I am just starting to try to take a system that was patched together in a camp I purchased and make it safer and reliable. It has a number of components andi would like to take advantage of as much as possible. Can I put 2 different charge controllers on one system? Can I mix and match panels? The system has an AGM and a SLA deep cycle battery of different capacities connected in parallel. Is this ok?
mixed matched components
- Thread starter edbarndt
- Start date
gnubie
Solar Wizard
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2019
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Two charge controllers on one array will fight each other but without knowing what type of controllers you have it's hard to say what the outcome will be. There was an earlier thread where the same concept was discussed. The use there did work but there were compromises. If one controller can handle the full power of the array it's best to stick with just one controller.
The AGM and, I'm guessing, flooded sealed batteries can be put in parallel so long as they are both nominal 12v or 24v etc. Different voltages in parallel would have disastrous results. In parallel they will share the load based on their health and paper amp hour rating. Ensure the batteries have similar states of charge ( open circuit resting voltage after a few hours is a good indicator) before connecting them in parallel otherwise high currents will flow as they equalise voltage, potentially damaging something.
AGM and the typical flooded sealed battery do have slightly different fully charged voltages but they will largely get along and have compatible charging voltages. It is important that you don't hold them in extended absorption charging. Avoid equalisation charging as that will result in both having significantly shorter lives.
Panels can be mixed and matched but there are rules there too. All the permutations would fill a page so let us know what panels you have and what you'd like to do and we can advise you if its possible, or what would be a better way of handling things.
If you can post the details of your charge controllers, batteries and panels.
The AGM and, I'm guessing, flooded sealed batteries can be put in parallel so long as they are both nominal 12v or 24v etc. Different voltages in parallel would have disastrous results. In parallel they will share the load based on their health and paper amp hour rating. Ensure the batteries have similar states of charge ( open circuit resting voltage after a few hours is a good indicator) before connecting them in parallel otherwise high currents will flow as they equalise voltage, potentially damaging something.
AGM and the typical flooded sealed battery do have slightly different fully charged voltages but they will largely get along and have compatible charging voltages. It is important that you don't hold them in extended absorption charging. Avoid equalisation charging as that will result in both having significantly shorter lives.
Panels can be mixed and matched but there are rules there too. All the permutations would fill a page so let us know what panels you have and what you'd like to do and we can advise you if its possible, or what would be a better way of handling things.
If you can post the details of your charge controllers, batteries and panels.