[glen1971]

So there is a few solar sites that I am having some issues with.. It had a laod of about 0.3 amps and had 2 -90 watt panels to an ASC 24/16 regulator. It was running great for about 15 years with regular maintenance. Then they added some load and did nothing with the panels.
They almost trippled the load to around 0.85 amps.. Needless to say, the batteries on the sites were drained.. We recommended adding 2 -140 watt panels and a Sunsaver SS-20L-24V (with the battery outputs wired in parallel to one common battery connection). In the meantime, to keep the sites running, we added a generator, a battery charger and left it at a 5 amp charge then it went to a "maintain" mode..
About 1.5 months later, some of the solar panels have been upgraded and we are having some issues.. The batteries are failing and have between 6 and 11 volts on them (6 - 12 volt, 100 aH, Gel batteries). Once the batteries are replaced, the voltages and currents return to expected values (26-27 vdc and charging currents depending on sun exposure).. A couple of the ASC regulators have failed and are putting ove 32 volts on the batteries.. Yesterday, the Sunsaver was charging at the "Absorption" level, and the ASC was showing not charging.

My questions are:
1) With the batteries being drained previously, would that reduce their ability to hold a charge now?
2) Are the two regulators compatible?
3) Am I missing anything with this set-up?

Thanks..

 

[backstay]

So there is a few solar sites that I am having some issues with.. It had a laod of about 0.3 amps and had 2 -90 watt panels to an ASC 24/16 regulator. It was running great for about 15 years with regular maintenance. Then they added some load and did nothing with the panels.
They almost trippled the load to around 0.85 amps.. Needless to say, the batteries on the sites were drained.. We recommended adding 2 -140 watt panels and a Sunsaver SS-20L-24V (with the battery outputs wired in parallel to one common battery connection). In the meantime, to keep the sites running, we added a generator, a battery charger and left it at a 5 amp charge then it went to a "maintain" mode..
About 1.5 months later, some of the solar panels have been upgraded and we are having some issues.. The batteries are failing and have between 6 and 11 volts on them (6 - 12 volt, 100 aH, Gel batteries). Once the batteries are replaced, the voltages and currents return to expected values (26-27 vdc and charging currents depending on sun exposure).. A couple of the ASC regulators have failed and are putting ove 32 volts on the batteries.. Yesterday, the Sunsaver was charging at the "Absorption" level, and the ASC was showing not charging.

My questions are:
1) With the batteries being drained previously, would that reduce their ability to hold a charge now?
2) Are the two regulators compatible?
3) Am I missing anything with this set-up?

Thanks..

Battery manufacture(Trojan) says don't maintain a charge(trickle charge)on deep cycle batteries. They told me it will kill them. That is what emergency backup batteries are for. I can't tell you why the two are different.

So you have two strings of two batteries, for a 24 volt output? But you now have two arrays running to two charge controllers? I run multiple charge controllers to a four string battery stack. They are both Outback, just different models. I also cross connect all my batteries. So four strings of four(six volt batteries) and wired between the parallel run also.

 

[glen1971]

Thanx for the help!
I talked to the vendor again today and he figures we may have an issue with the two different voltage regulators. The ASC puts out as much voltage and current as is needed to charge the batteries, where the Sunsaver is alot "smarter" and regulates the voltage and current based on the battery condition and current charge. The fix that was recommended is to replace them with a Sunsaver... I'm gonna try that and see how it works out..