Solar charger question

[CompairHolman]

Question

 

My 500w of solar is laid vertical on my roof and so is not producing now. I have a 12 v - 9amp power supply ( below ) sitting around on a dusty shelf , can I connect this to my MPPT solar charge controller input and boost the charge ?

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B06XHQ7Z87/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all

 

[Goliath]

Thought about getting a generator?

you can run them from 8am til 8pm 

 

 

 

?

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Thought about getting a generator?

you can run them from 8am til 8pm 

 

 

 

?

Or, earlier or later if there is no one around to be 'interfered with' or inconvenienced.

 

The T&Cs actually state :

 

"you must not use any electricity generator, including the Boat's engine, at any mooring along the Waterway between 8pm and 8am, unless you are moored in isolation, out of earshot of other people. We do not intend this Rule to stop you moving the Boat from the mooring"

[Sea Dog]

It's not 'cos its "laid vertical" (I suspect you mean horizontal) it's 'cos there's not much energy to be had from the sun in winter. Enough to keep used batteries on float, but little for any actual usage.

 

If you have shore supply to power up something inappropriate off a dusty shelf, why not get a proper battery charger capable of being your 12v power supply too? They don't have to be expensive, particularly if your energy use isn't extravagant. 

[Murflynn]

2 hours ago, CompairHolman said:

Question

 

what is "a 12 v - 9amp power supply" ( below ) ? 

 

the link gives no information.   

is the power supply fed by a horse, elbow grease, paraffin or 240v mains?   

if the latter why not just use a conventional battery charger.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B06XHQ7Z87/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all

 

 

[Chewbacka]

If this is a stable 12v power supply then it’s voltage is too low to charge a 12v battery.  You could disconnect the batteries and use it to power the boat systems, but it is only about 100w so would not start your fridge etc.  If you have shore power, then buy a decent battery charger.

[WotEver]

5 hours ago, CompairHolman said:

My 500w of solar is laid vertical on my roof and so is not producing now. I have a 12 v - 9amp power supply ( below ) sitting around on a dusty shelf , can I connect this to my MPPT solar charge controller input and boost the charge ?

Boost what charge?  If your solar is producing nothing then that’s the charge you have: nothing. 
 

Besides, that power supply appears to be a mains unit, how exactly were you planning on using it without a mains supply?

[Tony Brooks]

8 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Boost what charge?  If your solar is producing nothing then that’s the charge you have: nothing. 
 

Besides, that power supply appears to be a mains unit, how exactly were you planning on using it without a mains supply?

from his inverter of course

 

 

 

That is not a serious suggestion!!!

[WotEver]

Just now, Tony Brooks said:

from his inverter of course

Perfect

[Chewbacka]

8 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

from his inverter of course

 

 

 

That is not a serious suggestion!!!

Is that not a circular argument ?

[cuthound]

5 hours ago, CompairHolman said:

Question

 

My 500w of solar is laid vertical on my roof and so is not producing now. I have a 12 v - 9amp power supply ( below ) sitting around on a dusty shelf , can I connect this to my MPPT solar charge controller input and boost the charge ?

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B06XHQ7Z87/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all

 

 

Your solar panels would produce more if laid horizontally on your roof, or better stil angled towards the sun (but not much more at this time of the year) ?.

[Dr Bob]

2 hours ago, WotEver said:

Boost what charge?  If your solar is producing nothing then that’s the charge you have: nothing. 
 

Besides, that power supply appears to be a mains unit, how exactly were you planning on using it without a mains supply?

Wired in to the ecofan?

[Murflynn]

actually in the mid-winter they would be far more effective over the whole period of daylight if they were fixed vertically, facing the ?sun? than if laid flat.  That is to say you might get 1% of the nominal for about one hour at noon, compared with a big fat zero.

[WotEver]

59 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

Wired in to the ecofan?

The great ideas never stop coming, do they?

[Boater Sam]

Buy a big LED torch and shine it on the panels.

 

Bike with a dynohub?

[bizzard]

Plant a big sunflower on the roof and tie the panel to the stem just below the flower, as the flower twiddles about to face the sun the panel will twiddle with it.

[WotEver]

5 hours ago, bizzard said:

Plant a big sunflower on the roof and tie the panel to the stem just below the flower, as the flower twiddles about to face the sun the panel will twiddle with it.

What happens when the birds eat the seeds?

[system 4-50]

3 minutes ago, WotEver said:

What happens when the birds eat the seeds?

They excrete most of it over the panels.

[WotEver]

Just now, system 4-50 said:

They excrete most of it over the panels.

That’s okay then, back to where we started...

[nicknorman]

19 hours ago, CompairHolman said:

Question

 

My 500w of solar is laid vertical on my roof and so is not producing now. I have a 12 v - 9amp power supply ( below ) sitting around on a dusty shelf , can I connect this to my MPPT solar charge controller input and boost the charge ?

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B06XHQ7Z87/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all

 

I think you are asking if the 12v output, when connected to the solar panel input of the MPPT, would be boosted up to a suitable charging voltage for the batteries. In which case I think the answer is no. MPPT controllers can interchange voltage and current, ie they can take a high voltage low current panel output and convert it to a lower voltage higher current output to the batteries.

 

But typically such controllers can’t do the opposite, ie take a lower voltage higher current input and convert to a higher voltage lower current supply to charge the batteries. In technical terms they contain a buck converter, not a boost or buck-boost converter.

 

If you have a mains supply, best just to get a charger designed for the purpose.

[Tacet]

You might use the power supply to chock-up one edge of the solar panel and thus have an improved attitude with the sun.

 

 

[CompairHolman]

On 29/11/2019 at 09:26, nicknorman said:

I think you are asking if the 12v output, when connected to the solar panel input of the MPPT, would be boosted up to a suitable charging voltage for the batteries. In which case I think the answer is no. MPPT controllers can interchange voltage and current, ie they can take a high voltage low current panel output and convert it to a lower voltage higher current output to the batteries.

 

But typically such controllers can’t do the opposite, ie take a lower voltage higher current input and convert to a higher voltage lower current supply to charge the batteries. In technical terms they contain a buck converter, not a boost or buck-boost converter.

 

If you have a mains supply, best just to get a charger designed for the purpose.

This is what I was asking, thanks for giving a sensible answer.

 

 

I'm getting the impression that this forum is 80% populated by morons and isn't worth bothering with ?

 

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2019 by CompairHolman

[Chewbacka]

16 minutes ago, CompairHolman said:

This is what I was asking, thanks for giving a sensible answer.

 

 

I'm getting the impression that this forum is 80% populated by morons and isn't worth bothering with ?

 

 

 

 

Fortunately being part of the 80% I have yet to realise you are insulting me, and shall continue to reply to the best of my limited ability.  Maybe if your question had been written better you would have had better answers, but then as i am a moron, maybe I couldn’t............

[matty40s]

I can't see a single answer above that didntvtry to tell you it wasnt going to work(bar the introduction of the ecofan elephant in the room).

[ditchcrawler]

Well I couldn't workout what you were trying to do which is why I didn't comment