Factory Solar Charger Upgrade - Wiring?

Omniphil
Omniphil Member Posts: 50
in Battery/Electrical & Solar
2018 T@B 320s with the factory solar option.

We have the Victron 75/10 solar controller and the roof mounted 130 watt panel.
I'd like to add some more solar. We are almost never in direct sun light so the roof panel isn't pulling in too much.

Adding something like a 100 watt external panel should give me roughly double the output. The question is what's the best way to wire it to the battery?

If I used a separate 100 watt panel with charge controller hooked right to the battery will this be ok in conjunction with the factory charge controller as well going to the same battery? I figure they work off battery voltage so two independent charge controller that don't know anything about each other should work fine?

Personally I would prefer to wire the extra panel to the existing charge controller so I can monitor from one place, Issue there is the factory controller is the Victron 75/10. So 10 amps max. I can upgrade that controller to a larger one, but then I have the issue of possibly too many amps on the factory wiring. I'm not sure if any of you know what gauge the factory wiring is. Thinking I can probably get away with a Victron 75/15 controller with the factory 130 and an external 100 watt panel.

Lots of staying at home means thinking and planning things for the T@B ;)
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Comments

  • Denny16
    Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    The 75/15 should work OK, that is what the TaB 400 with factory 200 watt solar uses.
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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  • Omniphil
    Omniphil Member Posts: 50
    Denny16 said:
    The 75/15 should work OK, that is what the TaB 400 with factory 200 watt solar uses.
    cheers
    Pretty much what I was thinking too....

    And I should be able to wire the external panel right to the same terminals on the Victron as the existing panels.
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    2 sets of wires from 2 panels into the same controller?  I would call Victron.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • Omniphil
    Omniphil Member Posts: 50
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
    2 sets of wires from 2 panels into the same controller?  I would call Victron.
    Incoming voltage and amperage is the same if it's one larger panel or two. But a call to Victron is probably a good idea just incase. I'd really like to put a Victron 100/20 controller in there, If I have to buy another controller anyways. Just not sure if the factory wiring is rated for 20 amps.
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  • Cbusguy
    Cbusguy Member Posts: 771

    I agree with Sam.... unless the panels are from the same manufacture and the same ratings they are more than likely different voltage s.   I installed a separate controller for my ground panels as I didn't want to risk damage to the roof mounted factory panels.
    2009 GMC Canyon,   3.7 liter 
    2020 320s Boondock lite, With Lots of mods
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    I was thinking that the controller would not add different incoming voltages.  Not sure, but everyone else has used a separate controller.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • Omniphil
    Omniphil Member Posts: 50
    Cbusguy said:

    I agree with Sam.... unless the panels are from the same manufacture and the same ratings they are more than likely different voltage s.   I installed a separate controller for my ground panels as I didn't want to risk damage to the roof mounted factory panels.
    You are running 2 different charge controllers to a single battery?
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  • Cbusguy
    Cbusguy Member Posts: 771
    edited April 2020
    I have factory installed roof solar to the nucamp installed solar controller and I added a second controller for my ground solar.     Both are connected to the same battery bank through a common buss.

    I have 4 chargers going to my battery's.  Two solar controller s.   The AC charger built into the trailer and a dc to dc charger I added to control the charge from my tow vehicle.

    2009 GMC Canyon,   3.7 liter 
    2020 320s Boondock lite, With Lots of mods
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  • Omniphil
    Omniphil Member Posts: 50
    Cbusguy said:
    I have factory installed roof solar to the nucamp installed solar controller and I added a second controller for my ground solar.     Both are connected to the same battery bank through a common buss.

    I have 4 chargers going to my battery's.  Two solar controller s.   The AC charger built into the trailer and a dc to dc charger I added to control the charge from my tow vehicle.

    Ok, excellent, sounds like that is the way to do it, Just get an external panel that already has a change controller build in and hook it right up to the battery.

    Thanks for all the feedback everyone...
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  • jkjenn
    jkjenn Member Posts: 6,417
    Omniphil said:
    Cbusguy said:
    I have factory installed roof solar to the nucamp installed solar controller and I added a second controller for my ground solar.     Both are connected to the same battery bank through a common buss.

    I have 4 chargers going to my battery's.  Two solar controller s.   The AC charger built into the trailer and a dc to dc charger I added to control the charge from my tow vehicle.

    Ok, excellent, sounds like that is the way to do it, Just get an external panel that already has a change controller build in and hook it right up to the battery.

    Thanks for all the feedback everyone...
    If your second controller is a Victron SmartSolar you should be able to network them together through the app.

    2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014

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  • Omniphil
    Omniphil Member Posts: 50
    jkjenn said:
    Omniphil said:
    Cbusguy said:
    I have factory installed roof solar to the nucamp installed solar controller and I added a second controller for my ground solar.     Both are connected to the same battery bank through a common buss.

    I have 4 chargers going to my battery's.  Two solar controller s.   The AC charger built into the trailer and a dc to dc charger I added to control the charge from my tow vehicle.

    Ok, excellent, sounds like that is the way to do it, Just get an external panel that already has a change controller build in and hook it right up to the battery.

    Thanks for all the feedback everyone...
    If your second controller is a Victron SmartSolar you should be able to network them together through the app.
    Interesting, so if I get a second Victron SmartSolar, can you look at both of them and see the total load/input? I assumed it would show each controller and I would have to look at each as an individual unit
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  • Cbusguy
    Cbusguy Member Posts: 771
    @Omniphil They won't show you a total but their current state, to get something like that you would need to add a shunt which measures the current in and out of the battery.   

    What was interesting when I added the second solar controller to my setup and networked the two together using the victron app it appeared that the new controller copied the setup from the original controller.     

    In the latest version of the victron app it shows what each device is sharing with the others.....It shows in green.   I will have to look when I get home and post some screen shots.  
    2009 GMC Canyon,   3.7 liter 
    2020 320s Boondock lite, With Lots of mods
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  • Omniphil
    Omniphil Member Posts: 50
    Cbusguy said:
    @Omniphil They won't show you a total but their current state, to get something like that you would need to add a shunt which measures the current in and out of the battery.   

    What was interesting when I added the second solar controller to my setup and networked the two together using the victron app it appeared that the new controller copied the setup from the original controller.     

    In the latest version of the victron app it shows what each device is sharing with the others.....It shows in green.   I will have to look when I get home and post some screen shots.  
    I'm curious what this networking of the 2 units together gives you....
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  • jkjenn
    jkjenn Member Posts: 6,417
    Omniphil said:
    Cbusguy said:
    @Omniphil They won't show you a total but their current state, to get something like that you would need to add a shunt which measures the current in and out of the battery.   

    What was interesting when I added the second solar controller to my setup and networked the two together using the victron app it appeared that the new controller copied the setup from the original controller.     

    In the latest version of the victron app it shows what each device is sharing with the others.....It shows in green.   I will have to look when I get home and post some screen shots.  
    I'm curious what this networking of the 2 units together gives you....
    If you are using the Victron battery monitor, a more complete picture of your state-of-the-art charge.

    2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014

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