New Solar panel, fuse location??

[geno-heidi]

hi....relative newbie here....new 60 watt solar panel in next week-

Have studied prior on small saiboat (10 watt trickle), and many Good Threads here-

Question: it,s recommended to fuse the wiring, solar to battery- Do I install the in-
Line fuse between the regulater/charger and battery ???? Or, before the regulater/
Charger and the solar panel???

Using #10 wire from solar to regulater (@25 feet), then #6 from regulater to battery on shortest run next to batt compartment (@2.5 feet max).

So, after regulater,,,, or before regulater (on pos. wire)???

Any-all help appreciated and welcomed...thnx

Geno in St.Pete, FL

[lonestarace]

Between reg. and batteries

[jim robinson]

Did you buy panels or made them up your self? I need more info on solar.

[geno-heidi]

Hi....bought 1- 60 watt panel....polycrystalline..... will add 2nd 60 w later....with 10 amp regulator HQRP with surge and 4 stage....plan 10 gauge, @25' for rooftop and mobile location....and 10 ga for 3' run from regulator.....solar charts recommend 12/10 for 120 watt 25' run......

[Dave78Chief]

For safety, the correct answer is both places. A solar array is an energy generator (i.e like a battery), you want a fuse up near the array in case a short develops between the array and the contoller. You also want to protect the controller to battery wiring. Fuse size depends on anticipated current draw. Fuse on positive wire. RV is a negative ground system so you fuse on positive leads.

10 gauge wiring from array to controller - Think ahead, you said you wanted to add additional panel in future so you want to use at least 6 or 8 guage wire in order to keep voltage drop less than 3%. If you use 10 guage now you would have to replace that later (a real pain) when you added the other panel. Pre-plan by using a weather tight junction box near the array that will hold a fuse(s) and can be used later as the connection point for the additional array. You can use 10 gauge from array panel to that box but from box to controller you need 6 or 8 gauge (calulator comes in at 7; Wire sizing calculator for Solar Panel Arrays).

Dave

[Ed-Sommers]

If it is 25 feet from panels to regulator, electrically, that is a 50 foot run. You have to measure to and fro.


Ed

[Dave78Chief]

For reference, the wire size calculator I linked to above (Wire sizing calculator for Solar Panel Arrays) already accounts for the "to and fro" distance (reference step 3 of the directions for that calculator). When using that calculator you do not double the distance; only enter the actual 1 way distance.

Dave