obimind:
@Earthrealm, thanks bro...currently I'm using AGM batteries and am about purchasing new sets of batteries. My installer keeps advising me to go for GEL batteries which I'm trying to get more info to avoid regretting my decision at the end of the day. I'm so grateful Sir.

Dreamflyin:
Hi all. I need a little help, please.
A solar company installed a 2kw solar setup for me : 8 250w panels, 6 150aH AGM batteries and two charge controllers.
Two weeks into usage, it lasts no more than 1hr if the sun is out, at 30% load.
This was a system that used to last 2hrs at 30% load. A drastic drop. The technician came and checked the batteries, and was getting 6v and 8v on two batteries respectively, out of the bank.
He said they dropped.

Now am confused?
Why drop so fast?
What did I do wrong?
We do get low voltage from the grid, so I hitched up the system to a 3kw voltage regulator.
Could it be the voltage regulator overcharge that killed the batteries?

chris81964:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7C1Fj6EjZs here is a link to one of my videos.

earthrealm:


my first guess would be that they installed used batteries instead of new.
2nd guess would be that the system isnt connected correctly.wrong solar panels config or CC config etc
lasting 2hrs on 30% load?...something doesnt appear quite right here, too lazy to crunch the numbers to find out

earthrealm:


my first guess would be that they installed used batteries instead of new.
2nd guess would be that the system isnt connected correctly.wrong solar panels config or CC config etc
lasting 2hrs on 30% load?...something doesnt appear quite right here, too lazy to crunch the numbers to find out

iLoveTheSun:
@Dreamflyin

Good day,
can you please upload some pics of your installation, cabling and the name/type plate of the battery and the solar charger.
I guess, it is c100 = 150 Ah. For charging purpose you should take c5 Ah values into consideration, the Ah is much lower, so the maximum current for charging should be smaller as well. About 10% of Ah figure, i.e. 120 Ah means max. 12 Amps.

I am afraid, there was a problem, in order to improve the performance you connected your 3kVA inverter to the AGM batteries, and caused another problem or you increased the existing damage of "bad" batteries. (I hope you do have a warranty?!)
Because AGM batteries need to be charged gently, i.e. with a smart battery charger. That smart battery charger should be able to run different charging methods for Gel/AGM and flooded lead-acid.

AGM is low/free maintenance, but at the same time you cannot "repair" the battery yourself.
I'd go for flooded batteries with valves that you can open. There are transparent batteries in the market, so that you can see the thickness of the lead plates, and you can see the gasing inside the battery. The advantage: you can look at all the batteries and you may be able to discover any differences between them. - no rocket science.

Sorry, if I do not have any good news for you regarding the state of your batteries!

sunny regards,

kiekie1:


Nice short clip u gt .. Will try upload some tho !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmrHfVm2h1s

bigrovar:

Go for agm batteries. Gel beside the can be very pecky when it comes to how it likes to be charged. AGM is a bit more rugged and can take more charge current in bulk state than any of the lead acid batteries flooded or Gel. Varta and Luminous are good agm batteries.

chris81964:


Watched your video. Well done. Solar depot has the 63 amp DC breaker

bigrovar:
the first thing that came my mind even before I saw the picture was.. charge controller is effed.. seeing the picture u posted just confirm my suspicions. My preliminary prognosis is those batteries died of being under charged for a prolonged period if time. Those controllers are pwm and there is no way they would be able to fully utilise the full potential of your panels...

This is just a preliminary prognosis. Solar has so many variables on what can go wrong which is why it is good to do proper research before you embark on it. Unfortunately lots of quacks out there burning people's hard-earned money on phoney installation.

What's the way forward. You need to supply the following information. Type of panel and their specs particularly the VMP.. What is the voltage of your inverter. 12 or 24v. How are the batteries connected series .. parallel or series parallel. Distance between your panel and your charge controller..

Without the above stated information it would be impossible to help you out.

Brother all hope is not lost Sha. Everyone makes one mistake or the other in their installation before learning .. the inverter and panel seem good. Might just need to change configuration and probably some equipment.. that CC for example has to go.

iLoveTheSun:
mmh. did they put two (low-cost) solar charge controllers in parallel? I don't think they will be able to work in sync, because those charge controllers do not have any interface to communicate to each other. The charging process will not work properly the way it should work.

(I guess the installer thought you can double the power (current/Amps) by putting two controllers in parallel? Please correct me, if I am wrong.)

Just an example: the price of a 60 Amp charge controller is normally more than three times of a 30 Amp controller.
Those low-cost solar charge controllers are good for one or two panels, but 2 kWp is a nice solar array, which needs different equipment.
When they get overheated, they just stall... because they have poor heat management. (You would mount them on a metal sheet for better waste heat management.)

I need the data of your charge controllers, U(dc) and I(dc) where your solar photovoltaic is connected, and current Amps and voltage where your batteries are connected.
Where is the DC side of the inverter connected (Load)? to the solar charge controller or directly to the batteries?

How are the eight modules connected? Parallel x series? Do you have a name/type plate of your modules?

How are the six batteries connected? Is it a 24 Volt system? 3 banks with 2 batteries in series?
Please check if the cables from all the banks have the same length as well.

Do you have a diagram of your installation as well? I miss some fuses and breakers, so that you would be able to break down your system into modules. e.g. switching on only one battery bank, and testing the performance of that battery bank, than switching it off and switching on the next bank, etc. So that you can measure with a Voltmeter and see if there is any strange behaviour. Always put the same load on and check for how long the system lasts...
---
Let's assume the sun does shine and you have 1.800 Watts (peak) power from your roof. And you have a 24 V system, then it's 75 Amps.
That's a lot! On the solar PV side, you need high voltage + low current breakers/fuses; and on the battery side, you need low voltage + high current breakers/fuses. I recommend to put fuses in each solar panel string, and fuses in each battery bank as well for the total bank.
In case of a battery cell failure/shortage, the fuse will melt and will not affect the other components. Fuses should protect your expensive components from any kind of failure/shortage or oversurge due to lightning (special protectors required).

chris81964:

A new client of ours got the same from another installer same controller.
It is a pwm controller. Good for small systems under 500 watts.
I am going to guess that each 1000 watts gets its own controller. Problem with pwm is cloudy weather and low battery voltage.
Let's say that the panels are putting out 10 amps and your battery voltage is 22. Your 1000 watts I'd only putting out 220 watts. Same situation with an MPPT controller. It will step down the voltage and increase the current. The same conditions now you will have your 1000 watts producing a minimum of 396 and as much as 500 watts.
The pwm is leaving between 176 and 280 watts. This makes a huge impact in your batteries getting charged.
See pictures of the controller and what passes for wiring.

earthrealm:


@chris, the wiring of that panel in ur pic really got me lolling hard...these clowns sabi spoil this renewal energy biz for una o, cos they would end up iscouraging most folks with thier useless ans s.tupid connections and set up.
the samte way the kazeems spoil peoples cars

zeestone99:
Wow Chris81964 dis is serious, no rack, see cable joinings on roof, sumtymes som clients ll beat dwn price, but installers shud pls leave such jobs alone, if nobody does d job, d client ll increase his price. Wow no rack

kiekie1:


So funny ! When you visit Alaba market this days , you meet so many urchins parading themselves as solar / inverter installers .. I had to briefly discuss with one of them few months ago as I noticed him arguing with all authority that he has been installing for so many years , I asked him to briefly explain to me what 145 / 150VDC max means on most of the MPPT in market? He replied "he dosnt know".. I simply wonder what that kinda person will do on peoples roofs or deckings with i.e 12 units of 250w panels and 60a mppt to charge a 48v flooded battery bank with maybe 20k installation cost without solar PV rack cost inclusive ..

kiekie1:


So funny ! When you visit Alaba market this days , you meet so many urchins parading themselves as solar / inverter installers .. I had to briefly discuss with one of them few months ago as I noticed him arguing with all authority that he has been installing for so many years , I asked him to briefly explain to me what 145 / 150VDC max means on most of the MPPT in market? He replied "he dosnt know".. I simply wonder what that kinda person will do on peoples roofs or deckings with i.e 12 units of 250w panels and 60a mppt to charge a 48v flooded battery bank with maybe 20k installation cost without solar PV rack cost inclusive ..

zeestone99:


Na dose kind pple Chris post dier picture so

anochuks08:
This is how I ve been connecting my batteries my entire life, please can you share with me the advantage yours have over this my own.

Regards

Barezzi:
Beautiful installation above mutilated by the writing on the changeover switch.
With the amount of money spent already, surely that wrting would have been better presented.

earthrealm:


my first guess would be that they installed used batteries instead of new.
2nd guess would be that the system isnt connected correctly.wrong solar panels config or CC config etc
lasting 2hrs on 30% load?...something doesnt appear quite right here, too lazy to crunch the numbers to find out

kiekie1:


Nice short clip u gt .. Will try upload some tho !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmrHfVm2h1s

Dreamflyin:


If the Sun is up, it takes me up till 5pm and goes off at 30% load. Without sunlight on batteries, it lasts just 2hrs. Now the whole ish is acting up, its just 30mins.

NaijaWindSolar:


The terminals connected to your charger should be on different 24v battery series.

i.e. Connect the positive terminal from the first bank to the charger & negative terminal from the last bank to the charger.