I have been looking at getting a PV200 solar panel for my EB55, even though Bluetti recommend this panel as the maximum for the EB55 the panel specs seem a bit off.
Bluetti says the max solar charging is 200w at 8Amps max.
but according to the PV200 specs its 200w at 9.7Amps max. see below:
Power: 200W
Voltage at Max Power(Vmp): 20.5V
Current at Max Power(Imp): 9.7A
Short Circuit Current(Isc): 10.3A
Open Circuit Voltage(OCV): 26.1V
Is this really safe to use on the EB55 ?
And if it is, my preferred option rather than to use a portable unit is to bond a 180w Photonic Universe Solar Panel to the roof of my camper with the following specs: which is under that of the PV200
Power: 180W
Max-power voltage: 20.6V DC
Max-power current: 9A
Short circuit current: 9.4A
Open circuit voltage: 24.8V DC
Or can anyone recommend a good quality semi flexible panel as close to 200w that would work with the EB55.
Under very best sun conditions, both these panels would get around 164W max with the EB55. Less for most normal conditions.
As far as being safe, as long as a panels open circuit voltage is less than the EB55 rated max of 28v it should be ok, though keep in mind the open circuit voltage for a panel goes up when it’s cold.
The amps of the panel is not an issue since the EB55 is in control of how many amps it pulls.
I live in the Scottish Highlands and spend my time off slowly kayaking my way around and the lack of decent sun is always an issue !
My thinking was to get as big a panel that would safely power the EB55 as possible and still fit on the roof of my van to grab as much light as it can while i am on the water.
The 180w panel would be the smallest i would go, the next size up is 210W Specs below: but i think its Open Circuit Voltage might be too much for the EB55’s MPPT controller, i am no electrician but what do you think ?
Peak power: 210W
Max-power voltage: 24V DC
Max-power current: 9A
Short circuit current: 9.4A
Open circuit voltage: 28.9V DC
Also curious to know why cold temperature’s cause the voltage to got up ? i am often out when it 4-5c or less.
The 210W you mentioned has a open circuit voltage too high for the EB55.
It’s common to “overpanel” to help with cloudy conditions. You’ll never get more than the max based on the panel specs, but it will help. For example, lets say it’s cloudy and the panels are only providing 30%, but you’ve wires two panels in parallel, you’ll get that 30% from both, giving you closer to 60%.
Using a single 200W panel you mentioned above will give you more power on cloudy days than the 180W. Using two of either of the panels you mentioned in parallel would help on cloudy days, but you’d never see more than 160W or so on sunny days.
Will two of the 180W panels fit on you van?
They test panels using Standard Test Conditions (STC) to get all the values. When the temperature deviates from that, the values can change. As the temperature of the panel goes up, the performance drops and the VOC will drop, and when it goes down, they can perform better, which can cause the voltages to go up. I’m not sure about all panels, but for most, the STC is for 25C, and the VOC goes up and down about 0.33-0.35% per 1C change.
The only reason i would go for a single big panel was to cut down on the amount of holes i had to drill in the roof of the van ! sadly 2x 180w panels wouldn’t fit i would need to drop down to the next size 150w.
Ok so by my understanding it would be better to go for 2 slightly smaller panels and ignore the 200w 8Amp rating of the EB55 providing the panels are under the below specs: As realistically both panels will never actually generate anywhere near their rated 150w, correct ?
Voltage at Max Power(Vmp): 20.5V
Current at Max Power(Imp): 9.7A
Short Circuit Current(Isc): 10.3A
Open Circuit Voltage(OCV): 26.1V
Many Thanks for your reply, ok so which Voltage is the most critical ? the Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) or the Voltage at Max Power (Vmp) ?
And do you have any idea what the Min-Max Voltage parameters are for the EB55 ?
The Open Circuit Voltage is the most critical since you can damage your machine if you exceed it. The DC input specs are 12-28 volts with an 8 amp maximum. You want to find a panel that comes has a maximum open circuit voltage of approx. 10% less than the 28 volts since very cold temps can exceed the open circuit voltage output of a panel. The bottom line is that no matter what combination you will find, you will never see more than approx. 160 watts of input from a panel due to the 8 amp input limit. The newer Bluetti units have higher input voltage limits with increased solar input as well as many other advantages. I had both and EB55 and 70 and got rid of both to use models with improved features and specs. The improved features and performance of these units changes rapidly.
Which of your power stations do you prefer out of the 4 you have ?
The main reason i went for the EB55 was space, as i just cant fit anything bigger into the layout of my van. But looking at the AC180 specs i could just about crowbar it in.
I would go with the 180 for your use. Just make sure you have room on the sides for ventilation to work properly. It would not be proper for me to comment on other brands in this format.