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I'm struggling to find any combination of panels that work with the EasySolar 1600 model that come close to the 1200W it's capable of producing. I want to use Canadian Solar 410w Panels, (preferably three) but the voltage with any more than two panels is too high for the MPPT element, and the wattage is lower than I'd hope. Is is possible to upgrade/change the MPPT controller, or am I doing my calculations wrong? Thanks.
@SlartyBart, although I'm not intimately familiar with the EasySolar line because they're not US-market, I am intimately familiar with Victron MPPTs and PV calculations, and I can confidently say that you're running your calculations wrong... which is good!
The important thing to know here is that when wiring panels (or mostly anything else, for that matter) in parallel, the current is additive, not the voltage. It's series wiring where your panels' voltage will become additive and you'll need to be concerned about going over the 100v limit of the EasySolar.
Wire all three of your panels in parallel, which means all POS leads together and all NEG leads together, and your total PV voltage remains the same as a single panel - it's the current output that is additive. From the specs for those panels that I've found, your rough total PV input with all three panels wired in parallel into the controller should be: ~53.6VOC and ~27.69 Impp - which specs are well within the EasySolar 1600's capabilities.
Cheers!
Thanks very much for taking the time to answer. I think where I’m going wrong is when it comes to inputting the temperature variables. This seems to either push the parallel amperage above the 50a limit or increase the series voltage to popping point. I’ll go back and have another try. Thanks again.
@SlartyBart, don't run your panels in series; that will cause you problems right away. All 3 of your panels need to be in parallel.
Even with temperature variables, however, there's no condition under which your panels should be -in parallel- generating anywhere near 50A of current on the PV side.
Thank you again. I seem to have been having a brain freeze and have been doing the calculations exactly (wrongly) as you have been telling me...in series not in parallel. Duh! Thank you! I promise I'll get it right when I wire it together!
@SlartyBart, hahaha no worries... we all get the brain freeze on occasion!
Cheers!
(also, if the username is a reference to H2G2, cheers to that as well - all my best to Magrathea!)
I'm also planning getting an EasySolar 24/1600/40 and habe 4 x JA Solar JAM54S30-400/MR (11BB) 400 Wp which are 1600w all over, but the spec of the easy solar says maximum input power is 1400w. is this per port or all over? and will this somehow work with that device?
big thx in advance for your help!
Daniel
