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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Solar port 17 1/2 179
    Posted: 28 May 2019 at 10:52am
Originally posted by SteveA

12v should always be "hot" red and black "ground" so the red and white leads from the Zamp port threw me a bit as I'm not as familiar with DC.

Hot red and black neutral are typical automotive conventions, not code. They are not the standards for electrical systems in homes or RV's.  Its not a DC thing, the NEC doesn't distinguish AC from DC in this regard  This causes lots of confusion for everyone. 
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2019 at 10:59am
Originally posted by GlueGuy

I will disagree with the notion that color on DC circuits means anything to anyone unless you were there to witness the installation.

Bottom line is that DC circuits are all over the map. Color conventions have come, and color conventions have gone, and they are all different.

I suspect that your telecom sites weren't inspected by the AHJ. Go try to get a DC solar installation on a residence approved without following the NEC (including conductor color conventions) and see how far you get.  I can assure you not very far unless the inspector is clueless. 
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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2019 at 4:00pm
Originally posted by voisj

 
 It wont hurt anything if you plug it in reversed, the controller/panels just wont work. 


Some solar controllers are reverse polarity protected, and some are not. Some solar controllers are hard-wired to be negative ground ONLY. If you apply positive battery voltage to the negative side of the controller, AND you have other wires connected properly or improperly, you might blow fuses, let some magic smoke out, or worse, have un-contained current flow from the battery going places you dont want it to go.

Likewise, the diodes and/or cells in a panel can be damaged if they are hooked up in reverse, especially when connected directly to a battery, as in the case with using smaller panels. 

I would not advise a wide internet audience with no way of you knowing what they are hooking up, that 'it wont hurt anything'....

Cuz, maybe it wont...but maybe it WILL.
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2019 at 4:22pm
Originally posted by podwerkz


Likewise, the diodes and/or cells in a panel can be damaged if they are hooked up in reverse, especially when connected directly to a battery, as in the case with using smaller panels. 

I would not advise a wide internet audience with no way of you knowing what they are hooking up, that 'it wont hurt anything'....

Cuz, maybe it wont...but maybe it WILL.



That is a very good point. Most solar modules, including all larger modules which are generally used for higher voltage applications, have bypass diodes in them. The bypass diodes are meant to "bypass" current around groups of cells in the module that are shaded. This both mitigates against shading losses but more importantly protects the shaded cells from getting overheated by having current forced through them.

 If you connect one of these modules in reverse across a battery you will blow the bypass diodes out of it immediately. The point is, don't connect a solar module across a battery in reverse. 
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Posts: 302 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2019 at 2:03pm
Bringing this thread back up for my question as I'm not as electrical minded as most of you folks.  Just purchased the Renogy Solar Suitcase and thinking about the fusing.  Planning to use the RPOD solar port......should I put a fuse right at the batter connections or closer to the controller?  Seems if there is a problem coming from the controller, you would want a fuse there but I understand having one at the battery.  Or does it matter?
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2019 at 3:06pm
Yep, it matters. The fuse is there to stop the wire from overheating if it shorts out. The solar module and controller are current limited, if you short them out nothing will happen. OTOH we all know what happens if you short out a battery. So, put your fuse in the positive conductor at the battery end.
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