Our solar power generation system has been a great success.
I will be explaining certain parts of the PV system in the next series of posts.
First an overview of the PV system and its upgrades:
======================================================
- 1500W of Photovoltaic panels
- 12 PV panels Sharp 123W Poly-crystalline
- Outback Power Components
- FX3024E Inverter 3kW@240VAC
- MX60 MPPT Charge Controller 60A@24V
- MATE system controller
- HUB4 system communication hub
- Battery temperature monitor
- Lead Acid Battery Bank
- Exide Energystore 24V (12x 2V cells) 1500Ahr @ C100
- FLA (flooded lead acid) batteries
- MegaPulse pulse generator for desulfation
- Backup Power Generation
- Generator to charge battery bank
- via FX3024E Inverter/Charger
- while charging, generator supplies house 240V
- 3kVA 240VAC 'silent' diesel generator
- retired July 2007
- Honda Eu20i generator 240VAC
- added July 2007
- Switch boxes and breakers, fuses
- PV panel circuit breakers at ~80V DC
- MX 60 output breakers (both + and - sides)
- Output 24V DC breaker (both + and - sides)
- 24V DC heavy interconnection cabling
- 240V AC fuse box
The system was upgraded in December 2009:
- Increase number of PV panels
- requirement run a 2.5kW reverse cycle air conditioner
- Extra PV requires a new, larger charge controller
- Total 2000W of solar power
- Add 4 more 123W Sharp Photovoltaic panels
- Total 16 panels
- Outback Power Components
- Addition of FM80 MPPT Charge Controller 80A@24V
- Retired MX60 MPPT Charge Controller 60A@24V
======================================================
The system was further upgraded in June 2011:
- Outback Power Components
- Addition of FlexNet DC and shunts for logging
- Firmware upgrade of MATE system controller
- The system was now ready for computer analysis of logged data
- 24/7 logging on Apple Clamshell iBook 233MHz PPC603
