of panels you can use (such as the use of (often cheaper) household grid-tie panels).



As for purchasing a kit vs. assembling one of your own, I'm in the assemble-your-own camp.
RV solar systems are not particularly complex, basically all you need is the panel(s), a charge controller, and whatever wiring and connectors you need to put it together (and a small voltmeter or other means to keep track of your battery's charge level if desired). Assembling it yourself allows matching up the panels you want with the particular controller you want. You just need to make sure the amp and/or watt ratings of the solar panel(s) you pick out are within the controller's power handling ability (and if you use a PWM-type controller, that the panels are specifically rated for 12V system use).
Indeed, building your own system will leave you much more familiar with it, which could come in handy should you ever have to troubleshoot a malfunction later down the road.


Two Renogy 100W panels would go well with any of these controllers:
Morningstar SunSaver MPPT (this is the one I use for my own portable setup)
Morningstar ProStar PS-15

A few here also swear by this unit, though I'm not familiar with it personally:
Eco-Worthy 20A MPPT

 

[4x4junkie]

Lol, Now why didn't I think of that?...

 

[ajmaudio]

I have some renogy panels, fine so far, but I would buy a kit with one of their controllers. I am in the build your own camp. For a charge controller Morningstar is great option as mentioned, I will also add the Bogart SC-2030 which works great, is highly configurable, and combines with the highly esteemed trimetric battery monitor to form a very complete and accurate monitor/charger combo. I have one and like it. Also very reasonably priced if you ask me.

 

[Arclight]

Solar Blvd in Norco, CA has the best deal I've seen so far in terms of price per watt on new panels. I have bought a few of their Solar Cynergy panels with no problems:

https://www.solarblvd.com/index.php?cPath=1_269

In the size of system you are looking at, the Trimetric might also be an option for charger and metering:

http://www.bogartengineering.com/products/


Arclight

 

[calicamper]

Mix and match.
What the heck are you running in your Transit that needs 200watts? AC and a walk up blended Margarita bar?

 

[WithAlligators]

Haha, blended Margarita bar for the win. I'd like to be able to run a 700w microwave on occasion (with engine running), a 12v freezer, and a PC that will probably pull 2-400w depending on load.
I think the pc is probably a pipe dream.

Usually, I'm a mix and match kind of guy, and when I do a project I DIY it. But I know very little about this stuff, it's a bit overwhelming, and the kits seem affordable.

One more question. There are 320w 36v panels made by cynergy I can get on Craigslist here. Someone mentioned that a good mppt controller can harvest higher amps from a higher voltage panel for quicker charging to my house battery. Is this recommended over 3 x 100w renology panels?

 

[calicamper]

Regarding PC on the racing sailboats we run laptops nearly 24/7 with our plotting apps. They dont pull much. The power hogs are big screens and inefficient high power inverters. You basically avoid those. The most wattage I generally see on a race rig regarding solar is 100-200watts. Big cruising boats are a different story, some people want full on AC and 1st world grid powered living on a off grid boat.

I would say 200watts is quite a bit for a van doing overland stuff, unless your parked off grid for a week or more at a time and have AC, or doing high powered radio hobby, or running a full on TV editing suit.

 

[WithAlligators]

I am frequently in the field at remote sites for a week or even month. I always can drive into towns, but I'd like to not bother as much as possible.
And by PC, I mean full on desktop and monitor. Pulls 320w at full load, plus whatever the monitor pulls. Seems like a stretch, or it will seriously shorten the lifespan of the batteries. I'd like to get a 12dc atx power supply, but they are soooooo expensive.

As far as stones, could one use plexiglass over the panel?

 

[4x4junkie]

And by PC, I mean full on desktop and monitor. Pulls 320w at full load, plus whatever the monitor pulls. Seems like a stretch, or it will seriously shorten the lifespan of the batteries. I'd like to get a 12dc atx power supply, but they are soooooo expensive.

As far as stones, could one use plexiglass over the panel?

What is wrong with a good laptop?

Today's laptops seem about as powerful as last year's desktops, yet draw 1/10th the power... Do you really need that much cutting-edge performance?


Plexiglass over a solar panel I suspect would reduce it's output a considerable amount (especially if it starts to haze from the sun), but I haven't researched it or experimented at all.

 

[WithAlligators]

I have a great desktop, and a so-so laptop. A laptop as powerful as my desktop doesn't exist, but the closest approximation is $$$ and pulls up to 240w at load. Ideally, I'd like to use what I have, but again, seems unrealistic.

 

[calicamper]

Regarding stones vs roof mounted panels. Its a pretty low risk on a van. Maybe traveling Alaska day in day out raises the risk.

Not sure if a 3M security coat would be worth the trouble or impact solar gen, but it would make the panel near bullet proof.

 

[WithAlligators]

OK, I've been working constantly, so haven't been able to address this really, but it looks like I'm going to go with a Suniva 320w, 36v panel. Power bank as of yet to be determined, but probably 2 6v batteries. What's a good MPPT controller to couple with this panel? I was looking at that eco-worthy 20a controller, but it says max 24v. Will it work with the panel at a reduced amp/h? Any suggestions for something more appropriate?
Thanks again, folks.