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ellies inverter trolley: add panels


Clivevan

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A similar question has been asked but I was unsure about the answer for this trolley. 

I want to use my Ellies inverter as a UPS only and only feeding an extension cord. It is on a farm and mains is unreliable.

So I need to connect it to a 330 watt panel to charge it at times when there is no main supply. Sometimes all day. It can be connected directly to the batteries?

1.  Can that be done?

2.  If so what do I need to set it up?

3. Can I solar charge the unit while running equipment of it at the same time? (ie mains are down but I am watching TV while the sun is shining on my panel while charging the trolley)

 

I think it contains x2 100 amp or perhaps 60 amp lead acid batteries.

My biggest concern is simplicity of installation and use and obviously I dont want to fry anything.

 

Thanks in advance

inverter1-min.jpg

specs inverter-min.jpg

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Yeah, someone else asked about this too. The answer was that yes, you can do it, just size the PV properly to the battery, and fuse it to be safe (a 20A automotive fuse is fine in this application). Use a Victron 100/15 MPPT.

300W at the typical 24V of these trolleys is 12A, which should be fine for the 100Ah batteries normally used.

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16 minutes ago, Clivevan said:

Can I add a 2nd panel later?

I wouldn't. The maximum charge current is then over 20A which is a bit too much for those batteries (still assuming they are 100Ah).

16 minutes ago, Clivevan said:

Where in Jhb/Pta area can I go to get everything I need to do a self install?

Don't know, but most solar shops will have the small Victron MPPTs and the PV cabling (4mm^2 will be sufficient). Automotive fuses and holders you can get at a hardware store or any auto supply place, and for 12A or so you can use normal household 2.5mm^2 from the MPPT to the battery (though good flexible 10mm^2 DC cabling looks so much nicer, and can also be found at most solar shops).

Edit: Just to be clear, the fuse goes between the MPPT and the batteries.

Edited by plonkster
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14 minutes ago, plonkster said:

I wouldn't. The maximum charge current is then over 20A which is a bit too much for those batteries (still assuming they are 100Ah).

If budget allows then a smartsolar MPPT would allow to set max charge current via phone. (R2000 vs R2500)

If budget is very tight then a pwm charge controller and panel could be an option? 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Realise this is a late response - We use this configuration at the office (The Ellies Invertor on Trolley). We have connected a 30A PWM Controller (Used to even be able to by Ellies ones, but ours was just sourced as Generic - with LCD display - Think Ecco is the brand), and then have 400W of 100W panels (2 + 2 configuration - 2 in Series, 2 in Parallel) so as not to exceed the Max DC voltage of the PWM Controller. Since we only run a few Laptops, a small Server and the ip phones, +- 30W of LED lights and fibre router. This setup has been tested without mains power and has lasted over 2 days (with sun) and the laptops and LEDs off overnight, and still was showing 3 out of 4 bars of battery on the 3rd morning before we switched the power back on.

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2 hours ago, KLEVA said:

Ecco is the brand

I remember using one of those as a stop-gap measure. The voltage measurement was horrendous... I compensated by setting the voltages higher so it evened out where I wanted it to be.

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On 2020/07/28 at 5:28 PM, KLEVA said:

Realise this is a late response - We use this configuration at the office (The Ellies Invertor on Trolley). We have connected a 30A PWM Controller (Used to even be able to by Ellies ones, but ours was just sourced as Generic - with LCD display - Think Ecco is the brand), and then have 400W of 100W panels (2 + 2 configuration - 2 in Series, 2 in Parallel) so as not to exceed the Max DC voltage of the PWM Controller. Since we only run a few Laptops, a small Server and the ip phones, +- 30W of LED lights and fibre router. This setup has been tested without mains power and has lasted over 2 days (with sun) and the laptops and LEDs off overnight, and still was showing 3 out of 4 bars of battery on the 3rd morning before we switched the power back on.

thank you - at least it has been done then.  I had the ellies as a loadshed emergency but since then have installed axpert and now need a solution out on a plot. Seemed silly to not use the ellies.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi there.

I pulled an old 2000w ups out from equipment when it died. it used 2 x  9 ah batteries. It was supposed to power 5 minutes just to shut down the instrument.

I hooked 2 old Narada batteries up to it and is using it to supply power to the office equipment, router pc, printer etc. 

It use to run for about an hour before it dies, the batteries are shot. 

I installed my inverter onto a trolley and are waiting for my battery from Bain then I will hook everything up to that. 

 

The old Narada batteries? Well they need to be recycled. still need to find a place in cape town that does that at a decent price.

 

 

 

 

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