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landocarlesien avatar image
landocarlesien asked

Working on batteries - Disconnect solar panels?

Hey, I plan on installing the Victron shunt. Do I need to disconnect the solar panel input from the charge controller first? I don't want to damage the charge controller or solar panels.

MPPT ControllersbatterySolar Panel
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2 Answers
seb71 avatar image
seb71 answered ·

Yes, disconnect the PV from the MPPT.

This is because in order to install the SmartShunt, you have to disconnect the battery from everything.

So also precharge the inverter capacitors before connecting it back.

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landocarlesien avatar image
landocarlesien answered ·

@Seb71 Thanks! I didn't think about the resistor. What type do you recommend? I have 2K watt inverter on a 400ah 12v system.

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seb71 avatar image seb71 commented ·

Generaly speaking, for precharging the inverter capacitors you can use an incandescent light bulb.

Or, if you want to use a resitor, it should be around 47 ohm (higher values are better, but take longer to charge the capacitors). Must be a power resistor - at least 30W/40W or so.


A 2000VA inverter probably does not have very large capacitors. Also yours is only 12V.

The battery type also matters. A LiFePO4 can output a lot more current than a lead acid battery of the same capacity.

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