Adding solar to inverter-battery systems 101

StefanB7 said:
For a quick and dirty short-term solution that wouldn't break the bank, I would just install one 420W solar panel and a Victron 75/15 charge controller, as here. According to the Victron charge controller's specs, it can handle up to 440W at 24V.
That means during the day, your batteries will last much longer if you've got load shedding. The batteries will also wear less since you'll probably not drain them as much during daytime load shedding.
If you don't have load shedding, you'll have the added benefit of the batteries charging faster since they will be charged by the inverter as well as the solar panel. <- This is not true, as pointed out by wingnut771

The solar panel will cost about ~R3000 and the charge controller R2000, R500 for cables the whole affair will set you back about R5500. And it is super easy to set up, just connect the batteries and solar panel to the charge controller, and it'll do its thing. The charge controller I linked has the ability to connect to your phone via Bluetooth that way you could configure it for your lithium batteries.

If your base load is about 400W (that's the internet, a TV and a few lights), you'll basically use no battery power during daytime load shedding and your batteries will stay full for nighttime load shedding.
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Hi, hoping you can give some advice. I'm trying to help a pensioner who doesn't have thousand to spend on nice hybrid models etc, so looking for something basic that she can run two 180W tv's during load shedding and lights at night. They have alot of electricity issues and some times it goes days before repairs, so charging battery via ac is a bit of a problem.

Let me tell you what I want to do and you guys can tell me yes or no or provide addition comments. She currently has a Lalela, but it is not doing the job or handling the load battery wise and you can't extend the batteries to more in parralel or even add solar panels.

I have lying around a Aerbes Modified Inverter (1500W) with 70% capacity. 1675329315539.png
I want to set this up for her to use this inverter to run two tvs and 5 lead lights. I was thinking of adding the following.... 2 x 380W Mono Solar panels, 30Amp Solar Charge Controller, 2 x 200AH Solar Gel Batteries OR 1 x 200AH Lithium Batteries. Was hoping to have extra solar panels to run tv from solar during the day and not batteries, but I'm not sure how to do that with this inverter.

Need some help here, please.
 
Khinah23 said:
Hi, hoping you can give some advice. I'm trying to help a pensioner who doesn't have thousand to spend on nice hybrid models etc, so looking for something basic that she can run two 180W tv's during load shedding and lights at night. They have alot of electricity issues and some times it goes days before repairs, so charging battery via ac is a bit of a problem.

Let me tell you what I want to do and you guys can tell me yes or no or provide addition comments. She currently has a Lalela, but it is not doing the job or handling the load battery wise and you can't extend the batteries to more in parralel or even add solar panels.

I have lying around a Aerbes Modified Inverter (1500W) with 70% capacity. View attachment 1468257
I want to set this up for her to use this inverter to run two tvs and 5 lead lights. I was thinking of adding the following.... 2 x 380W Mono Solar panels, 30Amp Solar Charge Controller, 2 x 200AH Solar Gel Batteries OR 1 x 200AH Lithium Batteries. Was hoping to have extra solar panels to run tv from solar during the day and not batteries, but I'm not sure how to do that with this inverter.

Need some help here, please.
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I assume there is no charger with this inverter, so there is nothing to worry about. Connect inverter to battery, connect solar controller to battery, job done.
 
wingnut771 said:
I assume there is no charger with this inverter, so there is nothing to worry about. Connect inverter to battery, connect solar controller to battery, job done.
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Yes, no charger on inverter. Hence the solar Charge Controller, however not sure if the 30A controller will be sufficient for the 2 x 200AH Solar Gel Batteries OR 1 x 200AH Lithium Batteries. And I'm also not sure if the 2 X 380W solar Panels will be sufficient to charge 2 x 200AH Solar Gel Batteries OR 1 x 200AH Lithium Batteries.
 

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Khinah23 said:
Yes, no charger on inverter. Hence the solar Charge Controller, however not sure if the 30A controller will be sufficient for the 2 x 200AH Solar Gel Batteries OR 1 x 200AH Lithium Batteries.
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Should be. How many watts is the controller?
 
500W, so should be enough to cover the load and recharge. Are the TV's on 24/7?

Maybe its better to start with an energy audit with a killawatt so you know exactly how much sotrage you need.
 
I have to ask, what is the pensioner doing with two TVs during loadshedding? Is someone sponging of her? Nothing much wrong with it but maybe they can sponsor some cash towards the solution? 180W is a lot of watts on a backup battery, but 360W even more so.

Take the Lalela and use it, at least it still has a charger, unlike the other one, it's a Mecer or Ellies clone last time I checked, you are going to have a hard time haversting enough solar with cheap PWM charge controller, so I don't think it will work out well on solar alone.
 
TheChamp said:
I have to ask, what is the pensioner doing with two TVs during loadshedding? Is someone sponging of her? Nothing much wrong with it but maybe they can sponsor some cash towards the solution? 180W is a lot of watts on a backup battery, but 360W even more so.

Take the Lalela and use it, at least it still has a charger, unlike the other one, it's a Mecer or Ellies clone last time I checked, you are going to have a hard time haversting enough solar with cheap PWM charge controller, so I don't think it will work out well on solar alone.
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That's why I said to start with a killawatt.
 
Khinah23 said:
Hi, hoping you can give some advice. I'm trying to help a pensioner who doesn't have thousand to spend on nice hybrid models etc, so looking for something basic that she can run two 180W tv's during load shedding and lights at night. They have alot of electricity issues and some times it goes days before repairs, so charging battery via ac is a bit of a problem.

Let me tell you what I want to do and you guys can tell me yes or no or provide addition comments. She currently has a Lalela, but it is not doing the job or handling the load battery wise and you can't extend the batteries to more in parralel or even add solar panels.

I have lying around a Aerbes Modified Inverter (1500W) with 70% capacity. View attachment 1468257
I want to set this up for her to use this inverter to run two tvs and 5 lead lights. I was thinking of adding the following.... 2 x 380W Mono Solar panels, 30Amp Solar Charge Controller, 2 x 200AH Solar Gel Batteries OR 1 x 200AH Lithium Batteries. Was hoping to have extra solar panels to run tv from solar during the day and not batteries, but I'm not sure how to do that with this inverter.

Need some help here, please.
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just check first .those aerbes are modified sine wave .led lights and lots of lectronics dont like them .leds flicker .some of the cheap inverters draw 1amp from batteries just idling ive tested some at 9 amps .if you buy a pure sine wave brick inverter like the aerbes the wattage output will be around 30 percent of whats claimed .we use them in vehicles .they work well on small loads .
 
been using those little fivestar controllers on emergency lights for years with small 100 watt panels they work flawlessly on small systems
 
TheChamp said:
I have to ask, what is the pensioner doing with two TVs during loadshedding? Is someone sponging of her? Nothing much wrong with it but maybe they can sponsor some cash towards the solution? 180W is a lot of watts on a backup battery, but 360W even more so.

Take the Lalela and use it, at least it still has a charger, unlike the other one, it's a Mecer or Ellies clone last time I checked, you are going to have a hard time haversting enough solar with cheap PWM charge controller, so I don't think it will work out well on solar alone.
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I spoke to the Lalela technical department regarding adding an additional battery onto the inverter, they said it is not adviceable to do so and the current battery set up is just not cutting it. Hence was thinking if it can charge via solar that would be great and a bigger battery. There is only one income in her house and that is hers.
 
Khinah23 said:
Yes, no charger on inverter. Hence the solar Charge Controller, however not sure if the 30A controller will be sufficient for the 2 x 200AH Solar Gel Batteries OR 1 x 200AH Lithium Batteries. And I'm also not sure if the 2 X 380W solar Panels will be sufficient to charge 2 x 200AH Solar Gel Batteries OR 1 x 200AH Lithium Batteries.
Click to expand...

You can charge a 10 000 AH battery with a 100W solar panel, just gonna take a lot of days to do so.

Its not a question about if you can charge, its a question if you can replace what you used in a set amount of time. To gauge that you gonna need to measure your consumption and work from there.

Also saying 2 TV's is useless ie: I have 2 TV's 1 average 60W or less the other close to 200W. <-Depends on TV

Get a Kill-A-Watt
 
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