BigT
Well-known member
Backstory: I've got a 190 Watt Monocrystoline panel, a 15 Amp MPPT charge controller, and a 75 Amp hour, Group 24, AGM battery under my hood.
The Group 24 was the largest I could fit under the hood, and, due to very limited space in a TC, I didn't want to run 2 batteries.
Thing is, I never deeply cycle the battery...... ever. Installing solar on my Transit Connect, though I told myself would be used to run many things, was really just practice for when I build my "real" system someday. Like a test bed. A convenient platform for seeing what works and what could use some tweaking.
Given this limited use, I sometimes wonder if my charge controller ever "turns on" and sends power from the panel to the battery, or if this whole system is just a waste of space and money.
I've always kind of hoped it was trickle-charging my battery, keeping it at 100% charge and extending its life, but the truth is, I have no idea at what point power is being allowed from the panel to the battery.
The last time I ran my little 12V Fan-Tastic "Endless Breeze" fan, I told myself the panel was putting more power into the system than the fan was taking out.
This kind of sustainability, even though just an assumption, sounded pretty cool... but again, I don't really know if that's what it was doing or not.
For all I know the CC never let power reach the battery at all, because it was never needed.
Maybe it's time I pulled the trigger on one of these. ---> https://www.amazon.com/Morning-Star...7667&sr=8-1&keywords=Morningstar+remote+meter
I've read this meter doesn't tell you the Amps coming from the panel. Not sure how important that is, though.
Amazon's ad doesn't go into much (any) detail about what this meter does do.
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The Group 24 was the largest I could fit under the hood, and, due to very limited space in a TC, I didn't want to run 2 batteries.
Thing is, I never deeply cycle the battery...... ever. Installing solar on my Transit Connect, though I told myself would be used to run many things, was really just practice for when I build my "real" system someday. Like a test bed. A convenient platform for seeing what works and what could use some tweaking.
Given this limited use, I sometimes wonder if my charge controller ever "turns on" and sends power from the panel to the battery, or if this whole system is just a waste of space and money.
I've always kind of hoped it was trickle-charging my battery, keeping it at 100% charge and extending its life, but the truth is, I have no idea at what point power is being allowed from the panel to the battery.
The last time I ran my little 12V Fan-Tastic "Endless Breeze" fan, I told myself the panel was putting more power into the system than the fan was taking out.
This kind of sustainability, even though just an assumption, sounded pretty cool... but again, I don't really know if that's what it was doing or not.
For all I know the CC never let power reach the battery at all, because it was never needed.
Maybe it's time I pulled the trigger on one of these. ---> https://www.amazon.com/Morning-Star...7667&sr=8-1&keywords=Morningstar+remote+meter
I've read this meter doesn't tell you the Amps coming from the panel. Not sure how important that is, though.
Amazon's ad doesn't go into much (any) detail about what this meter does do.
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