So I'm planning to install a Solar Panel on my van...
I'm starting with 100w, I've gone with a flexible panel partly because I'm not 100% sure where I'm going to put it on the roof yet and partly because of the lower weight because we're always sailing close to the wind with a 3500kg MAM, every kilo counts. I have a 20A MPPT controller to allow room to add an extra 100w at a later date without replacing the controller, the controller also has a trickle charge feature for the starter battery.
Now I know most installs put the fused output from the regulator directly to the battery but I've been working through the electrics that are installed to understand what's there and how best to tie in with it. I've found the main control unit and also have an electronic copy of the manual. The control unit itself has an unused AUX input identified as being suitable to receive the input from a solar panel as well as an unused Charger input which would be connected to the DC output of an AC/DC converter, however the AC/DC converter on the van is connected directly to the battery leaving this input unused.
If I connect the output of the regulator to the AUX input, I should have the neat feature of being able to use the main control panel in the van to shut off the solar if necessary and it should also read the live current / voltage / power output of the regulator but an intermediate control unit between the Solar Regulator and the Battery may impair the Regulation function of the Solar Regulator and the Bulk / Absorb / Float / Equalization stages if the Regulator cannot correctly sense the battery voltage. It should be possible to do a bit of investigation with a multimeter to understand if this is a problem or not, that's the first job on the list.
The other potential problem is that the circuit diagram shows a 10A fuse on the AUX input, however the unused Charger input has an identical connector but shows a 30A fuse on the circuit diagram so unless the traces on the PCB look significantly smaller on the AUX circuit, it should be OK to uprate the fuse to 30A, particularly when there is no power coming into the Charger Port but probably best swap the 2 fuses to maintain a maximum 40A combined input. Worst case I could connect the solar feed to the Charger Port but lose the slick integration with the main control panel.
Connecting direct to the main control unit also allows for very slick cable routing behind a panel in the back of the wardrobe which already carries a plethora of cables, I think it will be wise to future proof the system by running 20A cables between the top side of the roof and the controller which would comfortably allow for up to 300w in parallel at a later date without drilling through the roof again. Even If I find some reason not to connect through the control unit, I think it's a good place to tie into the system, there is a direct connection to the Leisure and Starter Batteries from the Control Unit.
The goal is to have the install complete ahead of a trip to France later in the year, I'll try and document what I'm doing as I go, I must remember to take photographs. I'm open to any advice anyone has to offer or to any questions you may want to ask.
I'm starting with 100w, I've gone with a flexible panel partly because I'm not 100% sure where I'm going to put it on the roof yet and partly because of the lower weight because we're always sailing close to the wind with a 3500kg MAM, every kilo counts. I have a 20A MPPT controller to allow room to add an extra 100w at a later date without replacing the controller, the controller also has a trickle charge feature for the starter battery.
Now I know most installs put the fused output from the regulator directly to the battery but I've been working through the electrics that are installed to understand what's there and how best to tie in with it. I've found the main control unit and also have an electronic copy of the manual. The control unit itself has an unused AUX input identified as being suitable to receive the input from a solar panel as well as an unused Charger input which would be connected to the DC output of an AC/DC converter, however the AC/DC converter on the van is connected directly to the battery leaving this input unused.
If I connect the output of the regulator to the AUX input, I should have the neat feature of being able to use the main control panel in the van to shut off the solar if necessary and it should also read the live current / voltage / power output of the regulator but an intermediate control unit between the Solar Regulator and the Battery may impair the Regulation function of the Solar Regulator and the Bulk / Absorb / Float / Equalization stages if the Regulator cannot correctly sense the battery voltage. It should be possible to do a bit of investigation with a multimeter to understand if this is a problem or not, that's the first job on the list.
The other potential problem is that the circuit diagram shows a 10A fuse on the AUX input, however the unused Charger input has an identical connector but shows a 30A fuse on the circuit diagram so unless the traces on the PCB look significantly smaller on the AUX circuit, it should be OK to uprate the fuse to 30A, particularly when there is no power coming into the Charger Port but probably best swap the 2 fuses to maintain a maximum 40A combined input. Worst case I could connect the solar feed to the Charger Port but lose the slick integration with the main control panel.
Connecting direct to the main control unit also allows for very slick cable routing behind a panel in the back of the wardrobe which already carries a plethora of cables, I think it will be wise to future proof the system by running 20A cables between the top side of the roof and the controller which would comfortably allow for up to 300w in parallel at a later date without drilling through the roof again. Even If I find some reason not to connect through the control unit, I think it's a good place to tie into the system, there is a direct connection to the Leisure and Starter Batteries from the Control Unit.
The goal is to have the install complete ahead of a trip to France later in the year, I'll try and document what I'm doing as I go, I must remember to take photographs. I'm open to any advice anyone has to offer or to any questions you may want to ask.