Dual charge controllers

[JeffThor325]

Okay, here is my setup:

1. I have two 195W solar panels mounted on my roof
2. I just bought four 250W solar panels
3. One 400W wind turbine
4. Working on building a 540W wind turbine
5. Four 100Ah AGM batteries
6. 2000W inverter

I know enough to know that having dissimilar solar panels can cause weirdness with power output. I still have to check the labels on the two smaller panels, but could potentially put all the panels into a single solar array without taking too much of a hit in terms of power output.

I also happen to have a second charge controller, still in the packaging.

So I wondered about simply having two separate solar arrays, each going through its own charge controller but going to the same battery bank.

My thinking is, since the charge controllers allow for only unidirectional energy flow, it would be a little like two horses pulling the same cart only neither horse knows of the other's existence.

This might be a really terrible idea -- which is the precise reason why I'm posting here. If it is, I'd like to understand why. All thoughts and input welcomed.

[Judge]

Yes, you can connect two different solar arrays and charge controllers to the same battery bank. Really no different than having the converter in an RV and then adding a solar charge controller. The Array 1 and Array 2 voltages could be different and you can connect more than two arrays and charge controllers- all in parallel.

The battery bank voltage must be lower than your array Voltage so that your system would charge your battery.

You probably would not want to wire the panels in series and use one controller since the lower 195W panels would drag down the 250W panels.

Here is a diagram....

[lwmcguire]

Done this ever since solar panels were available with enough capacity to run our remote livestock water wells

One array facing South and one West typically due to existing structure

[The_Breeze]

Originally Posted by Judge

...cut...

Here is a diagram....

Thank you for this. I can see a lot of advantage to this set up vs. using a combiner box and a single run to the batteries. It more readily address your advice on the series/parallel combination in times of partial or full shade.

I'm making reference to the attached which you've seen before.
https://www.thorforums.com/forums/at...6&d=1600823527

p.s. I shamelessly lifted it.