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11-23-2021, 10:34 PM | #1 |
Not Yet Wild
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 12
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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? |
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11-24-2021, 09:49 AM | #2 |
Master of All Things
Join Date: May 2013
Location: West Columbia, Texas
Posts: 17,892
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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.
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11-24-2021, 01:29 PM | #3 |
Not Yet Wild
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 12
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Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?
Thank you for that brilliant insight! Now can you think of anything relative to my question?
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11-24-2021, 02:04 PM | #4 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: near Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 1,510
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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. |
11-24-2021, 02:28 PM | #5 |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
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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? |
11-24-2021, 02:54 PM | #6 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: near Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 1,510
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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. |
11-24-2021, 03:17 PM | #7 | |
Not Yet Wild
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 12
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Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?
Quote:
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? |
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11-24-2021, 04:16 PM | #8 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,919
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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. |
11-24-2021, 04:28 PM | #9 | |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
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Re: Solar setup for 36v cart, is it this easy?
Quote:
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. |
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11-24-2021, 07:10 PM | #10 |
Getting Wild
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Seattle
Posts: 103
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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. |
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