Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: fandj on August 12, 2021, 04:20:52 pm
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To begin with let me say I have no financial interest in Lithium or any other type of battery supplier.
As most of you who have travelled very much in the last couple of years have no doubt seen is the increase in the number of people RVing and how it has in many areas overwhelmed the available supply of campsites. This coupled with new Federal rules forcing many campgrounds to be reservation only has made serendipitous camping challenging. I always enjoyed the ability of “first come/first served” to adjust your stay from one night to multiple nights if you found the area interesting and you needed more time to explore. Also if I wanted to adjust my route on the fly there were no reservation systems that made it more difficult.
To enjoy the less structured mode of traveling has forced many of us to utilize boondocking on BLM and National Forest areas and campgrounds. These frequently have little to no services available. This has encouraged me to look at electrical power improvements for my PC.
While our Phoenix units have the ability to supply power directly and/or charge our batteries from the generator I for one despise the noise. I am sure my neighbors like it even less than I do when running my generator.
My original two 6 volt Interstate flooded lead acid batteries were going on 6 year old. While still functioning I could tell they were loosing some of their energy storage capacity. I expected perhaps 1-2 years of remaining life albeit at reduced performance, which for the occasional user might have been fine. Since I was planning a prolonged trip with no anticipated shore electrical service I started reviewing my options.
I could replace with new flooded lead acid or the AGM lead acid but with little gain in terms of performance from what I originally had. I could continue with my old somewhat compromised batteries for however long they may last. It appeared Lithium Iron Phosphate was becoming more and more popular for RV and marine applications. I researched this forum, YouTube, other RV forums, and Lithium battery vendor websites in attempt to better understand the requirements and the plusses and minuses for Lithium. The Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry is more stable than what is being used in electric propelled vehicles (Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt) and is considered much safer.
For Lithium the number one hurdle for me was initial cost. When compared with AGM the Lithium cost typically runs about two to four times the initial cost per unit of rated energy storage capacity. When compared to useable energy storage amp hours the Lithium costs about two to three times the cost of AGM. The generally accepted guide for lead acid is to never discharge below 50% state of charge or battery life will be severely compromised whereas the full rated capacity for Lithium is typically stated as useable. Like many other claims I am sure this is arguable. Similar arguments on full recharge cycles are made. Lithium’s are claimed to have a 3,000-5,000 cycle life whereas Lead acid is on the order of 300-500 charge cycles thus only about 10% of the charge cycle life. If the Lead acid battery’s available recharge cycles was doubled the Lithium expected cycle life would still be three to five times greater. Bottom line is it appears that Lithium can be competitive on a cost per kilowatt hour over the life of the competing technologies.
As to the need to upgrade ancillary equipment (converters, chassis to house battery charging, battery monitor, etc.) this needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis. When I ordered my PC in 2016 I had a Progressive Dynamics 70 amp converter with Charge Wizard installed. Discussion with both the Lithium battery and converter supplier said it was acceptable. I previously installed a Victron battery monitor which also could be reused. The PC supplied chassis to house charge system worked though slower to recharge than the Victron DC to DC converter that is often recommended. I decided to give my PC installed system a try and reevaluate later based on my typical usage mode. Phoenix I understand when supplying their Lithium option relies on their standard alternator charge setup. So far while not optimum the PC system charges the Lithium batteries at a faster rate than the previous lead acid units. I may upgrade in the future but at this point I doubt it being justifiable based on my travel/camping style. So in my case no upgrading of the ancillary equipment hardware was required. However the programming of the solar controller and battery monitor did require adjustment. The battery supplier provided me with the new parameters for the programs.
After about a month and a half of camping without shore power I am very impressed with the Lithium batteries. Faster charge time means running the generator very infrequently and for a shorter periods, more efficient use of my solar array system, not being concerned that I need to get back to full charge everyday to prevent shortening battery life, not as concerned as to how much power I am consuming, no checking electrolyte level, more consistent voltage output, and hopefully longer battery cycle life (time will tell).
As to what I ultimately chose I went with two 100 ah 12 volt Battleborn Lithium Iron Phoshate batteries. They provide 200 ah of useable power. Being conservative I am not expecting to use the full capacity before recharge. They weigh less than half the previous flooded lead/acid golf cart batteries and easily fit the original PC slide out battery tray. I had multiple conversations by phone and email with Battleborn and another popular supplier. Battleborn batteries typically are premium priced. I have found their technical and commercial service was first class. The other popular supplier though cheaper I found was not very responsive and sorely lacking as to their technical support. Battleborn is currently running a sale though still premium priced they are becoming more attractive for anyone that truly relies on their batteries to make RVing more enjoyable. Battery technology is making major improvements in terms of performance and cost with more and more applications getting away from the dated lead acid designs and going to the new chemistries. On the flip side if your RVing means going to campsites with electrical hookup or you and your neighbors don’t mind the generator noise it is tough to beat the initial cost of two 6 volt GC2 flooded lead/acid golf cart batteries sold at Sam’s Club for about $90 apiece. It should also be pointed out that solar in the right conditions and/or frequent moves so as to allow the alternator to recharge the coach batteries can also minimize generator run time.
Initially at least for me there seemed an aura of complexity associated with the use of Lithium. What I am finding is yes there are some unique requirements for Lithium but probably no more complex than the requirements to properly apply lead acid technology, just different. If you are considering the Lithium option and are not familiar with Lithium requirements I recommend finding a reputable battery supplier with skilled application tech support that can and will guide you in the proper use of Lithium technology.
In conclusion there is no single “right answer” for every application. Several factors need to be considered when choosing a battery system.
Sorry for the lengthy post but I hope this might be helpful to anyone needing for whatever reason to replace their current coach batteries. I would also be curious what others that have already made the switch to Lithium have found.
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Hi fanjj,
It sounds like you have a sweet lithium situation with your 2016 PC with solar plus lithium-compatible on-board charging.
We have always sought primitive camp grounds for the wilderness experience as well as dramatically lower camping fees. With our 2007 2350, we struggled in such places with two 12V wet acid batteries. I looked into two 6V lithium batteries but the cost of the batteries along with the required change of our on-board Tripp-Lite converter/inverter, was enough deterrent to go with lithium. As you recall, I ended up with two 6V AGM batteries that work with our reconfigured Tripp-Lite along with modifying the battery compartment for fitment. Another improvement with battery reserves was converting all our incandescent and florescent lighting to LED. But still with all I had improved upon, we still need to run the generator for 1 to 1.5 hours per day when the PC stays parked for a 24 hour period with no plan to drive the rig. And that is with us out all day long in our tow vehicle, not hanging around the campsite using more energy.
So I surely understand your effort and investment in changing to lithium technology and are pleased with the results. Thanks for sharing that.
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For what it's worth, I replaced the 2 6v wet cell interstate batteries with 2 Lifeline 4CT 6v AGM Deep Cycle batteries. 220 amp hours and no changes to my stock converter. They fit the battery tray just fine.
I am very happy with them, at the time, they were $300ea delivered.
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For what it's worth, I replaced the 2 6v wet cell interstate batteries with 2 Lifeline 4CT 6v AGM Deep Cycle batteries. 220 amp hours and no changes to my stock converter. They fit the battery tray just fine.
I am very happy with them, at the time, they were $300ea delivered.
I believe 6V batteries, whether wet acid or AGM will have the same physical height. In my case, I was changing from 12V to 6V. The only solution to gain the required additional height for the 6V was to replace the battery tray with a flat plate. Doing so made it impractical to check fluid levels, so installing sealed AGM batteries was an easy decision. Fortunately our 2007 Tripp-Lite converter/inverter has a setting for AGM batteries. When driving, the E350 chassis alternator also seems to charge them effectively.
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Sorry for the lengthy post but I hope this might be helpful to anyone needing for whatever reason to replace their current coach batteries. I would also be curious what others that have already made the switch to Lithium have found.
fandj---
Thanks a lot for your well-crafted post describing your analysis and experience transitioning to the lithium setup. That type of detailed first-hand information from a fellow PC owner is very helpful to someone that might be considering such a move. My own factory AGM/Progressive Dynamics/solar/Bogart TriMetric system is only 2.5 years old, and works flawlessly. But.....tack another 3 years onto that and I'll be at the same point from where you started your debate. Hard to imagine that I won't want to strongly consider making the change given the several advantages of lithium technology. Given my existing equipment, your experience tells me I can likely do that by just ponying up the extra money for the batteries, and making some adjustments. Thanks again for taking the time to outline your experience.
Mike
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I can't tell you about the newer models, but my 2015 1800 watt inverter will auto shutoff if voltage (from batteries) drops too low (below 11v I *believe*). Which means your TV outlets will shut off, but other 12v things should keep going for a bit longer.
I don't believe that would be an issue with lithium batteries as my understanding is their voltage doesn't drop much until they are almost depleted.
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I have noticed in actual use the voltage changing very little with use in contrast to my previous lead-acid batteries. As you state this is an advantage where inverters shutdown if the voltage drops too low. This is a percent charge vs resting voltage chart supplied by Battleborn which also shows this.
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Hadn't seen that chart. Huge difference from the lead-acid profile, flooded or AGM! Definitely another point for the lithium!
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You said that you haven't installed a DC to DC converter yet. If I remember correctly the alternator voltage regulator will be put to its maximum charging state when charging the lithium batteries. The lithium batterie's accept a higher amperage charge then lead acid achieving the short charging time. So I believe that the voltage regulator of the alternator will have a considerable shortened life expectancy. I believe it has something to do with the low internal resistance of the lithium batteries.
I have been slowly changing my electrical system so I can use lithium batteries as well. I have the Victron monitor, my converter is a WIFCO 9855, which has a charging profile for lithium batteries. I removed my battery compartment tray and increased its size for a single 8D battery. I am currently using an 8D AGM with 250 AMP Hour rating. Battle Born has recently introduced there 270 amp hour 8D replacement battery. There are a couple other battery manufacturers saying there 8D batteries are over 400 amp hours. I am not so sure that those manufacturers claims are accurate. I do know that the industry is working hard to make the 8D size battery for commercial vehicles, which will be a large source of revenue.
If you were to install a DC to DC converter which one would you chose and what amperage rating? I am very curious to know if you have noticed any charging issues when the alternator is charging. Curious to know if there is any increase in physical temperature above what it was before the lithium battery install. I wish you the very best and maybe one day I will get off my wallet and do the lithium conversion.
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I agree the internal resistance of the Lithium batteries are significantly less than Lead-acid units. I too was concerned about overloading the Ford alternator and electrical system. On my 2552 I measured the resistance of the charging wire, etc. that Phoenix installed initially and found it significantly limits the amount of current that can be carried to the coach batteries at a given voltage drop. My alternator appears to max out in the 14.2 - 14.4 volt range. The Lithium batteries would be about 13.1 - 13.3 volts so the delta V would maybe as much as 1.3 volts. Whatever voltage loss in the wiring, etc. further reduces the emf potential. The small wire PC installed significantly limits how much current that will flow into the coach batteries.
I have measured the current a couple of times and it varies but it is about 10 amps which is fairly small in relation to the alternator. I am not positive but I think the Ford alternator rating is about 140 amps.
If I find I would need to upgrade to a DC to DC charger (which I doubt) I would probably go with the 30 amp Victron. I have found the Victron equipment reliable and it also is the unit Battleborn recommends. If I did that I would rewire from the chassis battery/alternator to the DC to DC charger with probably a 6 awg wire.
If I am missing something in my approach I would certainly like to be made aware before I damage my alternator. I am comforted to a degree that Phoenix apparently has installed Lithium batteries without the DC to DC charger. I am not aware of any alternator issues this may have caused.
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Great to know information, I really appreciate your response. It seems you have dove into this further than I have and will help me proceed further in my installation. Thanks for your post and great explanation. Happy travels and hope you are enjoying your PC as much as I am.
Very Respectfully
Lance
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Hi fanjj,
It sounds like you have a sweet lithium situation with your 2016 PC with solar plus lithium-compatible on-board charging.
We have always sought primitive camp grounds for the wilderness experience as well as dramatically lower camping fees. With our 2007 2350, we struggled in such places with two 12V wet acid batteries. I looked into two 6V lithium batteries but the cost of the batteries along with the required change of our on-board Tripp-Lite converter/inverter, was enough deterrent to go with lithium. As you recall, I ended up with two 6V AGM batteries that work with our reconfigured Tripp-Lite along with modifying the battery compartment for fitment. Another improvement with battery reserves was converting all our incandescent and florescent lighting to LED. But still with all I had improved upon, we still need to run the generator for 1 to 1.5 hours per day when the PC stays parked for a 24 hour period with no plan to drive the rig. And that is with us out all day long in our tow vehicle, not hanging around the campsite using more energy.
So I surely understand your effort and investment in changing to lithium technology and are pleased with the results. Thanks for sharing that.
Ron, I made an effort shortly after taking delivery of my PC to determine the sources and the amount of power each appliance and accessory required. While my PC came with LED lights I found that some of them put out too much light and consequently required too much power. On these I replaced the light switch and one of the “bulbs” in each fixture with a lower output size. This enabled me to select a still very bright light or a moderate amount of light. At the lower setting I reduced the power draw by about 75% from the OEM configuration.
I installed a Victron battery monitor that provided a very accurate measurement of the amount of power going into or coming out of the battery. This enabled me to not only measure how much power each item required by turning them on an off and checking the monitor but it also was helpful in tracking down “phantom” power users when I thought everything was turned off.
So like you I think optimizing your power system when living “off grid” comes down to knowing how much available power you can store, how much power you can produce (generator, solar, etc.), and where and how much power is being consumed.
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FANDJ- what are your solar array and charge controller specs? Whats the average battery level in the morning, and how long does it take to fully charge a 200ah Li-ion battery bank?
TIA
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CalCruiser,
I have a Victron 100/30 controller connected to 4 panels with a max theoretical output of 520 watts. Since I installed the Lithium batteries I have been staying in sites that are partially tree shaded. Also I expect the heavy forest fire smoke also hinders the solar output. My typical maximum solar array output has been less than 300 watts. My morning state of charge will be 80 - 85% which will be replenished by about noon or earlier.
I recently added two 100 watt panels to my original two 160 watt panels for a total of 520 watts. I did that knowing I didn’t need 520 watts but with several years of experience I realized because of shading and inclement weather, low sun angle, etc. my actual average output would be significantly less.
With relatively limited experience with the 4 panels I think I will be fine but time will tell. I had tentatively planned to add the two 100 watt panels prior to the Lithium install. However what I was seeing with the higher internal resistance of the lead acid units was the batteries would not accept all the power being put out by the 320 watts during the peak solar production mid day time period so I usually could, but not always bring the batteries up to 100% state of charge. In essence the batteries/controller was throttling the output of the array.
I hope that answers your question. I am still learning myself with the Lithium batteries and the added solar array capacity.
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Thank you. That’s exactly what I wanted to know 2o2
I purchased a 40A MPPT controller and 2 180W mono-crystalline panels. For now the goal is not rushing back to the rv at 5pm to run the generator for 2 hrs before curfew. I spec’d a 40A controller so I could add more panels later, so it’s good to know that lead acid batteries can’t fully utilize all of the available charging capacity.
Where are you running into heavy smoke? I am seriously considering cancelling our plans for Lake Tahoe if conditions don’t improve next week.
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Smoke has been really bad in the parts of Montana and Wyoming I have been in. It is raining today so hopefully that will extinguish some of the forest fires and clear up some of the smoke.
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Check these websites:
Fire.airnow.gov
Purpleair
InciWeb
Notes: 1) the smoke plumes on airnow might be ground level or up high while the sensors will show ground level conditions. 2) airnow and purpleair use the same sensors but airnow does a calculation with humidity to adjust their numbers so the two don't always match. 3) The sensors are current conditions but all this changes as the wind blows and shifts so we can go from clear skies with good air to choking on smoke in a few hours. N95 masks help if you have one.
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Just wanted to provide a brief report of actual field usage experience as it pertains to my installation of two 100 amp hour Battleborn Lithium batteries, two additional 100 watt solar panels for a total of 520 watts, Victron 100/30 solar controller, and a Victron smart shunt battery monitoring system. This battery/solar system was described in earlier posts in this thread.
I just returned to Virginia following a two and a half month visit to the Montana/Wyoming area. As expressed in the earlier posts my goals were to minimize generator usage, not rely on shore power, and have adequate power such that I was never in a position of running the batteries down below acceptable state of charge (15%), all of which to increase the ability to select sites without electrical hookup.
After the Lithium battery and additional solar panel installation the only time I had to run my generator was once a month for about 30 minutes to prevent carburetor fowling. Also on a couple occasions for about 10 minutes I ran it in order to run the microwave. With the lower humidity and lower higher elevation temperatures air conditioning was not needed thus no generator usage. The three roof vent fans and a portable 110 volt fan did a reasonable job of maintaining comfortable conditions. Actually running the furnace for awhile in the morning before getting up felt pretty good. The TV, DVD, surround sound system, charging various appliances and electronic gadgets required inverter battery power. The use of shore 110v power was not required at any point. State of charge in the Lithium batteries did not fall below about 75%.
I camped in campsites that had partial to full tree shading over part or most of the day. The maximum power from the 4 solar panels topped out at about 300 Watts. I attributed the depressed power output to various factors. These include tree shading, frequent moderate to heavy smoke due to forest fires, cloud cover, etc. Various solar technical resources suggest that manufacture rated output is highly optimistic and are taken using standard laboratory conditions. Some resources stated a more realistic panel output is about 75 to 80% of the panel rating. Using these derate factors the output could be expected to go to 390 to 416 watts. Given the ambient environmental conditions, the fact that because of the curvature of the PC roof each panel incident light angle is different, and that each panel has a small but notable output energy curve difference a further multi panel system derate is expected. I do believe while some of these factors reduce the peak output they may work in favor of extending the period which power is produced. I mention this should another contemplate adding multiple panels this may be useful in the design phase.
It is worthwhile to mention that prior to installing the Lithium batteries I considered adding more panels but decided they would provide little benefit in charging the lead acid golf cart batteries. Frequently the internal resistance of the lead acid batteries throttled the output of original panels. This throttling was expected and was later shown to only occur briefly when the Lithium units were at or very near 100% state of charge thus accepting essentially all the power from the expanded array system.
As mentioned in my earlier post I elected to use the PC supplied alternator charging system while driving. Looking at energy going into the coach batteries while driving it varies but typically is about 10 amps. I have seen it as high as 17 amps. My battery monitor shunt nets out demand and charge current, so I expect the alternator was providing about 20 amps or less to the coach batteries. This seems to be reasonable and at this time I do not have any plans to install a DC to DC converter. Because of differences in PC wiring for the various models I would suggest getting a good estimate of alternator current to the Lithium batteries to prevent damage to the chassis electrical system.
In summary the installation of the Lithium batteries primarily and to a lesser extent the addition of two 100 watt solar panels allowed me to achieve my electrical goals. Being able to Boondock with minimal dependence on the PC onboard generator and being able to use all the power I needed without fear of running out of battery power along with anticipated longer battery life has made this a worthwhile mod for me. The enjoyment derived from the added flexibility of allowing me to stay in camp sites without hookups and not having to run the obnoxiously loud generator added positively to the overall camping experience.
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Excellent write up. I know bits and pieces, like the potential alternator issue, but you've hit on quite a few points that should be useful to anyone thinking to upgrade to solar (like is). Who did the two installs?
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I am glad to hear that your solar and lithium battery installation provided you with all your electrical needs. Your follow-up is very helpful to me and will help in me spending funds where needed to finish my set-up. I do have a couple questions for you, You said your solar system was 520 watts, would you say this was just adequate, under-performed or over-kill? I ask this question as I have 400 watts currently was thinking of adding 2 more panels. Is there anything that you would change or increase? You also said you never took your batteries below 15%. How low did you actually run the batteries down?
The section on the DC to DC converter is very helpful as I was concerned over the possibility of overloading the alternator, but your findings seem to indicate that is not the case. This saves me from having to get a DC to DC converter up front and can actually be something added at a later time or possibly not at all.
Your time spent writing up your experience is extremely beneficial for me and I am sure others contemplating this solar/battery upgrade.
Thank-you
Very Respectfully
Lance
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2 Frazzled,
The original two solar panels were in part installed by Phoenix during the unit build. I purchased and had the panels and 4 gauge welding wire shipped to Elkhart. Phoenix mounted the two panels on the roof and run the wire from the roof to the area under the kitchen sink. After taking delivery I completed the project by supplying and installing the solar controller and Victron power monitor. At the time I ordered the PC (spring of 2016) the factory had limited experience in designing solar systems. I did feel like they should know better how to mount the panels and it was certainly easier to run the wire before the cabinetry was installed. This is the reason I elected to go as I did.
I did the recent Lithium upgrade, additional two panel installation, and the upgraded Victron controller and monitoring system. The hardest part of this was getting over my concerns of how to best attach the panels to the roof. I received a number of helpful comments here on the forum plus I was able to get information from the factory of how they mount the panels. Knock on wood the panels appear to be securely attached and no leaks. I inspected the mounting while out west and also after the 2,000+ mile trip back home. Battleborn was very helpful in providing technical support for the charging components and proper settings on the monitor and controller. They also have a lot of valuable information on their website.
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Great article and discussion Fred.
I want to point out to all those considering adding panels that you must eliminate shadows or you won't get anywhere the output you think you should get. Google Solar array shadows to learn more. As Fred pointed out you need large wires from roof to the controller and to battery to eliminate the voltage drop in the wiring.
The PC has very limited roof space to take this into account.
I actually had PC move my big Winegard antenna to the rear to eliminate that shadow, but your A/C is also a problem.
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Lance,
The lowest state of charge was about 75%, so at this point I am comfortable with the performance of the system based on the environmental conditions I experienced. The West (Montana/Wyoming) as you may know in the summer doesn’t get a lot of rain. We did get some rain but not the multi day episodes I have experienced in the Southeast. Can’t say this with certainty but I expect I would still be above 15% after 2-3 days of monsoon. For these events one would still have the generator to fall back on. One item of note is the Lithium batteries can charge at a much higher rate than lead acid batteries thus the run time on the generator would be significantly less if a person was just using the generator to charge the batteries. Two 100 ah Battleborn batteries can take up to 100 amps of charging. I have a Progressive Dynamics 9270 converter that has a 70 amp capacity. The other item of note is as you probably know to extend the life of lead acid batteries they need to be charged to 100% as soon as possible after use. The Lithium batteries don’t have that requirement so if they are brought up for instance to 80 or 90 percent that is ok.
As you probably know it takes very little shade to “kill” the output of a panel. A shadow from a tree limb can pretty much take a panels power output down to near zero. I chose to wire my panels in parallel so as limit the impact of shading. If one panel is shaded and another is not at least one gets the power from the unshaded panel. In a series configuration one shaded panel can negatively effect all the other panels. There are benefits to series with lower amperage smaller wiring, etc.but where shading (shadows) can be expected the parallel configuration should perform better.
In addition to providing higher theoretical output from more panel area, I think there is a diversity benefit to having multiple panels. In a perfect world fewer panels should perform at higher maximum output than multiple panels with the same total rated capacity. Useable energy produced from multiple panels in the “real world” I believe is higher due to shading, orientation, etc.
As to whether your 400 watt array is adequate I can’t really answer that directly. My biggest improvement came from changing the Lead Acid OEM batteries over to Lithium. My suggestion would be to first make the change over to Lithium if this is something you are already considering. In the change over process I would keep in the back of my mind that I may need to go with more solar in the future and plan accordingly. After the Lithium install you will need to see if this change gets you where you want to be electrically or would having extra array capacity be justified based on where and how you camp. One last comment should you decide to pursue the additional panel option. You may already be aware of this but it is important that all the panels are as close as possible to the same max open circuit and maximum power voltage as practical to optimize power from the combined array.
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I also agree thlis is a VERY informative thread. Thanks, Fandj for greatly helping the rest of us understand how this can increase battery effectiveness albeit at a cost.
The first thing that struck me was defining the difference between Car Lithium batteries and say Battleborn in terms of their chemistries. We have all seen the now-famous car flammability of Tesla and Chevy Volt Lithium batteries which causes pause.
Your statement: "The Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry is more stable than what is being used in electric propelled vehicles (Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt) and is considered much safer." was news to me. That is why these forums are so important!!!
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While essentially all batteries we would consider for use in our RVs have experienced catastrophic failures including lead acid batteriy explosions a brief review of internet state Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are safer than the Lithium Ion batteries that contains Nickel. I found this article https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/28/what-teslas-bet-on-iron-based-batteries-means-for-manufacturers/ (https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/28/what-teslas-bet-on-iron-based-batteries-means-for-manufacturers/) that said Tesla is going to be switching some of it’s car models over to Lithium Iron Phosphate battery chemistry. How much safety is influencing this decision I don’t know.
I believe most battery catastrophic failures are due to abuse and subjecting the batteries to conditions they were not designed for. Lead acid battery use depend on the end user to make sure they are not abused. The Battleborn and some other battery Lithium manufacturers include internal circuitry that shuts the battery down if one attempts to use it outside it’s design envelope which add another layer of protection.
I am certainly no expert on battery chemistry and current technology but for my use I feel as safe with the Battleborn units as I did the previous golf cart lead acid batteries. One should read and follow all the safety directions for whatever battery they use.