Frank B
Well-known member
OK, searched the forum, and the web, and there is little that factually differentiates one brand / model of MPPT controller from another. It appears to be the 'the wild, wild west' with regard to solar, which is still very much in its infancy.
I started a thread here while on vacation a few months ago:
http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,102402.0.html
I am now ready to buy and install, but have some questions on 'best MPPT controller' as well as best installation.
1) Is there a 'best controller' on the market, or are they all pretty much comparable? Has anyone found a reputable and 'neutral' site that does REAL comparative performance testing of these units?
2) For larger PV arrays, are two smaller controllers better than 1 big one? The smaller ones are cheaper.
3) Just how noisy are these units? I would think that they must have step up and step down transformers in them to do their job, and they are likely high frequency (1 KHz or better). Do they whine? We don't have a 'basement' in our TT, so I may have to mount the controller(s) in the fridge cavity, or inside the coach on a wall.
I am looking to add 4 residential-style panels flat-mounted on the roof of our 30' Arctic Fox TT. The ones I have in mind are about 275 watts at 38 VOC, so they will all be wired parallel to the controller(s). As all roofs are slightly curved these days, two panels on one side may often be angled slightly more toward the sun that the two on the other side. Will having a separate controller for each side produce any measurable improvement as opposed to a single controller controlling all 4?
Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Frank.
I started a thread here while on vacation a few months ago:
http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,102402.0.html
I am now ready to buy and install, but have some questions on 'best MPPT controller' as well as best installation.
1) Is there a 'best controller' on the market, or are they all pretty much comparable? Has anyone found a reputable and 'neutral' site that does REAL comparative performance testing of these units?
2) For larger PV arrays, are two smaller controllers better than 1 big one? The smaller ones are cheaper.
3) Just how noisy are these units? I would think that they must have step up and step down transformers in them to do their job, and they are likely high frequency (1 KHz or better). Do they whine? We don't have a 'basement' in our TT, so I may have to mount the controller(s) in the fridge cavity, or inside the coach on a wall.
I am looking to add 4 residential-style panels flat-mounted on the roof of our 30' Arctic Fox TT. The ones I have in mind are about 275 watts at 38 VOC, so they will all be wired parallel to the controller(s). As all roofs are slightly curved these days, two panels on one side may often be angled slightly more toward the sun that the two on the other side. Will having a separate controller for each side produce any measurable improvement as opposed to a single controller controlling all 4?
Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Frank.