question

pma-foyl avatar image
pma-foyl asked

Low Wattage from Solar; MPPT says Bulk

I have a new system and limited knowledge (please forgive my ignorance). My system is simple: 440w solar panel going to 100/50 MPPT going to 12v house bank (3 series pairs of 6v batts). On my VictronConnect app, it only shows 50w from panel on sunny day. If this is because of fully charged batteries, why does the MPPT still have BULK illuminated? Should it be Float? Or is my panel/MPPT not delivering the correct wattage?

MPPT Controllers
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2 Answers
Alexandra avatar image
Alexandra answered ·

@Pma_foyl

Battery charging has three stages. Bulk, absorption then float.

There are many causes for low wattage from a panel. Maybe your panel is hot and the output has dropped? Faulty panel? Poor connection on wiring. How your charge controller is programmed.

What is your battery voltage when it is doing this? Is it at the target voltage for absorption or lower?

If you shared some of your battery information (charged and float voltages) and charger set up maybe we can be more specific.

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pma-foyl avatar image
pma-foyl answered ·

I'm seeing full voltage (47v-ish) on app and when tested at panel (I need to test it at MPPT, to be sure it's getting there). MPPT is in default mode (for FLA batts, as I have). Battery voltage is currently around 12.6v (so very well charged).

I'm not surprised it might be regulating the amperage sent to the batts, but I'd expect it to be in float mode (not bulk) AND I thought I'd be able to monitor the full panel wattage (what the panel is producing, regardless of what the MPPT is sending to battery (perhaps this is incorrect).


3 comments
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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ commented ·
7 amps is too high for float and possibly even for absorption.

What AH are your battery cells?


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pma-foyl avatar image pma-foyl Alexandra ♦ commented ·
I have 675 AH of house batteries (6x T-105 6v batts).
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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ pma-foyl commented ·

So the 7amps makes sense then. Do you know if the batteries got up to the set absorption voltage set on the charge controller?

If it did, then it will drop the voltage into the float set, then rebulk when it falls the set rebulk offset. Or at least that is what I would expect.

A smart shunt may be the way to go here.

The other way is to use another charge source and see if they take more amps

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