E-panel and combiner question

[Mandan]

I have a 24v system with pre-wired e-panel. 120/220v Magnum 4000w inverter and a classic 150. I have a 1880w solar array currently up and running. My question is in adding a small wind turbine and pedal charger. What I would like to do is bring the wind turbine and pedal charger into a MNPV3 combiner and take the output from the combiner into the e-panel. Can I take the output from the MNPV3 box and plug it into the + and - busses for PV input the same way I did for my solar panels?

[Westbranch]

From your description it sounds like you want to use the existing Classic CC, BUT that willl not work, you will  need another charge controller to control the wind/pedal input.

[Mandan]

Is that because the classic won't handle wind and solar at the same time? Or am I missing something else? I have lived with my system for a year but I am still very new to all this. Is there a small charge controller that you would recommend. After all we aren't talking a lot of power here.

[TomW]

Is that because the classic won't handle wind and solar at the same time? Or am I missing something else? I have lived with my system for a year but I am still very new to all this. Is there a small charge controller that you would recommend. After all we aren't talking a lot of power here.

The Classic can only be configured for wind or solar, not both. You can connect your other sources to the battery, of course but not through the Classic.

Tom

[Mandan]

I just want to make sure I am getting this right, I apologize. If I buy a separate charge controller I can still take the output of the new charge controller to the DC positive and negative busses within the e-panel (not the PV input busses).

[TomW]

I just want to make sure I am getting this right, I apologize. If I buy a separate charge controller I can still take the output of the new charge controller to the DC positive and negative busses within the e-panel (not the PV input busses).

Yes, that is no problem. If you use a meter on the E-Panel shunt to watch things or a Whizz Bang, Jr be sure to route the negative thru the shunt so the true totals are shown. It should have a bus bar attached to it if you got the shunt. Otherwise to the negative bus.

Hope that makes sense.

Tom

[Mandan]

I do have a shunt with bus attached, thanks. Should charge controller number two be MPPT also?

[Westbranch]

You could use either MPPT or PWM, depends on how much power you get from the turbine.

[Mandan]

It will be a small home made turbine 300 watts max, same with the pedal charger. It would be unlikely that I would use them at the same time - each is just a stop gap for different scenarios.

PS - this forum rocks!

[Westbranch]

Once you know what the turbine output will be, you can investigate which type of CC to get.
Read the postings in the Clipper section for some info about some larger wind gen issues. It may not be as simple as you expect depending on what you build.