what do you think of THIS solar system?

[CptMan]

Hello all. I'm planning to buy this solar set-up from "BHAsolar". ( sorry, can't apply link. Don't know how )It's the 750W pre-wired set up. It's a LOT of money, but i think it'll cut out a lot of possibilities for electrical failures. Any one out there have an opinion/experience with this supplier or this system?
I'll be putting this in a CT and mounting only two of the three panels on the roof. The other panel will be remote for days when i park in the shade.
For the house batteries, I'll have at least TWO t-105s, with space for FOUR. I know that's a LOT of juice but I'm concerned I've grown too used to NOT being conservative.
Any how..... Any thoughts?

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Sounds great. That's alot of juice if you can swing it.

 

[GotSmart]

For a smaller price, (about 1/2) you can buy Renogy with twice the warranty.

http://www.renogy-store.com/RV-Solar-Kit-s/1878.htm

 

[AuricTech]

Here's a link to BHA Solar's RV Web page:

BHA Solar

And one to the system in question:

750W Off Grid Solar Kit

Looking at the kit, the charge controller (Morningstar TriStar 60A MPPT) is a good choice, but I'm not a fan of the GoPower 3000W MSW inverter the kit includes.  A lot of electronic devices have issues with modified-sine-wave inverters, and electric motors will run hot and inefficiently.  This particular inverter has a no-load current draw of 1.5 Amps, and is rated as 80% - 90% efficient.  That means that a lot of the power your system produces will go toward running the inverter (36 Amp*hours per day of no-load current draw, plus additional losses due to inefficiency).

You probably won't be able to use one panel as a remote.  Since these are "grid-tie" panels, they will all be wired in serial (on the kit's Web page, scroll down to just below the panel specification section to see what that means), which means that you won't be able to add or remove one panel.  Once they're wired in, they aren't going anywhere.

Four Trojan T-105 batteries (the number you said you'll have space for) would give you a 12V / 450 Amp*hour battery bank.  750W of solar panel would be a good match for that size battery bank (figuring in system inefficiencies, you'd get a charge rate of around 9%), but would be overkill for a 225 Amp*hour battery bank (two T-105 batteries).

Overall, you're probably better off either buying a different kit and paying someone to do the wiring, or else designing a system from scratch.  Either way, it's easier to have a balanced system if you start by calculating the loads you need your system to power.

 

[CptMan]

Here's a link to BHA Solar's RV Web page:

BHA Solar

And one to the system in question:

750W Off Grid Solar Kit

Looking at the kit, the charge controller (Morningstar TriStar 60A MPPT) is a good choice, but I'm not a fan of the GoPower 3000W MSW inverter the kit includes.  A lot of electronic devices have issues with modified-sine-wave inverters, and electric motors will run hot and inefficiently.  This particular inverter has a no-load current draw of 1.5 Amps, and is rated as 80% - 90% efficient.  That means that a lot of the power your system produces will go toward running the inverter (36 Amp*hours per day of no-load current draw, plus additional losses due to inefficiency).

You probably won't be able to use one panel as a remote.  Since these are "grid-tie" panels, they will all be wired in serial (on the kit's Web page, scroll down to just below the panel specification section to see what that means), which means that you won't be able to add or remove one panel.  Once they're wired in, they aren't going anywhere.

Four Trojan T-105 batteries (the number you said you'll have space for) would give you a 12V / 450 Amp*hour battery bank.  750W of solar panel would be a good match for that size battery bank (figuring in system inefficiencies, you'd get a charge rate of around 9%), but would be overkill for a 225 Amp*hour battery bank (two T-105 batteries).

Overall, you're probably better off either buying a different kit and paying someone to do the wiring, or else designing a system from scratch.  Either way, it's easier to have a balanced system if you start by calculating the loads you need your system to power.

 

[CptMan]

I don't understand your comment about having a 2 + 1 set up. It's designed for all three panels, yes. But why can't i have 2 mounted and the third as an add-on? the inverter... i agree. NOT my first choice. but the pre-wired kit doesn't give any options. i would add a 2nd smaller inverter for my lesser loads.

 

[CptMan]

For a smaller price, (about 1/2) you can buy Renogy with twice the warranty.

http://www.renogy-store.com/RV-Solar-Kit-s/1878.htm

To be honest... I'm more confident in the "morningstar charge controller" i havn't really looked at Renology products yet. I will look into them though (at your advice). thanks for the replies

 

[AuricTech]

I don't understand your comment about having a 2 + 1 set up. It's designed for all three panels, yes. But why can't i have 2 mounted and the third as an add-on? the inverter... i agree. NOT my first choice. but the pre-wired kit doesn't give any options. i would add a 2nd smaller inverter for my lesser loads.

Take a look at this picture (from the kit's Web page):

The way they're wired together prevents you from being able to add and remove the third panel.  MC4 connectors (the kind these panels come with) aren't designed to be repeatedly connected and disconnected.  If you remove the MC4 connectors, you generally void the materials-and-workmanship part of the warranty.

Is there any special reason why you need to pay such a price premium for a pre-wired kit?  $3500 is a big chunk of cash, especially since this kit doesn't include mounting brackets (they're a $245 add-on from BHA Solar).

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I don't understand your comment about having a 2 + 1 set up. It's designed for all three panels, yes. But why can't i have 2 mounted and the third as an add-on? the inverter... i agree. NOT my first choice. but the pre-wired kit doesn't give any options. i would add a 2nd smaller inverter for my lesser loads.

I think Auric Tech is right that you aren't going to be able to ADD the third panel.  As in, you won't be able to have 2 panels sometimes and 3 panels other times.

However, I think you could set it up as an EITHER/OR.  Either you have power coming from the 2 panels on the roof, Or you have power coming from the 1 remote panel on the ground.  The key to this is to use one of those marine battery switches before the controller.  The 2 roof panels are the A circuit and the 1 ground panel is the B circuit, and the output of the switch feeds the controller.  Many of those switches have an option to COMBINE A + B, but I don't think that would work for you - it would be trying to parallel 1 panel to 2 that are wired in series, and thus operating at TWICE the voltage of a single panel.  I just don't see that as working.  Might get away with it if you had 2 ground panels wired in series as well as 2 roof panels wired in series, but then, if the roof panels were in the shade . . .  Damn, I'd have to ponder that a bit, and maybe do some math, and I HATE doing math, it makes my head hurt.

Regards
John

PS:  This is the reason why I plan to wire all my panels in parallel.  I find it much less confusing.

 

[AuricTech]

By the way, here's how to add links to your posts:

{url=https://vanlivingforum.com/}VanDweller Community Forums{/url}

Use square brackets instead of braces, and this is how it will look:

VanDweller Community Forums

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

BTW, I agree with Auric Tech that the price on this kit seems way too high.

Back when Northern Arizona Wind & Sun had their 5% off for Earth Day sale, I ordered five 140 watt Kyocera panels (for a total of 700 watts), the Morningstar 60 amp MPPT controller, some wire and miscellaneous hardware, a 2000 watt Samlex pure sine wave inverter with remote, and a 300 watt Morningstar pure sine wave inverter for around $3200. 

Regards
John

 

[CptMan]

I think Auric Tech is right that you aren't going to be able to ADD the third panel.  As in, you won't be able to have 2 panels sometimes and 3 panels other times.

However, I think you could set it up as an EITHER/OR.  Either you have power coming from the 2 panels on the roof, Or you have power coming from the 1 remote panel on the ground.  The key to this is to use one of those marine battery switches before the controller.  The 2 roof panels are the A circuit and the 1 ground panel is the B circuit, and the output of the switch feeds the controller.  Many of those switches have an option to COMBINE A + B, but I don't think that would work for you - it would be trying to parallel 1 panel to 2 that are wired in series, and thus operating at TWICE the voltage of a single panel.  I just don't see that as working.  Might get away with it if you had 2 ground panels wired in series as well as 2 roof panels wired in series, but then, if the roof panels were in the shade . . .  Damn, I'd have to ponder that a bit, and maybe do some math, and I HATE doing math, it makes my head hurt.

Regards
John

PS:  This is the reason why I plan to wire all my panels in parallel.  I find it much less confusing.

yes. i would wire them in parallel. sorry, should have made that clear. the extra wiring would be insignificant cost. with the Morningstar controller, it would be simple to set voltage accordingly.

 

[CptMan]

BTW, I agree with Auric Tech that the price on this kit seems way too high.

Back when Northern Arizona Wind & Sun had their 5% off for Earth Day sale, I ordered five 140 watt Kyocera panels (for a total of 700 watts), the Morningstar 60 amp MPPT controller, some wire and miscellaneous hardware, a 2000 watt Samlex pure sine wave inverter with remote, and a 300 watt Morningstar pure sine wave inverter for around $3200. 

Regards
John

Beg your pardon , did i miss something? you paid $3200 I'm talking about $3500 and one less inverter.... I don't see "way" too high. Plus it's already wired, fused, and ready to go.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Beg your pardon , did i miss something? you paid $3200 I'm talking about $3500 and one less inverter.... I don't see "way" too high. Plus it's already wired, fused, and ready to go.

You asked what we thought of the system.  If you want an honest response from me, I don't think much of so-called "Modified Sine Wave" Inverters.  They're actually Square Wave inverters whose circuits have been tinkered with to make them mimic a sine wave a little better. I don't think much of the Go Power brand.  Handy Bob didn't have much good to say about them, based on his experience.  And Canadian Solar isn't exactly making it clear who is making their solar panels for them. I'm reasonably sure Kyocera will be around to honor their warranty for the next 25 years.

Regards
John

 

[GotSmart]

Call Renogy on Monday with your wish list. See what kind of package they can put together. You might just be shocked.

 

[jimindenver]

Ok I run a 750w system. It's a sick amount of power when the sun shines. I use a Tripp lite industrial inverter mady to handle heavy loads. I'm told it has a huge transformer and a cleaner sine wave than most MSW inverters. Also even though it is listed at 1250w, It will handle a 2800w load for a hour I think. It also cost me $200.

Running in series you could get up on the trailer and connect the third panel in to the other two but it would have to be left flat like they are. Run them in parallel and you could find a way to add the third and use it like a portable.

I've been running test this weekend as to what happens with mixed panels in both series and parallel on the MS-MPPT-60. Four panels in series with one smaller panel will start fine in bright light but let the light lower to the point that the weak panel crashes and either the array never stabilizes when the sun comes back or the controller stops trying to track the array. Yesterday I had three different panels in series when a cloud came over. The controller was in float an even though I lowered the battery voltage, it wouldn't ramp up. I had to disconnect the array and restart it to get the controller to go into bulk. That doesn't happen when I use three like panels. So in series any one panel with a different voltage can throw off something. You can add a panel but only if it will run the same as the rest.

I also tried mixing panels in parallel. Now here one panel may have limited the other some how but it didn't crash when I covered one of the panels. The controller returned to the numbers seen before and there was no issue. So you can run the ones on top in parallel and plug in a third as a portable even if it isn't flat.

$3500 is pretty healthy. I have $1700 in to my panels, controller and inverter. I still need the heavy wire for running them parallel and various switches, fuses, etc.

 

[johnny b]

Not to bash this BHA Solar store.....BUT.....
a random check of 2 other sites show the Bogart Trimetric 2030-RV battery monitor at less than $150 and the new matching SC-2030 charge controller at under $120.

On the BHA site they're selling both together for $449 (w/free shipping!) --Gee, what a deal.

A Tristar 45 PWM should be under $150, BHA wants $230.

I think I'd shop around a bit before laying out big bucks to them.  

 

[CptMan]

You asked what we thought of the system.  If you want an honest response from me, I don't think much of so-called "Modified Sine Wave" Inverters.  They're actually Square Wave inverters whose circuits have been tinkered with to make them mimic a sine wave a little better. I don't think much of the Go Power brand.  Handy Bob didn't have much good to say about them, based on his experience.  And Canadian Solar isn't exactly making it clear who is making their solar panels for them. I'm reasonably sure Kyocera will be around to honor their warranty for the next 25 years.

Regards
John

Hey, THANKS for any and all conversation on this topic. I really do appreciate your input. I'm new to all of this and will undoubtedly make mistakes. i guess I just want to make as few mistakes as possible. i can't seem to find ANY other ready-to-go systems out there. I'm not in an area where a lot of others are using solar systems (Northern Indiana). If anyone is KINDA close, I'd be MORE THAN HAPPY to come to you and see what your set-up looks like. ALL advice is welcome. Thanks for your interest in helping me out.

 

[CptMan]

Hey, THANKS for any and all conversation on this topic. I really do appreciate your input. I'm new to all of this and will undoubtedly make mistakes. i guess I just want to make as few mistakes as possible. i can't seem to find ANY other ready-to-go systems out there. I'm not in an area where a lot of others are using solar systems (Northern Indiana). If anyone is KINDA close, I'd be MORE THAN HAPPY to come to you and see what your set-up looks like. ALL advice is welcome. Thanks for your interest in helping me out.

FYI. Handy Bob is where i get a lot of my info. Never met the guy but i LIKE HIS STYLE. He's my reason for going with Morningstar ChgCntrl.

 

[rvpopeye]

$3500 will buy separate components to get those specs , with plenty left over.
Just ask here for how to hook it all up.......free.