Hi,
I got a Smart Solar 100/20 MPPT installed on our van.
Is this panel ok for this regulator? (https://eu.ecoflow.com/products/220w-bifacial-portable-solar-panel)
What shall I be checking?
Thanks for your guidance in advance,
Elena
asked
Are these panels ok for SmartSolar 100/20 MPPT?
Thank you
@klim8skeptic, that 32 cell panel about the Ecoflow...where can I get that info? I'm learning :) is that some info on the specs?
Btw: I've tried with the Victron MPPT calculator, and it yields the 100/20 as the recommended one.
Thanks again.
@elenabr if you look at the panel you can see that each quarter is made up with 8 cells. 4 x 8 = 32.
The mppt wont start charging the battery until the pv voltage is 5 volts above the battery voltage (in the manual). And there can be times (overcast, hot, or when the battery is nearly full) and the mppt wont charge.
Plenty of people have had problems with 32 cell panels and the mppt not charging batteries to recommend using a 36 cell panel.
@klim8skeptic actually I've seen that, testing it today, battery was 98% so when I connected the panel, I saw 152w in the bluetooth app, but after a few minutes it dropped to 0w, while the battery was showing 99%. So I guess the victron was controlling the power and stopping it since batteries were nearly full.
Great obvious answer about counting the cells.
I am asking all this because I am still within time to return the panel and get a refund.
This is what I got after a minute:
then...
And then after a few minutes:
So what I am trying to figure out is whether 1) the panel works -just ruling out any malfunctioning- 2) the mppt 100/20 was the right choice (or say, the panel is a good choice -if working- for the installed smart solar mppt 100/20)
And it's hard to figure out when you are still to learn the basics of electricity, granted ;)
Thank you for your thoughts.
Your shot above shows absorption, so the MPPT is still in charge mode. What's happening is that the battery BMS has cut the charge current. This is normal. Guessing that as it's a new setup, the batteries need to balance internally. This will take a while.
Given your location from the other thread, the 32 cell panel will probably be ok as it's working now.
Thank YOU @kevgermany I didn't know that either, that new batteries need some time to balance (and I must google what that exactly means :D) For instance...you mean that one battery may be drawing more than the other because their cells aren't balanced yet? or does this balancing happen within each single battery too, in their cells? I assume this balancing is run by the BMS itself, and I don't need to do a thing.
Now I thought that once the battery monitor shunt showed 99% or 100%, the victron app was going to indicate state: floating (as per explanation learned here https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/63640/charging-bulk-absorption-and-float.html) but will the victron mppt pick that correctly from the relion batteries? What if I see in the monitor 100% and still open the victron smart solar app and read Absorption?
Thank you for being this helpful.
Elena
Balancing is two things. Equalising the cells in a single battery and keeping all batteries in an installation at the same voltage. The BMS should balance the cells, but usually with low current and once cells are close to fully charged. Depending on the batteries/BMSs, the balance between the batteries may be carried out by the BMS between the batteries, or you rely on individual BMS per battery to keep things ok.
A battery monitor/shunt in Victron does no management. It reports what it sees and interprets that according to it's settings. Float/absorption/bulk comes from the MPPT or other charger and is independent of the shunt. Settings have to match. So if the battery is fully charged at 14.2V on the shunt and the MPPT is set to 14.4V, the shunt will show 100% while the MPPT is still in absorption.
If there's a GX device (e.g. Cerbo) in the system and all connected correctly, the GX can use the shunt readings to control the MPPT charging. If the BMS has data Comms that talk to Victron and is connected by the right cable to the GX, the BMS may report to and control the GX and charging and means you don't need a battery monitor/shunt. It's really dependant on the BMS.
Sorry, but I don't know how much of this your batteries can do, you need to get this from the supplier/manufacturer.
Take a look at the MPPT calculator in the link below.
There's not enough info in your post for a proper answer, but the answer is probably, depends...
Thank you @kevgermany for replying so fast. I've checked the MPPT calculator and inputted all the info I have about the Ecoflow 220 w (except temp coeff data, which I can't seem to find), the result is Smart Solar 100/20
(The camper van setup is 2 relion lifepo4 12v batteries 100ah each, the Victron Solar Smart MPPT 100/20, and there plugging in the foldable/portable solar panel from Ecoflow)
