Need help AC300 setup

Hi Bluetti Crew,

I am fresh to the bluetti setups. I converted from Goal Zero Yeti3000x just now after 2 years of being frustrated with the 600W max input while they happily sold me 800W of panels…

I run a fully off grid mobile food restaurant on the beach, and my main powering needs are two fridges that are active everyday from Mid May to Mid September. I purchased the AC300 with b300 battery bank and 3 PV350s as it seemed comparable to my yeti3000x setup, but with more solar input. However, (luckily before i tried) I just read that the PV350s are not rainproof. Im in a bit of a crunch to get ready for Memorial Day Weekend and am trying to find the best way to meet my needs of anywhere between 800-1200 Watts of Solar Input.

I understand these are real solar setups, and not idiot proof like the goal zero ones so I am trying my best to learn basic electrical theory. However with the price tags on these setups, I wanted to consult with you first. Can someone suggest a basic setup that I will be able to figure out? I was looking into the Renogy 200 or 220 panels as they are weatherproof, but I am confused if it contains everything I need to plug into my AC300.

Please help lol

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The AC300 can accept 2 strings of solar input, each up to 1200W for a total of 2400w max. It is really good.

On each solar input, you can connect panels in series or parallel up to 150V max. If you connect panels in series, the voltage adds up. If you connect in parallel they do not, but current ads up.

Note that each input can take max 12A, so for max power you usually want to connect panels in series, but no more than 150V.

On each panel, there would be a Voc rating and a power rating. Connect as many as you need in series up to 120V or so (but no more than 150V) then connect into AC300’s input. You can connect 2 sets in that manner. You can add more panels so you can get more power even on cloudy days.

Tell me what panel you want to get and I can provide suggestions on how to connect.

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@TopaTim Welcome to the community!

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Thank you so much for your help

I’ve been looking at these 200W Renogy Panels. I believe they are ok because they are under 12Amps? And max voltage wouldn’t exceed 120V for a series of 2 or 3 if I understand correctly.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Renogy-200-Watt-12-Volt-Monocrystalline-Solar-Panel-for-Off-Grid-Large-System-Residential-Commercial-House-Cabin-Sheds-Rooftop-RSP200D-G1/314332390

I would need at least 800W , but for the price may step up to 1200 and run 600 on each series if possible to compensate for the cloudy days.

Will the MC4 plugs naturally be compatible with the systems input?

also will I likely need to order any extensions or cables of that sort? My AC300 will be inside the container so will need a 20ft extension for where the panels all connect to the main line running into the unit.

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The Renogy 200W is OK. If this is a semi-permanent setup, that is setup once a day and not moved around every couple of hours, you can also consider full sized panels typically used for roofs such as Canada Solar HIDM 340 that has 35-40 Voc too. Shop around and see what’s best $ / Watt

Regardless of the panel, you will want to connect a few of them in series, when doing so, their voltage will add up. You want to get above 100V but no more than 150V (probably no more than 140V just to be safe)

The Renogy 200 has the following important specs:

  • Voc 27V
  • Imp 8.8A
  • 200W STC

This means you should string them in series instead of parallel as the AC300 can accept 150V but only 12A.

200W STC equals about 150W in real life. So to get 1200 watt, you’ll want 8 panels. In that case, I’ll recommend yo get 2 strings of 3-5 panels (depending on space and cost restrictions). Each string should have 3 or 5 panels connected in series (+ to - in a daisy chain). Each string will plug into the MC4 input of the AC300 aviation plug.

If you have 2 strings of 5 panels in series, each string will have Voc = 135V and capable of providing 1000W (though that is around 750W in real life), which should give you 1500W in decent sun with 2 strings combined.

2 strings of 3 panels = 1200W max (900W typical)
2 strings of 4 panels = 1600W max (1200W typical)
2 strings of 5 panels = 2000W max (1500W typical)

You may need some short MC4 segments to connect the panels, depending how long the existing cables are. Given current is only 8-9A, you can use 14AWG cable (12AWG or 10AWG is better but not necessary given your cable run is short).

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