low cost MPPT controller March 26, 2010, 01:03:06 pm Yahoo Message Number: 111318I heard about this controller and was just searching for it and am amazed that it's $106 (USD). Andy, do you know anything about this controller?a9BZ 250http://www.solarblvd.com/product_info.php?info=p305_BZ-250-Watt-PV-MPPT-Charge-controller-50V-Input--12V-25A-Output.html&XTCsid=fc6c84c6d0e3a325670d67dbd8e15712>
Re: low cost MPPT controller Reply #1 – March 26, 2010, 01:47:27 pm Yahoo Message Number: 111320Not Andy (obviously :c), and I know not about that controller, though it sure is a low price! But, you'll want to compare carefully to the tried and true MPPT controllers that in some cases are not that much more money and deliver features the BZ doesn't appear to have. My Blue Sky http://www.infinigi.com/blue-sky-energy-sb2512i-solar-boost-2512i-controller-p-1685.html?ref=100 is $167 or so, and has a 3 stage charger with an equalization feature. Also, its front display gives more info, such as current from the panel *and* current going to the battery bank (so you can see how much boost you're getting). Whether the extra features and proven track record is worth the extra $60 is the question.bumper Yonder
Re: low cost MPPT controller Reply #2 – March 26, 2010, 01:54:45 pm Yahoo Message Number: 111321Quote Not Andy (obviously :c), and I know not about that controller, though it sure is a low price! But, you'll want to compare carefully to the tried and true MPPT controllers that in some cases are not that much more money and deliver features the BZ doesn't appear to have. My Blue Sky http://www.infinigi.com/blue-sky-energy-sb2512i-solar-boost-2512i-controller-p-1685.html?ref=100 is $167 or so, and has a 3 stage charger with an equalization feature. Also, its front display gives more info, such as current from the panel *and* current going to the battery bank (so you can see how much boost you're getting). Whether the extra features and proven track record is worth the extra $60 is the question.bumper Yonder Bumber, thank you for the link. The page I see has a flat piece of metal with two LEDs. I see no way on this page to view the current values. What am I missing?a9
Re: low cost MPPT controller Reply #3 – March 26, 2010, 02:10:22 pm Yahoo Message Number: 111322From: a9pu96etrem Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 10:52 AM To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [LD] low cost MPPT controller
Re: low cost MPPT controller Reply #4 – March 26, 2010, 02:47:28 pm Yahoo Message Number: 111323I found the spec sheet--such as it is--on the BZ Products controller:http://www.bzproducts.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/MPPT250Slick.pdf> It doesn't give much info, but there's a larger photo and the LCD panel is shown active.The main reasons for the BZ controller's low price are:1) It can only handle 250W (two panels), whereas the popular Heliotrope HPV-22B can handle 400W, and Bumper's BlueSky controller can handle 700W-1,400W, depending on panel voltage. With the BZ controller, if you ever want to add more panels (as many of us have done over the years), you'll have to buy a new controller.2) As Bumper pointed out, is tells you much less useful information about your charging system. All you get is battery voltage (useless) and charging current, plus an LED that tells you when it's in float mode.I won't say the BZ controller doesn't work, because it probably does. But given the fact that it comes from an unknown company and was obviously designed to be as inexpensive as possible... well, I think the extra sixty or a hundred bucks to buy a Heliotrope or Blue Sky unit is well worthwhile. Both those firms have been around a long time; both are known to stand behind their products; and those products are designed to do a lot more for you than BV's cheapie controller. Considering that the controller probably represents less than 10% of the total cost of a solar power system, I don't think it makes sense to pinch pennies with a lowball product like this.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: low cost MPPT controller Reply #5 – March 26, 2010, 11:54:37 pm Yahoo Message Number: 111335On Fri, 26 Mar 2010, andybaird2000 wrote:QuoteI found the spec sheet--such as it is--on the BZ Products controller: http://www.bzproducts.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/MPPT250Slick.pdf> It doesn't give much info, but there's a larger photo and the LCD panel is shown active.IF you want to see the specs, look at the installation manual http://www.bzproducts.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/MPPT250.pdfQuoteThe main reasons for the BZ controller's low price are:1) It can only handle 250W (two panels), whereas the popular Heliotrope HPV-22B can handle 400W, and Bumper's BlueSky controller can handle 700W-1,400W, depending on panel voltage. With the BZ controller, if you ever want to add more panels (as many of us have done over the years), you'll have to buy a new controller.If you look at the specs for both you will see that the MPPT250 has a max charge current of 25 AMPS while the HPV-22B has a max charge current of 22 AMPS. How AM Solar can claim that its HPV-22B can handle 400 WATTS is beyond me (even at 15V, 22AMPS = 330 WATTS) Personal opinion is that AM Solar is being optimistic and BZ is being conservative.Quote2) As Bumper pointed out, is tells you much less useful information about your charging system. All you get is battery voltage (useless) and charging current, plus an LED that tells you when it's in float mode.It looks to me that to get any information from Bumper's suggested controler requires an $85 extra piece. While I wish BZ had included "Array Amps", it's not worth $169 to me (difference in price between the HPV-22B and the BZ MPPT250)QuoteI won't say the BZ controller doesn't work, because it probably does. But given the fact that it comes from an unknown company and was obviously designed to be as inexpensive as possible... well, I think the extra sixty or a hundred bucks to buy a Heliotrope or Blue Sky unit is well worthwhile. I can't say which company is better known (excluding of course to members of this group) but Heliotrope products are sold ONLY thru AM Solar and BZ products are widely available from many sources. Oh, and make that an extra $169 for the Heliotrope.Quote Both those firms have been around a long time; both are known to stand behind their products; and those products are designed to do a lot more for you than BV's cheapie controller. Considering that the controller probably represents less than 10% of the total cost of a solar power system, I don't think it makes sense to pinch pennies with a lowball product like this. "Cheapie"...."Lowball" Wow! Pretty strong words from someone who has never even seen the unit. Just to complete the comparison between it and the HPV-22B, both are 2 stage controllers and both include temperature compensation probes. The HPV-22B includes an on/off switch and a "Dry Camp / Shore Power" switch. The MPPT250 includes a "Low Voltage Disconnect" feature and a "Trickle Charge" feature to keep your chasis battery charged while boondocking. I decided to go with the MPPT250HV (note the HV for high voltage) even tho it costs about $10 more than the MPPT250. It is one of the few controlers on the market that can handle an array voltage over 50 V. (It can handle 100 V as opposed to 50 V for the MPPT250 and 35 V for the HPV-22B). I wanted to be able to experiment with running my 2 100 W AM Solar Pannels in series as well as parallel, so the higher input voltage was a requirement. I have had my system operational for a couple of months now and everything is working as advertised. I wish I had other controllers available to compare it with, but I have no complaints with my "Cheapie" controller, and I have an extra $150 for other uses.Rich Gort - 2000 MB - Birch Bay, WA
Re: low cost MPPT controller Reply #6 – March 27, 2010, 11:14:46 am Yahoo Message Number: 111339Thanks for for posting your firsthand experiences with the low-cost BZ Products controller, Rich. It's good to know that the unit works as advertised. "How AM Solar can claim that its HPV-22B can handle 400 WATTS is beyond me (even at 15V, 22AMPS = 330 WATTS)" The Heliotrope controllers are designed to work with AM Solar's 22V panels. 22 amps at 22V = 484 watts, so the Heliotrope controller appears to be conservatively rated.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: low cost MPPT controller Reply #7 – March 27, 2010, 12:27:59 pm Yahoo Message Number: 111340Andy, AM Solar's web site states "22 Amp Charging Capabilities" for the HPV-22B. I interpret that to mean charging of the battery, hence my questioning of the 400 W capability. Since I cannot find any real specifications for the HPV-22B anywhere on the net (I even had to call AM Solar to find out what array voltage it was capable of handling) we are speculating as to what that 22 Amp figure means. They may very well assume that 4 of their 100 W panels would never exceed 22 A of charging current using that controller. If you know where we can find detailed specifications for the HPV-22B (similiar to those included in the installation manual of the MPPT250) please let us know where.Rich
Re: low cost MPPT controller Reply #8 – March 27, 2010, 05:11:32 pm Yahoo Message Number: 111346"If you know where we can find detailed specifications for the HPV-22B (similiar to those included in the installation manual of the MPPT250) please let us know where." Rich, I wasn't able to find detailed specs for the Heliotrope controllers online (and I agree that they should be posted). I don't own an HPV-22B; my setup uses an HPV-30 because I have 500W of panels--more than the HPV-22B can handle. The first page of my HPV-30 owner's manual gives these specs.-------- Output current rating: 30A Maximum input power: 600W System voltage: 12V nominal Maximum PV open circuit voltage: 30V Maximum battery voltage: 30V Output current limit: 30A +/- 1A Meter full scale range: 0 to 199.9 Voltmeter accuracy: +/- 0.1V Current meter accuracy: +/- 0.1A Charge voltage adjustment: 13.8V to 15.0V typical Power conversion efficiency: 95% typical @ 20A Temp coefficient nonlinear: 0.01V/degree F. Current consumption: standby: 28 mA typical charge on: 110 mA typical Faceplate dimensions: 4" x 4.5" Storage temperature range: -40 degrees C. (-40 F.) to +85 degrees C. (185 F.) Specified temperature range: 0 degrees C. (32 F.) to 40 degrees C. (104 F.) Extended range: -40 degrees C. (-40 F.) to +50 degrees C. (122 F.) (will operate but may not meet specifications) -------- Perhaps Bumper can point you to the specs for his Blue Sky controller, which looks to be at least as good as the Heliotrope models, if not better. Heliotrope really should put this information online!Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
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