Solar panel Versus Electroblock

sjfoley

Hi everybody, I'm wondering if anybody in this forum has fitted a solar panel to their motorhome, using a Schaudt regulator wired into a electroblock ELR 99, fitted to a Hymer. I've been told the're can be problems with the charging unit.
Anything on this would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Sime.

Problems?....well it doesn't work. It's a float maintainer in a swanky faceplate.
Sticking a solar panel in it will prevent that from working too.

I'd fit an independent controller that can charge a battery and has LVD.

sjfoley

Thanks for that, but did you mean LCD ??

Low Voltage Disconnect. Solar controllers don't require displays they ought to live beside a battery .

sjfoley

Thanks for that Sir Liamalot . Excuse my ignorance, But would you suggest I should go directly from the regulator to the leisure battery and bypass the Electroblock altogether. and also could you recomend a regulator that would handle a 120W panel, and possibly an additional 120w one later . Thanks for your many replys. sime

Yurp, standard fitment Solar panel -> Isolator -> Controller -> Isolator/fuse/breaker -> Battery.
Don't try to charge from mains and solar at the same time, one or thuther or they'll confuse each other.




Sunsaver



Sunsaver Duo


ProStar 30


EP Solar

sjfoley

Brilliant, thanks for all that, great information there. Thanks a million.

crabbypaddy

I'd have to agree with Liam, the LR1218 advertises 'gentle charging' at 14.2v, you can read that as it will never fully charge your battery.

By the time that 14.2v from the LR1218 goes through the ebl and reaches the battery it is will be even lower, you'll be throwing away solar energy.

sjfoley

Quote Liamalot-==== Don't try to charge from mains and solar at the same time, one or thuther or they'll confuse each other.



So are you saying I have to disconect / isolite the solar charge everytime i hookup on site??, surely not. ????

Pretty much although if you disconnect the Electroblock or at least it's charger, you'd probably get a better charge from PV on a MorningStar, while running the loads from mains not leeching charge current.

I run a 5A current limited power supply through my solar controller on a changeover relay so it's self-selecting which source it's using. After having binned Halfords, Aldi Mk1, Aldi Mk2, Victron and Sterling mains chargers on poor performance issues. I have yet to bin a Ctek but it's on my list. :P
All my loads can run on AC mains, DC from mains using SMPSs, DC from battery/PV. So I am never redirecting charge current to running loads in port although I do have the ability to load compensate while charging. I rarely rely on mains tbh.
If I want solar to keep running while I have mains connected I simply leave the PSU off.

You could fit a relay in parallel to the electroblock "charger" output to automatically isolate the solar panel input to the charge controller.

Problem with running two chargers simultaneously is they read each other's charging voltage as a battery voltage and think the battery is charged before it is because it has no control of the voltage regulation.


You probably don't want to know my solution to the problem which involves a skip and a refit.