deep denial
Well-Known Member
Is there ever a problem of wind or solar panels producing too high a voltage, and damaging equipment in use at the time, eg chart plotters?
voltage from solar or wind chargers
- Thread starter deep denial
- Start date
Eeyore
Well-Known Member
Don't know about wind generators (don't really know about solar either!!) but my solar panel, which is rated 130 watt keeps the batteries topped up without any need to connect to shore power, and because of the regulator fitted between the panel and the batteries, it gradually shuts itself down as the batteries near capacity. Switching something on, ie the computer as now, opens up the 'stopcocks' and the panel starts charging again.
jerryat
Well-Known Member
Assuming you are routing them through a controller to a battery bank, you should have no problems. The batteries will absorb any 'peaks' that the controllers might fail to, well, control!
If you wire them direct then yes, you'll have some fried electronics from time to time!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If you wire them direct then yes, you'll have some fried electronics from time to time!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
William_H
Well-Known Member
No I disagree with jerryat in some cases.
The battery will in absorbing the current from a solar panel or wind gen pull the voltage down to that of the battery.
That means the voltage out of a solar panel (or wind gen) falls with current drain. So if you have a 50 watt solar panel in the bright sun and connect a 50 watt bulb to it (no battery) then the volltage of the solar panel will fall to near 12 volts. However if you put a small bulb on the panel it will be destroyed because the panel will still exhibit greater voltage ie towards 20 volts under light load. On the other hand if you connect 100 watts of load (bulb) onto a 50 watt panel the voltage will fall to way below 12volts. (with no harm done)
If a battery is connected across the solar panel (or wind gen) then the voltage of the system including the panel will be that of the battery until such time as the battery is overcharged and its voltage rises to say 16 or so, In which case equipment which doesn't draw much current will be damaged. If the equipment draws a lot of current it will probably draw enough current from the battery/panel to reduce the voltage to a safe level.
A regulator connected between the panel (windgen) and the battery automatically starts to waste the power by conducting the current through a resistor when the battery voltage (also the panel voltage) exceeds 14 volts.
However if you have a large battery bank and small solar panel this never happens as the battery can absorb the power without overcharging. (Especially if there is any load connected)
good luck olewill
The battery will in absorbing the current from a solar panel or wind gen pull the voltage down to that of the battery.
That means the voltage out of a solar panel (or wind gen) falls with current drain. So if you have a 50 watt solar panel in the bright sun and connect a 50 watt bulb to it (no battery) then the volltage of the solar panel will fall to near 12 volts. However if you put a small bulb on the panel it will be destroyed because the panel will still exhibit greater voltage ie towards 20 volts under light load. On the other hand if you connect 100 watts of load (bulb) onto a 50 watt panel the voltage will fall to way below 12volts. (with no harm done)
If a battery is connected across the solar panel (or wind gen) then the voltage of the system including the panel will be that of the battery until such time as the battery is overcharged and its voltage rises to say 16 or so, In which case equipment which doesn't draw much current will be damaged. If the equipment draws a lot of current it will probably draw enough current from the battery/panel to reduce the voltage to a safe level.
A regulator connected between the panel (windgen) and the battery automatically starts to waste the power by conducting the current through a resistor when the battery voltage (also the panel voltage) exceeds 14 volts.
However if you have a large battery bank and small solar panel this never happens as the battery can absorb the power without overcharging. (Especially if there is any load connected)
good luck olewill
jerryat
Well-Known Member
I don't think you are actually disagreeing! I just said it fewer words i.e. not as much detail /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
