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My first post - have tried hard to make sure it hasn't been answered and I've posted in the correct place - sorry if I get it wrong.
I've a question about connecting solar panels to my existing campervan.
I've currently got a 2 leisure batteries connecting to a ZIG unit. All loads connect from the ZIG unit and are switched - fridge, water pump etc. There is a split charge relay and mains hookup to charge the battery - all controlled via the ZIG unit.
I've got a couple of solar panels and an MPPT controller and not sure how to connect it up. The connections on the panel are for panel, battery and load.
Panel and battery are simple but I'm unsure as to where to put load being as I have a zig unit. Any ideas?
Gut feel is to also connect load to the battery as well since as the ZIG unit does switching to various bits (pump etc) they aren't all connected together and i can't connect it to all of them.
Anybody done anything similar? any help is very much appreciated.
Well first of all if it were me... I would connect the batteries to the pos and neg on the battery terminals of the MPPT. The Solar panels to solar connections and leave the load free. I believe that the load terminals are for off-loading the amps when the batteries are fully charged, but I'm sure other techies will correct me.
Leave the Zip unit alone. I would also connect Batteries to MPPT before connecting MPPT to solar and I would put a fuse in line as close to the batteries as possible.
Well first of all if it were me... I would connect the batteries to the pos and neg on the battery terminals of the MPPT. The Solar panels to solar connections and leave the load free. I believe that the load terminals are for off-loading the amps when the batteries are fully charged, but I'm sure other techies will correct me.
Leave the Zip unit alone. I would also connect Batteries to MPPT before connecting MPPT to solar and I would put a fuse in line as close to the batteries as possible.
Says it all really just forget about the zig unit.
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I have a slightly different take on load: with my controller it suplies 12V when the batteries are being charged by the panel(s), when there is no charge (e.g. in the dark) the load terminals are no longer supplied with 12V.
Anyway, even this take of what they are for doesn't force you to connect anything to them. Just leave them open, as mentioned.
The instructions are really badly translated but from reading about 20 times what I think they are saying is similar to what others have said here.
I think when battery is below a certain voltage (and hence charge level) then solar power goes to battery only...but this is only when battery is pretty low. Once the battery reaches a certain voltage level then power goes to both load and battery.
It isn't explicitly written in the instructions but I assume once the battery reaches an upper voltage threshold then it effectively cuts the battery off and puts power to load only. Therefore if I did connect load to battery as I had originally thought then I risk overcharging the battery....so as other's have suggested I think i'll leave the 'load' connectors alone.
I should fit the panels in the next couple of weeks and will update on the results.
Just to let you I connected everything up and ignored the load contacts and everything works fine.
If anyone is looking for a solar solution for Reimo elevating roof then I'm pretty pleased with my result.
I got some 2.5mm thick semi flexible panels made for me in HK and bonded these to the roof with sikaflex. For those that know Reimo roofs the main middle section of the roof is about 2-3mm lower than the sides so the panels fit on without sticking up at all.
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