We are using both a Victron charge controller and Dakota Lithium batteries in one of our solar charging stations. The system will be used for charging smartphones and tablets, with power requirements for these devices ranging from 12W to 25W. Our specific concern relates to charging stations we are getting ready for a high school district where usage could be heavy. The component configuration is:
- SOLAR ARRAY: 100W (4x 25W mono solar panels, two series in parallel)
- CHARGE CONTROLLER: Victron MPPT 75/15
- BATTERY BANK: Two (2) Dakota 12V 10Ah LiFePO4 batteries, wired in series for a 24V system
- LOAD: Four (4) dual USB/USB-C Charging Outlets
We want to maximize the 240Wh battery bank and are wondering which Load Output configuration would be best. I read in the Victron manual that Setting 2, “Battery Algorithm,” maximizes the life of the batteries but we’re wondering if it will limit the charging capabilities on a busy day leaving substantial capacity unused. And, we wonder whether other settings such as “Always On” or one of the “User Defined Algorithms” would be better suited to our application.
