Solar panels and battery to get unlimited range ...

Outdoors

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That starts to sound feasible, around 5 days of charging.
Is your inverter 240V or just 120V?
If 240V, you should be able to get full (80%) in one overnight charge session.
If you do it nightly, it will just mean you have empty batteries every morning.
If 120V, it's miserably long, maybe over a week at this point.


So indeed, about 500 miles per week, that's about right with your setup. Bu that's not really in this thread's concept "Solar panels and battery to get unlimited range ..."

It's very limited range. 6 weeks to cross the country is far from unlimited!
His above solution was the same I proposed. It's a 240v.

Actually his proposal is exactly that. As mine was. Just the sun.

My neighbor down the street still doesn't understand it. I can see maybe you don't as well.

When one works from solar we tend to be very comfortable with speed. When someone lives on the grid and is only used to grid. Those people tend to think the other world is impossible. Some on this thread seem to fall into this camp.
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Outdoors

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How the Sam Hill do I do that? 🤔
If you have an inverter that has a smart function. There is a term for it. I forget it. I can set my batteries to charge to a certain percent and then stop and then let the power go directly to the car.
Best is that it happens automatically.

I use Sol-ark inverter.

Thus, avoiding the tax of moving through the battery and then out.

In theory one would want system to stay at camp while one uses truck. An extra panel and battery and just forget the tax.
 

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So is that mostly level flatland?

You total weight for additional 7Kw panels might be 300lbs but isn't a 20-foot long standard non-solar awning going to weigh around 100-120 lbs? If so with solar panels as awning you are really only adding another 180lbs (not 300lbs).
Mountains 🏔

each 540w panel weighs just over 80lbs, add hydraulic struts, aluminum frame support inserts and hinge hardware. I’m roughly guessing 100lbs per panel times 10 panels for additional 1,000lbs.
I currently have the driver awning as 5 panels and the passenger awning with 5, there are 5 on the roof.
 

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If you have an inverter that has a smart function. There is a term for it. I forget it. I can set my batteries to charge to a certain percent and then stop and then let the power go directly to the car.
Best is that it happens automatically.

I use Sol-ark inverter.

Thus, avoiding the tax of moving through the battery and then out.

In theory one would want system to stay at camp while one uses truck. An extra panel and battery and just forget the tax.
I got it, just took a minute. I’ve been living in Taj-Ma-Haull completely off grid for 2 years this October, but definitely learning on a daily basis.

My first degree was architecture, I don’t have any prior experience with electricity or solar, but I am eagerly learning all I can.
Thanks for reminding me about the losses doing the unnecessary trip to the battery and then the CT…
 

Aces-Truck

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I'm a little late getting to this thread. But let me throw my own opinions. I own two of the Rockpals 200W Solar panels. I have a Jackery 1000 Plus Power Station to go with it. I use this as more of a SHTF, or Ham Radio Field Day setup. So how well a CT will take the power from whatever system is used, is beyond my knowledge. But here's a few interesting things to know about using Solar Panel with a Power Station:
1) Getting the panels setup and in the right orientation to the sun is not trivial. My 200W panels fold nice and compact. But I need both setup to be of benefit. And doing it solo is surprisingly more of a pain than it S.B.
2) to solve that, i built a framework to setup both panels together. I'll attach pictures. The frame breaks down Relatively small. but it weighs 30 lbs. Each Panel weighs only 23lb. The framework ends up being about 4' x 8' area. So I'm moving around a setup that's 75 lbs for 400W of panels.
3) I tested mine in March, at 47 degree Latitude. So the Sun was at a lower angle than ideal. I was getting 300W total from the 2 panels I put a meter on it at one point it was 274W, 32.69VDc, 8.40A. When a contrail passed a slight shadow, power dropped about 10-20W. Shadows from Trees would make a huge drop. So picking the right spot matters.
4) I agree with using a "Solar Generator" as a pass-thru makes sense. But It's easy to get big losses from the Invertor in them. Internally everything is DC. So getting 120VAC out has losses. I ran a CPAP off 12V, and it lost 190 Whr in 8hrs use. I then ran the same CPAP on 12VDC, it used 22Whr in 8 hours use. I believe the design was made for high current devices running for relatively short time periods. Like microwaves and such. I don't really know what the losses would be on a Pass-thru situation charging CT.
5) As someone else posted in this thread, Theft of your setup is something to keep in mind. Even if the solar panels are bulky until broken down, the Solar Generator is a high dollar, portable device. Mine weighs 32 lb and cost $900. the panels each cost $300. So if you just want to hang around camp, not a problem. but in my experience, around folks at ORV parks there are wheelers who will steal if they think they can get away with it. If those same folks go overlanding, nothing is sacred.
Tesla Cybertruck Solar panels and battery to get unlimited range ... 20230316_122218
Tesla Cybertruck Solar panels and battery to get unlimited range ... 20230316_122225
Tesla Cybertruck Solar panels and battery to get unlimited range ... 20230316_121936
Tesla Cybertruck Solar panels and battery to get unlimited range ... 20230316_121927
 


firsttruck

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If the Cybertruck is parked during the day, you will see efficiency gains by charging while the panels are producing. If the system is designed optimally, that will prevent the round trip losses into the battery and out again. Effectively using the systems inverter to produce 240V AC directly from the solar panels and sending any excess into the battery storage.

It's always best to use the current when it's available to charge the EV, rather than make it go through the storage battery and out again. If the sun is blocked by clouds, then the inverter should draw down the storage battery and continue charging until there is excess production again.
How the Sam Hill do I do that? 🤔
......
Depends on your off-grid PV/inverter/charger system.

To get best inverter DC solar to AC load efficiency ( most amount of solar DC directly inverted to AC and least amount of solar DC to battery to AC), try to use as much energy at time (hours) of highest solar energy generation (11am-4pm). Make sure you are using = or less energy than using (adjust battery charging rate up & down and loads up & down).

Many better featured off-grid AIO solar controller battery charger inverters can be setup to prioritize between multiple energy sources ( PV, grid, backup generator ) and also prioritize between battery charging vs load.
(example:
1st service loads, 2nd use excess to charge battery.
vary battery charging rate.
vary battery SOC min/max.
)

Another method is using a energy management system to detect energy available and load requests and shutoff some loads ( load shedding), turn on other loads (EV charger, clothes dryer, water heater) so not to exceed solar energy available (minus amount needed to charge battery at some minimum rate or SOC level).


Another method is called "PV-Divert".

If your EVSE can communicate with your PV / inverter setup or a energy monitoring system -- the EVSE could automatically start and stop charging, and adjust the offered current, based on solar production. They call this PV Divert

There are several ways it is implemented. Usually requires setting/feature in the PV / inverter setup or a energy monitoring system and might also need setting/feature in EVSE.

---------------------------------


What time of day do solar panels work best? The highest solar generation during day time is usually from 11 am to 4 pm.
* These peak times can vary depending on the orientation and tilt of your panels but also where you live and the time of year.
https://regenpower.com/what-time-of-day-do-solar-panels-work-best/

What time of the day is the sun strongest solar?
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m
U.S. EPA
https://www.epa.gov/radtown/ultraviolet-uv-radiation-and-sun-exposure

---------------------------------

How to Choose the Working Mode of The Off Grid Inverter?
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
https://www.inverter.com/how-to-choose-the-working-mode-of-the-off-grid-inverter


---------------------------------

OpenEVSE / EmonEVSE Setup Guide
https://docs.openenergymonitor.org/emonevse/setup.html

Eco Mode: Solar PV Divert
Eco Mode feature allows the OpenEVSE to adjust the charge rate based on the amount of available solar PV production or excess power (grid export). An OpenEnergyMonitor solar PV energy monitor with an AC-AC voltage sensor adaptor is required to monitor solar PV generation and grid excess. When Eco Mode is enabled the EVSE will begin charging when Solar PV Generation or Grid Excess > 1.4kW (6A the minimum EV charge rate). Charging will pause if Generation or Excess drops below this threshold for a period of time.

---------------------------------

DIY solar divert to EVSE
Dec 30, 2022
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/diy-solar-divert-to-evse.52824/

---------------------------------

similar process but for electric water heater. Heat during day using excess solar energy.

BPE PV-Divert - Divert excess power to electric water heater - PV-Divert Features
https://www.badgerpowerelectronics.com/pv-divert/


---------------------------------
 
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firsttruck

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If the Cybertruck is parked during the day, you will see efficiency gains by charging while the panels are producing. If the system is designed optimally, that will prevent the round trip losses into the battery and out again. Effectively using the systems inverter to produce 240V AC directly from the solar panels and sending any excess into the battery storage.

It's always best to use the current when it's available to charge the EV, rather than make it go through the storage battery and out again. If the sun is blocked by clouds, then the inverter should draw down the storage battery and continue charging until there is excess production again.
How the Sam Hill do I do that? 🤔
......
If you post the model# ( or brand & series) of you inverter I might be able to find more specific info for you.

------------------------------------

Here is some info on a Victron Smart Solar MPPT charger & Victron Multiplus II system:

Battery or load priority in off-grid setup
Jan 06 2023
Victron Energy - Community Forum
https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/178785/battery-or-load-priority-in-off-grid-setup.html
.....
> I am designing a DC coupled off-grid system with PV+Smart Solar MPPT charger, Li-ion battery, Multiplus II and Cerbo GX.
> Could you please tell me if by default VIctron has a battery charging priority in off-grid setups or load supply priority? If so, what is the SOC setting below which the priority is given to charging the batteries?
> For example, what will happen if my battery is at 40% SOC and the PV generation is enough to cover the load? Will the system use the PV power to charge the battery or supply the loads?

Alexandra answered · Jan 06 2023
With off grid, loads are priortized then battery charging.
You can set ac out 2 to switch off larger loads (and only switch on above a certain soc) to prioritze critical loads and battery charging.
So in short.... You can program it and set it up how you need it.
** some controllers give daily timers to schedule hours of activation of each priority type

edclarke · Feb 19 2023
@Alexandra, I'm looking at a similar situation using AC Out 2 as you described, but while connected to grid power. I would like to charge batteries while simultaneously powering an 120V AC heater on ACOut2. I have the Multiplus input limited to 18 Amps, and the heater load is about 15 Amps. Can you tell me how power would be prioritized in this situation? My hope is the Multi will power the loads first, then the charger. I'm using ACOut2 to prevent battery discharge in case grid power drops offline.

Alexandra > edclarke · Feb 19 2023
It will be the same. Just set the input current limit limit to the 18A or slightly above your loads, then it will run the loads and trickle what is left into the battery.
By default AC2 only switches on when there us grid.
Also by default virtual switch is on (where it only connects conditionally l. So you may also need to disable or change that as well.

------------------------------------

EG4 6000 AIO solar-controller/charger/inverter - running solar 1st and then battery
Is there a way I can run solar during the day, battery at night and grid after the battery dies at night?
Jan 30, 2023
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/eg4-6000-running-solar-and-battery.54374/
.....
#2 Jan 30, 2023 PreppenWolf Solar Wizard
Check menu 01. I think you want mode "SBU" ( Solar, battery, utility ).
When you say is charging slow, the inverter doesn't control how much solar is coming in. It's just converting the voltage to charge the battery. If you want to change faster you need more solar.
Charging speed from grid tie is controlled in the settings and can be set to 120A per inverter assuming your BMS will allow that much current to come into the battery.

#3 Jan 30, 2023 BentleyJ Solar Wizard Location Riverside County, CA
What PreppenWolf said is correct you cannot get back more power at night then what the solar produces during the day which is split between loads and charging batteries. In addtiton to menu 01 SBU or SUB there are options 05, 10 & 11. Solar Source Priority, Charging Priority and Total Charging Amps. These have to be set up properly to achieve your desired outcome but the settings cannot create more power, only more solar panels can do that.

------------------------------------

MPP Solar PIP8048max solar inverter / charger - USER'S MANUAL
https://mppsolar.com/manual/PIP-MAX/PIP-MAX 8KW-manual-20210723.pdf

01 Output source priority: configure load power source priority ( SBU SUB USB )
** also see daily timer to schedule hours of activation of Output Source Priority

02 Maximum charging current: configure total charging current for battery chargers.

11 Maximum utility charging current

12 Setting voltage point back to utility source when selecting “SBU” (SBU priority) in prog 01.
13 Setting voltage point back to battery mode when selecting “SBU” (SBU priority) in prog 01.

16 Charger source priority: To configure charger source priority
** also see daily timer to schedule hours of activation of Charger Source Priority

41 Maximum battery discharging current

Function Setting
2. Timer Setting for Output Source Priority: set up the output source priority per day.
( SBU SUB USB )

3. Timer Setting for the Charger Source Priority

------------------------------------

Deye Inverter - Load First vs Battery First
By MarkZA79
January 18, 2023
https://powerforum.co.za/topic/16390-deye-inverter-load-first-vs-battery-first/
.....
As you say, if you choose "Load first" then the solar power will be prioritised towards first supplying the house, and then any surplus will go towards charging the battery.

If you choose battery first, then the solar power is directed to the battery as first priority, the surplus will go to the house next. But if you get much higher household loads, that's going to be supplemented from the grid, rather than by diverting more solar away from the battery.

It's a question of whether you want your battery to be full sooner rather than later, versus whether you want to minimise your purchases from grid (Eskom).

The house is not always supplied directly from the battery. It can be supplied from three different sources, grid, battery or solar, blended in varying proportions, depending on your settings and the availability (or not) of any of those sources.

------------------------------------
 
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Woodrick

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His above solution was the same I proposed. It's a 240v.

Actually his proposal is exactly that. As mine was. Just the sun.

My neighbor down the street still doesn't understand it. I can see maybe you don't as well.

When one works from solar we tend to be very comfortable with speed. When someone lives on the grid and is only used to grid. Those people tend to think the other world is impossible. Some on this thread seem to fall into this camp.

I certainly don't remember you quoting 112kWH of batteries and an inverter than can charge at 240V 50A. Did I miss that? Without looking back, I seem to remember you had less than 20kWH of batteries. It makes a HUGE difference.

"Solar array paired to 112kWatt/hrs of battery storage and 24 or 36 kWatt inverter!"
 

Outdoors

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I certainly don't remember you quoting 112kWH of batteries and an inverter than can charge at 240V 50A. Did I miss that? Without looking back, I seem to remember you had less than 20kWH of batteries. It makes a HUGE difference.

"Solar array paired to 112kWatt/hrs of battery storage and 24 or 36 kWatt inverter!"
20kwh is plenty to do what I need to make you lose this little bet. You must be confused and think it's not. I can't help you.

Not really doesn't. All he has to add is 10 Miles.

Just quit while being in the dumpster. Just cause you keep walking back bro and making excuses.

Not sure what you are talking about, but same solution I proposed from get go. Less than the size of a briefcase for inverter. Each 5.5kwh weighs 90. If you have 2. Looks like u be writing a check. Or crawl back into the electric information hole of nothingness.

Below is Eco flow ad which I don't use outside of in tents for friends. Maybe they are fools as well, and just don't understand.

Tesla Cybertruck Solar panels and battery to get unlimited range ... Screenshot_20240624-234858
 
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HaulingAss

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20kwh is plenty to do what I need to make you lose this little bet. You must be confused and think it's not. I can't help you.

Not really doesn't. All he has to add is 10 Miles.

Just quit while being in the dumpster. Just cause you keep walking back bro and making excuses.
I think he just likes to be an "expert" and argue things he has little understanding of.

I plugged my Cybertruck's Mobile Connector into my wimpy 5-year old Goal Zero 1.4 kWh battery generator today without any solar panels attached and it charged just fine at 12 amps down to 30% SOC at which point I proactively reduced the charge rate to 9 amps using the Tesla App (past experience told me my solar generator can't put out 1470 kW much below 30% unless it has solar panels boosting the available power) and then proactively reduced it to 5 amps at 15% SOC. It stopped charging at 7% SOC. If I had solar panels in full sun I would have left it on 12 amps as long as the panels were in the sun. As it was, I added 2 miles range in an hour before the battery generator ran out of juice.

Unfortunately, My Goal Zero battery generator is not really suitable for solar charging of EVs because it only has 360 watts of solar input. The unit is outdated and not even available anymore.
 


Woodrick

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I'm a little late getting to this thread. But let me throw my own opinions. I own two of the Rockpals 200W Solar panels. I have a Jackery 1000 Plus Power Station to go with it. I use this as more of a SHTF, or Ham Radio Field Day setup. So how well a CT will take the power from whatever system is used, is beyond my knowledge. But here's a few interesting things to know about using Solar Panel with a Power Station:
1) Getting the panels setup and in the right orientation to the sun is not trivial. My 200W panels fold nice and compact. But I need both setup to be of benefit. And doing it solo is surprisingly more of a pain than it S.B.
2) to solve that, i built a framework to setup both panels together. I'll attach pictures. The frame breaks down Relatively small. but it weighs 30 lbs. Each Panel weighs only 23lb. The framework ends up being about 4' x 8' area. So I'm moving around a setup that's 75 lbs for 400W of panels.
3) I tested mine in March, at 47 degree Latitude. So the Sun was at a lower angle than ideal. I was getting 300W total from the 2 panels I put a meter on it at one point it was 274W, 32.69VDc, 8.40A. When a contrail passed a slight shadow, power dropped about 10-20W. Shadows from Trees would make a huge drop. So picking the right spot matters.
4) I agree with using a "Solar Generator" as a pass-thru makes sense. But It's easy to get big losses from the Invertor in them. Internally everything is DC. So getting 120VAC out has losses. I ran a CPAP off 12V, and it lost 190 Whr in 8hrs use. I then ran the same CPAP on 12VDC, it used 22Whr in 8 hours use. I believe the design was made for high current devices running for relatively short time periods. Like microwaves and such. I don't really know what the losses would be on a Pass-thru situation charging CT.
5) As someone else posted in this thread, Theft of your setup is something to keep in mind. Even if the solar panels are bulky until broken down, the Solar Generator is a high dollar, portable device. Mine weighs 32 lb and cost $900. the panels each cost $300. So if you just want to hang around camp, not a problem. but in my experience, around folks at ORV parks there are wheelers who will steal if they think they can get away with it. If those same folks go overlanding, nothing is sacred.
As someone who just finished Field Day as well, I am quite familiar with your scale of setup. But what we are talking here is charging the Cybertruck. 400W doesn't even wake the truck up.
 

Woodrick

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20kwh is plenty to do what I need to make you lose this little bet. You must be confused and think it's not. I can't help you.

Not really doesn't. All he has to add is 10 Miles.

Just quit while being in the dumpster. Just cause you keep walking back bro and making excuses.

Not sure what you are talking about, but same solution I proposed from get go. Less than the size of a briefcase for inverter. Each 5.5kwh weighs 90. If you have 2. Looks like u be writing a check. Or crawl back into the electric information hole of nothingness.

Below is Eco flow ad which I don't use outside of in tents for friends. Maybe they are fools as well, and just don't understand.
I had to go way back in the thread to find your solution, a Bluetti AC300 with B300.

It only supports 120V 30A, 3,000W and mediocre amount of battery.

240V charging is a BIG reason and lack of enough battery is another.
 

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Bottom line, DIY and pick a part solar solutions are not likely to be practical to charge a CT in a reliable way.
 
 





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