Which configuration should I choose

7 Posts
Mar 26, 2011 02:18 am
Which configuration should I choose

Hi all,
Here is my project:
My customer currently use 400W halogen lamps at 240V A.C, we have persuaded them to change to use LED floodlight(240V A.C,56W)with solar panel.  Solar Panel is the idea from my customer.  Here is the problem:

In case for a continuously cloudy day, the solar-LED system have to be automatically switch to the mains (240V A.C), so which configuration I should choose:

1a) Change the voltage in of the LED floodlight to 24V D.C and
1b) place an converter (from 240V to 24V D.C) between the mains to the LED floodlight in case not enough solar power supply is detected?  (is there a charger controller equip this feature?)

2) Is there a charge controller have a function that when not enough solar power is detected, the battery can automatically draws current from the mains?

3) Or just add an inverter between the battery and the 240V A.C. in of the LED floodlight, and once not enough solar power is detected by the charger, the mains could supply current to the LED floodlight automatically, in order to doing that, what component is needed?


Pls kindly advise.
Thanks and Best Regards,
Eric Lee

 
99 Posts
Mar 27, 2011 12:45 am
Re: Which configuration should I choose

Congrats on making the load much more efficient!

If it were me, I'd leave the mains out of it and just size the batteries and solar panels sufficiently to make up for any cloudy days.  If you can do everything on DC and leave the cost of an inverter out of it, you could buy a gas or propane generator to supply power those 2-3 times per year that it's cloudy for a week straight and still come out ahead in cost.

Alternatively, don't bother with batteries and just buy a grid-tie inverter and make all the loads AC.  Then you save significant cost on batteries, always have the grid as backup, and can even sell power back.  But you lose the ability to withstand a blackout of the grid.

The most flexible, but costliest option is to get both a grid-capable inverter and batteries.  Then when there isn't enough sun, your mains power charges the batteries and you draw the DC power from the batteries directly, or you power your AC loads from the inverter.  You should never need an AC-to-DC converter if you have batteries.  The inverter does that for you in order to charge the batteries.
 

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