lifted club cars - lifted ezgo
Home FAQDonate Who's Online
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Electric EZGO
Electric EZGO Electric EZ GO Marathon, Medalist, TXT and RXV.



Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-23-2021, 10:34 PM   #1
Captain Claptrap
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 12
Default Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

So I have a 20 year old EZGO 36v cart. My kids are lazy and don't take it to the charger like they should after use, because it's far away from where we park the cart. The shed where we park it is remote--no ac. What I would like to do is mount 3 12v 100 watt panels to the roof of the shed, hook them up in series to this 30 amp charge controller and have the output of the charge controller go directly to this receptacle I'll have right where they park the cart--no excuses!

Is it really this simple, or am I missing something?
Captain Claptrap is offline   Reply With Quote
Alt Today
BGW

Golf car forum Sponsored Links

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum
   
Old 11-24-2021, 09:49 AM   #2
Sir Nuke
Master of All Things
 
Sir Nuke's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: West Columbia, Texas
Posts: 17,892
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

another solution would be to stop allowing the kids to use the cart....rules are rules, if they don't want to obey them....can't use the cart. start walking, simple as that.
Sir Nuke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2021, 01:29 PM   #3
Captain Claptrap
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 12
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Nuke View Post
another solution would be to stop allowing the kids to use the cart....rules are rules, if they don't want to obey them....can't use the cart. start walking, simple as that.
Thank you for that brilliant insight! Now can you think of anything relative to my question?
Captain Claptrap is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2021, 02:04 PM   #4
ThreeCW
Gone Wild
 
ThreeCW's Avatar
Cushman
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: near Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 1,510
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

I agree with Sir Nuke's solution.

And you forgot to put a in your reply to Sir Nuke ... you might owe him an apology

With 3 x 100 W solar panels in series, I would expect you would get about 8 amps at 36 volts nominal.

This might replace some of the energy that the cart uses but I doubt it would be enough to provide you a full charge.

If you are wanting to fully replace plug in charging, you would need larger solar panels.

There have been a few solar carts on this site ... do a quick search and you can see what others have been doing.
ThreeCW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2021, 02:28 PM   #5
JohnnieB
Techno-Nerd
 
JohnnieB's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

The voltage of a fully charged 36V battery pack is over 38V so the output of a 36V solar array won't fully charge it, if the output is, if fact, 36V.

Also, a voltage higher then the fully charged voltage is needed to charge lead-acid batteries. attached is a chart showing the recommended charging voltages for Trojan brand lead-acid, wet-cell, deep-cycle batteries. Looks like about 48.6V is needed for the finish charge.

Maybe a 4 x 12V array might work.

HOWEVER, cart usage is most likely during daylight hours and the sun doesn't shine at night, so will there be enough hours of sunshine to keep the batteries charged?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Trojan reccomended on-charge voltages.jpg (125.2 KB, 0 views)
JohnnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2021, 02:54 PM   #6
ThreeCW
Gone Wild
 
ThreeCW's Avatar
Cushman
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: near Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 1,510
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

My experience with a 100 W solar panel is that it will charge a 12 volt battery at about 14.5 volts and that was enough replace the energy we used with lights and water pump in our living quarters horse trailer. For larger power use we would have to fire up the generator to recharge the batteries.

So the voltage it there with the solar panel to charge a battery ... but most likely not enough Watts to replace what a cart would use.

I also "assume" that kids on carts would result in lots of hours, lots of amps and some fully discharged batteries ... that 300 watts of panels would not even come close to recharging.
ThreeCW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2021, 03:17 PM   #7
Captain Claptrap
Not Yet Wild
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 12
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnieB View Post
The voltage of a fully charged 36V battery pack is over 38V so the output of a 36V solar array won't fully charge it, if the output is, if fact, 36V.

Also, a voltage higher then the fully charged voltage is needed to charge lead-acid batteries. attached is a chart showing the recommended charging voltages for Trojan brand lead-acid, wet-cell, deep-cycle batteries. Looks like about 48.6V is needed for the finish charge.

Maybe a 4 x 12V array might work.

HOWEVER, cart usage is most likely during daylight hours and the sun doesn't shine at night, so will there be enough hours of sunshine to keep the batteries charged?
I have to wonder about the design intent of the charge controller I linked to if it is somehow not capable of properly charging the 36v bank. I grant that it may take an enormous amount of time to charge a depleted cart, but your reply I think questions the charge controller itself. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that I thought that was exactly what this controller was designed for. I'll have to dig into the manual for that controller.

The other piece is the question of daylight hours. I think my kids average use is only 20 minutes maybe 3 days per week. The problem has been that if you don't charge it for 2 weeks... that's the worst way to maintain batteries as I understand. I was hoping this solar setup could be used for this build-up of mostly mild discharges.

Would you think it useful in the above scenario? And a separate question, suppose one day it didn't get plugged in until 1 hour before sunset and so only a partial re-charge-8 hour intermission--then full recharge. Are interrupted charges like that something to be avoided?
Captain Claptrap is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2021, 04:16 PM   #8
Pat911
Gone Wild
Club Car
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,919
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

That charge controller will work but it would be better to go with an MPPT controller as opposed to a PWM controller. MPPT is a much better solution. It's around 30% more efficient so your loosing one of your 100w panels going with PWM.

Are the panels you're looking at using designed specifically to charge 12v batteries or are they a 12v nominal panel with no electronics whatsoever? When feeding a charge controller you want basic panels without charge controllers built in. Connect the three panels in series and then to the charge controller.

Lastly, why use 12v panels. Why not use one (or two) higher voltage and wattage panels.

Cheers
Pat.
Pat911 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2021, 04:28 PM   #9
JohnnieB
Techno-Nerd
 
JohnnieB's Avatar
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Claptrap View Post
----------------

Would you think it useful in the above scenario? And a separate question, suppose one day it didn't get plugged in until 1 hour before sunset and so only a partial re-charge-8 hour intermission--then full recharge. Are interrupted charges like that something to be avoided?
Any charging is better than not charging.

A battery pack cradle to grave lifespan varies directly with the average SoC maintained during that lifespan, so the sooner the charging starts, the higher the overall average SoC.
JohnnieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2021, 07:10 PM   #10
Monstermaker
Getting Wild
E-Z-GO
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Seattle
Posts: 103
Default Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?

I fully support Sir Nuke, it was completely relevant.
You started off saying the kids were lazy and not plugging it in… so, there’s the problem right there.
Monstermaker is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Electric EZGO


Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Forum
2003 TXT custom lithium/solar setup Lithium EZGO
Solar Golf Cart Chargers Electric EZGO
Precedent Solar Powered Cart On Road Golf Carts!


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:27 PM.


Club Car Electric | EZGO Electric | Lifted Golf Carts | Gas EZGO | Used Golf Carts and Parts

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This Website and forum is the property of Buggiesgonewild.com. No material may be taken or duplicated in part or full without prior written consent of the owners of buggiesgonewild.com. © 2006-2017 Buggiesgonewild.com. All rights reserved.