Energy Matters Forums

[offgridQLD]

The classic 150 has a max output of 5022w at 70v input and a max of 4672w at 100v . So around 350w or 8% reduction in max output. Though I am unsure if this is a detect relation to efficiency or not.



The system I have now seems to spend a lot of its time around the 70v mark .

Another consideration I was having is the shape or layout of the panels on the roof to keep wiring simple and runs shorter to combiner boxes.

3 runs of 7 panels 21 in total is doable in the one location.

Kurt

[Gordon-Loomberah]

I think that is the max current/power you can put through it at various input and output voltages, rather than a direct indication of efficiency. In any case, you wont be at the max, but what it all means for efficiency is anyone's guess, unless they have a table in the user manual like Outback has for their MPPT CCs.

[offgridQLD]

With 21 panels In three stings of seven would be pushing 40A over 25m distance

With 20 panels in two strings of ten I would be pushing 57A over 25m distance

Laying all out in a shape so it dost get messy given the panels dimensions.Its easy to keep it neat using one long row with a grid connect inverter as you just keep series connecting in one long row and take off the high voltage out the other end.

Just trying to mentally picture it in my head to end up with 3s -7p in the top right corner of the two row 21 panel layout

I can fit two long rows one above the other . One with 11 panels and the other 10 panels.Then I need to create a 3 series - 7 parallel from that.

Then it would be a 25m run from the very right hand side bottom panel in the pic (though the top left panel would be 10m further away)



Kurt

[offgridQLD]

I committed to 21 of the 200w panels so I have the option to use 3s or have a spare panel if not.

Pick the I-miev up in 5 min and purchased my last talk of unleaded petrol last night . When the attendant said see you next time I was tempted to say (I don't think so )

Kurt

[Solarmark]

Hi Kurt,

sounds like you are having fun! I have been watching the EV scene for some time now, and am also keen to get onboard. Where are you on the Sunshine Coast? I am in Doonan.
Be interested what you think of the I-miev.

Cheers
Solarmark

[offgridQLD]

Hi Mark,
I'M about 60km south at Maleny. Next year will be a bit of a shake up regarding hybris cars. In particular hybrid diesel. There will be a hybrid diesel lancer and out lander along with many others from other company's. They might be a good option for people looking for one car and extremely low fuel consumption.

Sadly Australia hasn't taken to the pure all electric cars to well . Mitsubishi wont be selling them anymore next year in Australia (unless you order them special request at a sily price) I see the Nissan leaf being the only one sold in Australia . The tesla is another option if you have a lot of spare cash for a flash car.

So my view is there is going to be a little dip in the all electric car market in Australia for a few years and then it will come on song.

Loving the little sticker on the window of the car showing fuel consumption 0lt -100 -135wh km Its like something you get on a tv or fridge:D





Kurt

[Solarmark]

Hi Kurt,

I am about 50km away, not far from Coolum Beach. I have just been reading about the I-miev in this country, and why there has been such slow uptake. People need to realise it is not an all purpose vehicle, but for use as a second car for short trips as you are going to use it and, ideally, as you are doing, recharged from PV.
I also read up on the Hybrid Outlander, it seems to be a petrol/electric? Diesel/electric would be better?
I am not interested in a Hybrid, as most of my trips would be less than 100km, and you are just lugging an engine around which is not needed. I also want to be able to recharge it from PV.
How is the handling of the I-miev?

[offgridQLD]

I know the lancer is a Diesel hybrid was guessing the outlander would be the same guess not.

The handling of the Imiev is as expected from a small car with little wheels. Think Honda jazz size car. It is RWD and although it looks very narrow and tall the center of gravity is low because the battery is under the floor along with the motor and gearbox being low in the car. The limiting factor on handling would be the very skinny 15" front tread. The rear wheels are actually wider than the front. It dose have traction control, ABS and stability control (traction control can be turned off with a switch) so I'm sure if driven within its limits it will do fine ...not a sports car though.

I found myself reaching for the key a few times at traffic lights thinking you have stalled its just so quiet and all the other cars sound like beastly prehistoric mad max machines reeving and blowing smoke

I have only driven it 20km and will take it for another drive tonight with my wife and daughter.

Kurt

[offgridQLD]

After driving the car around for the last few days. Joy ride with the family up to the Mt cootha lookout, A few small trips on the motorway, to the shops and a trip to bunnings yesterday. I thought i would put it on the charger for the first time last night.

I had clocked up 106km a lot of that was in hilly undulating area around Brisbane along with a few steep hill climbs mentioned above. So A good mix of driving. AC used a few time for window defogging and 1/2 of the driving was done at night.

I installed a kwh meter on the charger. Going off the dash guage 16 bars representing 1kwh each I had consumed 14 bars - 14kwh or perhaps a tad more as the 1kwh resolution is hard to tell when it clicked over to 14 bars. but roughly 14kwh.

The charger starts you hear a small coolant pump circulate coolant through the system for 20 seconds .Then charging begins. 2200w on the meter and a power factor of 99. I noticed during charging the coolant pump runs very slowly for 10 seconds ever 10 min or so.(It sounds like a little water feature trickling noise from under the car) when the coolant pump ran it made no difference to the 2200w showing on the meter.

After one hrs charging the charger dropped back to 2w consumption for about 5 min (I guess it was doing some kind of battery check) Then it continued charging at 2200w. I woke thins morning to a full battery and 14.37kwh consumed on the kwh meter.

The charging from wall to battery is very efficient. Got to love lithiums. Doing the calculations 106km driven on 14.37kwh =(135wh/km) exactly what the sticker on the window said or at $0.156kwh (my tariff 33 in Brisbane) $2.10 for 100km of driving Or the equivalent of a petrol burner using (1.2lt - 100km) at today's petrol prices.

As it turns out my typical week day driving is about 4-5kwh a day consumption from the wall plug. Shouldn't be to hard to cover that with the extra 4200w of PV even in average weather.







Kurt

[jimbo]

Good stuff.

What's a replacement battery bank worth? Any chance of hooking one up to your off grid house in future? Might get one cheap from a dealer if they aren't selling.