How To Power the Level 2 EV Chargers with Solar Panels
What you'll learn
- Understand how the capacity of a MPPT solar charge controller system can be maximized for level 2 EV chargers
- Understand the principle of solar charge maximizing controller system, and why the system capacity can be maximized.
- Understand the benefit and its application of Solar Charge Maximizing Controller (SCMC) System
- Size and arrange the solar panel connections in the combination of series and parallel for maximum PV power output
- Specify and size the battery bank capacity according to the solar array power output and maximum consumption during the day
- Common positive and common negative Solar Charge Maximizing Controller System
- Solar array grounding options: positive ground, negative ground and floating solar array
- General guidelines for locating MPPT Solar Charge Controller, and Solar Charge Maximizing Controller (SCMC), battery bank, inverter
- Define split-bolt wire(s) connecting PV panels in series, PV panels in paralell and Solar Charge Maximizing Controller
- Size the solar cable gauge based on voltage drop allowed as per local electrical codes or standards
- Use the MC4 solar panel connectors in the solar charge maximizing system, and understand its current capacity limitations
- Use split-bolts to connect up to six of solar cables each for maximum current capacity
- Use wire lug or eyelet lug to connect many solar cables or heavy gauge cable to solar charge maximizing controller or battery bank
- Use HIGH CURRENT ANDERSON CONNECTOR, and wire lug to make a heavy duty, high current quick disconnet
- Learn the technique and skills to make reliable heavy duty wire lug connector with solar cable crimping tool, soldering tool, heat shrink tubes
- Use cable grands, terminal bus bars, power distribution blocks, terminal blocks, and battery junction blocks in a SCMC system
- Use common positive MPPT solar charge controller in a common negative Solar Charge Maximizing Controller system for a separated battery charging
Requirements
- Students with basic knowledge of photovoltaic (PV) power.
- Students with grade 12 (high school) education.
Description
Maximize the energy harvesting from the Sun
This course starts by explaining how to use solar panels to power a level 2 EV charger, and how to maximize the PV energy harvesting from the Sun without electronic components overheating. The course explains what is a Solar Charge Maximizing Controller & its System, the principle of Solar Charge Maximizing Controller, the difference between the MPPT solar charge controller and Solar Charge Maximizing Controller (SCMC), and how the Solar Charge Maximizing Controller is working with MPPT solar charge controller to increase the current capacity of a MPPT solar charge controller system by 2~5 times.
The Benefit and Application of Solar Charge Maximizing Controller System
This course explains the unique benefit of Solar Charge Maximizing Controller System, and why it is most suitable for any off-grid or hybrid Solar PV systems (behind-the-meter _BTM PV power systems) with battery banks.
The course explains that the most important benefit of the SCMC system is that the SCMC system can power any DC load directly without consuming Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery's charging cycles, as the LFP battery in the SCMC system is mainly to maintain the system voltage. And the LFP batteries are not necessarily to be charged or discharged, so its service life will be extended.
The SCMC system may also form a grid-tie hybrid system. The main advantage is that such a hybrid grid-tie system can have all its solar panels functioning to power the local load during a grid power outage.
Common negative and common positive Solar Charge Maximizing Controller (SCMC) system
This course explains what is a common negative & common positive MPPT solar charge controller, and why they must match the same common negative or common positive SCMC design to charge the same battery or battery banks. The course also introduces the method to determine if a MPPT solar charge controller is of common negative or common positive design.
Split-bolt wire(S)
This course explains what is split-bolt wire or wires in a solar charge maximizing controller system. The course explains how the split-bolt connector can be formed, why the split-bolt wire(s) shall be connected to and controlled by the solar charge maximizing controller.
Solar array grounding options
This course explores the solar array grounding options in a Solar Charge Maximizing Controller System, and further explains why the solar array could be a floating array, or a grounded array, but the split-wire(s) must never be connected to the ground in a solar charge maximizing controller system.
Types of solar energy storage battery and SCMC system battery capacity sizing guidelines
This course studies the charging and discharging behaviours of several common types of solar PV energy storage batteries. The course explains the construction details and State-of-Charge of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, and why it is used in the SCMC system to maintain the system voltage.
The course explores the application of lead / acid based batteries in the SCMC system, and how it may be integrated in the SCMC system with LFP batteries.
This course also introduces the system sizing and battery sizing guidelines for the hybrid grid-tie system when the grid-tie approval is obtained.
Types of solar power cable and wire gauge sizing
This course introduces the common types of solar cables used for connection between solar PV panels and combiner boxes. The course provides the voltage drop guidelines for solar cable gauge sizing, and the online tool for solar cable sizing.
Locating the major components of SCMC system
This course explains where the LFP batteries and other major components, such as inverters, MPPT solar charge controllers, automatic transfer switch shall be located for the safe and efficient operation of the SCMC system.
Common electrical components used in the solar charge maximizing controller system
This course introduces following components that are commonly used in the SCMC systems: DC disconnects, DC breakers, solar wire connectors, split bolts, power distribution blocks, wire lugs, terminal blocks, Anderson quick disconnects, solar cable glands, combiner box, junction boxes, electrical enclosures.
Video demonstration of solar cables MC4 & split-bolt connection forming techniques
This course includes video demonstrations on how to form a reliable MC4 connector, and how to form a split-bolt connection for high current carrying capacity split-bolt wires.
Video demonstration of solar cables and heavy gauge wire lugs soldering connection forming techniques
This course includes video demonstrations on how to tin a solar cable for the split-bolt connections in humid climate zones. and how to bundle up to 10 solar cables connecting a heavy gauge wire lug with propane torch to form a wire lug connection for over 200 amps current carrying capacity.
SCMC system planning, starting up and commissioning
The course includes a detailed explanation of SCMC system planning, design, installation and powering up and commissioning techniques.
Planning for the future potential, as Solar Charge Maximizing Controller will also supply power for level 3 EV chargers
Upon completing this course, the solar professionals would likely what to learn "How to use solar charge maximizing controller system to power the level 3 EV chargers". It is very exciting that Solar Charge Maximizing Controllers will supply power to level 3 EV chargers as well. In the level 3 PV4EV systems, the DC power from solar charge maximizer will supply DC power from the solar panels to the EV batteries directly to charge the EVs, without transformers, power transmission loss in the grid lines. There is no inverter required for DC charging. The solar charge maximizer is bringing us revolutionary change to the way all EVs are charged. And the capacity limit is endless. This is the way how the ICEs shall be phased out.
Who this course is for:
- Anyone who is not satisfied with the capacity of existing Off-grid or Behind-The-Meter (BTM) PV power systems with MPPT Solar Charge Controller
- All level solar energy professinals: installers, sale person, PV power system designers, solar contractors, and solar PV energy engineers
- Minimum grade 12 (high school) students who are seeking future career in the renewable energy industry
- Anyone who works on solar energy projects as a hobby
Instructor
- 4.5 Instructor Rating
- 8 Reviews
- 84 Students
- 2 Courses
Wayne is a professional engineer, with multiple trade licenses (PEO, sheet metal worker, refrigeration & air conditioning mechanic, industrial mechanic), providing building mechanical and electrical engineering services to the public in Ontario, Canada since 2010.
He has a passion for teaching. He taught millwright courses in the trade school for the foreign educated trade professionals to obtain trade licenses for working in Ontario in the early 2000's.
During 2014 and 2016, Wayne worked as partial-load faculty in George Brown College (Toronto, Ontario), and taught "Air Conditioning Theory", "Residential HVAC System Design", "Air Conditioning Laboratory Applications", "Refrigeration Theory", "Electrical Fundamentals for HVAC", "Electrical Circuit Analysis for HVAC"...etc courses in the HVAC/R program.
Concerned about climate change, global warming and natural disasters that are happening across the world in recent years, Wayne has invented the Solar Charge Maximizing Controllers (SCMC) system to maximize the PV power for off-grid and behind-the-meter solar array systems. He is the founder of WH Mechanical Engineering Inc.