Right Controller?

Started by lightmind, September 11, 2011, 08:17:00 PM

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lightmind

Hello,
I have enjoyed reading the posts here to learn more about what I am trying to do.
We have a RV where I installed a pair of Schott 220 Poly panels. I currently (please don't...) am using a cheapo charge controller that some of you have probably heard of, the Wellsee Mppt. I went the cheap route for the controller and now know that it is not harvesting efficiently.
After much research I have zeroed in on the Classic 150 as the candidate that would likely be the most efficient controller for now and for future expansion, up to 4 panels depending on the best configuration. The Poly 220 are spec'd at:

Nominal Power:   220w
Nominal Voltage: 29.7VDC
Nominal Current: 7.41A
Open Circuit V:   36.15VDC
Short-Circuit A:  8.15

-400AH of 12v AGM's in parallel
-Xantrex RS-3000 Inverter
-600w Wind turbine w/ it's own mppt controller

My questions:

1) What would be the optimum string size for up to 4 of these panels?
2) Is it possible for the controller to convert solar and wind concurrently?
3) What approx. maximum charging amps will be at the battery?

If the Xantrex XANTREX XW MPPT60-150 could talk to the Xanbus network I could have a single interface with the Xantrex inverter and AGS and would have chosen the Xantrex. But it apparently a different flavor of Xanbus (or maybe a firmware issue) so I was told it would not communicate by Xantrex. Bad on Xantrex, there should ideally be uniformity in the comm protocols through model generations so one could mix and match. The search is on.

So thanks in advance! This controller keeps looking better and better.

Westbranch

A quick answer to #2,  the Classic can only handle one source of input.  No luck for dual source here..

cheers.
KID FW1811 560W >C&D 24V 900Ah AGM
CL150 29032 FW V.2126-NW2097-GP2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3Px4s 140W > 24V 900Ah AGM,
2 Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr, NetGr DS104Hub
Cotek ST1500 Inv  want a 24V  ROSIE Inverter
OmniCharge3024  Eu1/2/3000iGens
West Chilcotin 1680+W to come

lightmind