1) Do I need a fuse on the input side of the Bluesolar? Other vendors recommend this, but I don't see it in the Bluesolar user manual.
2) My batteries are already protected by a circuit breaker (placed near the batteries) that is appropriately sized for the gauge/length of the cable. Would it hurt to have an additional breaker on the output of the Bluesolar? Should this second breaker be sized to the device (30A) or to the cable (which is already protected at 80A at the battery)?
Solar panels need some sort of disconnect between panels and mppt as they should never be disconnected under load.
And the battery disconnect side is difficult to answer. How many amps are being processed by the system - charging and discharging? No idea what size your blue solar is.
I'm sorry... I'm confused by your response. I'm not trying to be sassy, but you have said that there should be a disconnect between the panels and the MPPT, but then you say that the panels should not be disconnected under load. Presumably, a fuse or circuit breaker would break the circuit when it is under load. Should I have protection there or not? I want to make sure that I got this right.
I'm thinking of either a bluesolar 30A or 50A... I've not purchased it yet, but plan to do so soon. (I have 3 100W solar panels in parallel, but would like the flexibility to expand to 4 or more). I plan to have 80A protection (with 4 AWG) at the battery, because I may ultimately insert an inverter. The bluesolar will be connected to a common terminal strip or bus, using 8 AWG cable. Thanks!
If you want an output breaker, then yes do it. Size for charger output.
In general use fuses, not breakers. More reliable, especially if you go with generics from online sources.
