Solar panels connected to the battery is one of the most basic tasks, but when connecting the battery need to prepare some materials and considerations, you will be able to connect the system independently, as described below:
Materials needed to connect solar panels to batteries
For example, if you need to install solar panels and need to connect them to a 12V battery, the materials needed are as follows.
1. 12 gauge wire that is compatible with a 12V system.
2. 12 gauge wire connectors
3. MC4 solar adapter cable
4. MC4 solar extension cable, use the extension cable to connect the solar panel when it is far away from the battery.
5. 15 Amp MC4 fuse is required for 12V batteries, which protects the circuit from excessive current.
6. 20 Amp plug-in fuse holder, can make sure to cut off the circuit in case of circuit overload.
7. Heat shrink tubing
8. Screwdriver
9. Wire stripper
10. Crimping pliers
11. Hot air gun
12. Wire cutters
13. Personal protective equipment (gloves, protective glasses, etc.)
Step 1. Battery cable wiring
Using wire cutters, cut the two sections of wire to the desired length, then use wire strippers to strip the insulation from both ends of the wire, place the fuse into the fuse holder, use the selected wire connector to connect the wire from the fuse holder to the cable, then use heat shrink tubing and a heat gun to shrink wrap the connector so that we have two sets of cables, one set with a fuse and one set without a fuse, and finally slide the heat shrink tubing onto each of the battery cables, crimp the battery terminals to the battery cables and shrink wrap the connections using the heat gun. (Note: Use battery terminal connectors that are compatible with the battery terminals to ensure that they can be installed on the battery terminals.)
Step 2. Connect the Battery to the Charge Controller
Charge controller that is solar controller, there are MPPT type solar charge controller and PWM type solar charge controller, the role is to regulate the voltage and current from the solar panel, to be able to charge the battery correctly, so the solar panel can not be directly connected to the battery, if the direct connection will result in a mismatch of voltage and current, the battery will be damaged.
1. Connect the negative battery cable without fuse to the negative terminal of the solar charge controller, and connect the cable with fuse to the positive terminal of the solar charge controller.
2. Then connect the negative battery cable without fuse to the negative terminal of the battery, usually with a minus sign at the negative terminal, and then connect the positive battery cable with fuse to the positive terminal of the battery, with a plus sign at the positive terminal of the battery.
3. Pay attention to wearing protective equipment during the connection process, and install the negative terminal before the positive terminal when installing the battery cable, which can avoid sparks during the connection process.
4. Turn on the solar charge controller to make sure the battery is connected, usually the solar controller will have a light up to confirm the battery is connected correctly.
Step 3. Install the solar panel
Install the solar panel in a sunny place and install it firmly to prevent the panel from falling and being damaged. Pay attention to the installation angle during the installation process and find a location where the sunlight does not cast a shadow, which can help the solar panel absorb more energy and improve the energy conversion efficiency.
Step 4. Connect the solar panel to the charge controller
Solar panels have pre-installed MC4 connectors, connect the positive cable to the MC4 fuse, then connect the MC4 solar adapter cable, if the solar panel is far away from the battery, you can use the MC4 solar extension cable.
1.Connect the negative cable of the MC4 solar adapter cable to the negative connector of the solar panel and the positive cable to the positive connector of the solar panel.
2Connect the negative cable of the solar panel to the negative connector of the charge controller, and then connect the positive cable of the solar panel to the positive connector of the charge controller.
3 Turn on the solar charge controller to confirm the solar panel connection, usually the solar controller will display to confirm the solar panel is connected correctly.
Step 5. Connect the solar inverter
Some inverters and charge controllers are integrated together, there is no need to repeat the installation, the reason for using an inverter is that the output of the battery is DC, while our family uses AC, we need to convert DC to AC for family use. If you need to connect then connect the negative terminal of the inverter first and then the positive terminal of the inverter.
Step 6. Testing the solar system
After connecting the solar panel to the battery correctly, test that the solar system works properly, that the solar panel can charge the battery, and that the battery can be used by the household electrical devices.
