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corbijn avatar image
corbijn asked

Only using SmartSolar 100/20 for charging LiFePo4 12v 100AH battery

Hi there,

I have a SmartSolar 100/20 which I use to charge a LiFePo4 12v 100AH battery. I used to have a GEL battery and would often use the 240v 15a charger due to the length of time the Solar charger would take.

Given the speed that LiFePo4 batteries can charge I am thinking, I don't need a 240v charger. I am normally only away for a weekend camping and if there is no sun my minimal use will leave with me with enough capacity.

Am I missing something? Are there any flaws in my logic?

Thanks in advance.

MPPT ControllersLithium Battery
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seb71 avatar image
seb71 answered ·

So the battery lasts you over the weekend even without charging and you ask if it is enough time to re-charge over the week from the Sun?

If yes, it should work, if you have enough PV power and at least some sun (so the vehicle is not kept in a garage or in shadow of a building for instance).


At maximum your 100/20 charger can charge the battery with 20A (if you have enough PV and sunlight). That means maximum 20Ah in an hour.

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corbijn answered ·

Thanks - I suppose I was wondering if there were any oddities about the charging process related to Solar - but maybe I am just displaying my newbie mindset :) The 240v chargers are just so consistent - but that must not effect battery performance.

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seb71 avatar image seb71 commented ·

Just make sure you set the solar charger correctly for LiFePO4. Start from the default LiFePO4 profile and tweak it for your battery.

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corbijn avatar image corbijn seb71 commented ·

Yeah thanks :) I had astarted a question on that very topic. I'm still waiting to hear back from my manufacturer though!

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