Lithium battery charged by solar
Solar Panels for lithium battery
MYSTERY SURROUNDS lithium batteries and solar installation, and it's easy to see why. It would appear as though you need a physics degree and a masters in automotive electronics to adequately fit a solar system suitable for your iTechworld battery.
In this blog, I m going to break down the solar installation side of things step by step and show you how easy it is to set up an active solar system to keep your iTechworld lithium battery happy. The main things you will need are a bit of common sense, patience and background reading on power requirements when free camping. Put away that electrical engineering course application – you won't need it!
Equipment that you will need. Cabling, self-tapping screws, silicon, brackets, solar panel, iTechworld 30 AMP MPPT regulator and an iTechworld lithium battery.
Top tip: Don't be tempted to get a lower wattage panel and a cheapo regulator to save money – sure, you can get an excellent 20W solar panel and regulator on eBay for next to nothing. But that marvelous setup would only power your pocket LED torch for half an hour's reading in your camp swag every night.
Let us assume that you are not in a swag under the stars but in a caravan with lights, television and 12V points for the likes of recharging a phone.
As with all caravan DIY and maintenance projects, if you are not entirely confident with the job at hand, please consult a specialist.
STEP BY STEP
1 Fit the solar mounting brackets to your solar panel for installation on your caravan's roof. You can use an adhesive to put the brackets onto the solar panel or screw into them with tech screws.
2 Position panel on roof with brackets attached, allowing adequate ventilation under the solar panel.
3 Prepare the roof with wax and grease remover before applying your silicon adhesive.
4 Preliminarily position the solar panel, so you know where to clean. Try to place it clear of existing joins as the solar panel must come off to fix leaks in the join if they should occur.
5 Apply a bead of silicon to help secure the brackets with the panel attached to the roof.
6 Gently rest the brackets with the panel attached on the bead of silicon.
7 Use tech screws to help secure the panel if required.
8 If your van hasn't been pre-wired for solar, it will be necessary to drill a hole or holes, this can be sealed using a Solar Entry gland. This will give you a waterproof point on the roof for the wiring.
9 Cut excess wire to suit, mount the iTechworld 30 Amp MPPT regulator in desired spot.
10 Connect the wires from the regulator to the battery, making sure the positive and negatives correspond. Set the 30 Amp MPPT regulator to LIFE Leave the regulator for 5 minutes. This gives the regulator a chance to detect the iTechworld lithium batery and its voltage. Now connect the solar panel to the regulator, making sure the positive and negatives correspond.
11 Check the solar panel charging voltage and condition of the battery on the 30 Amp MPPT regulator.
The job is done! Grab a beer. Brag at how good you are to your wife. Post some photos of your fantastic job on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Invite the neighbours round to show off your new skills.
Article author
Ian