Installation and Operation Manual
6
ELECTROSTATIC HANDLING PRECAUTIONS
All electronic circuits may be damaged by static electricity. To minimize the likelihood of electrostatic damage, discharge yourself by touching a water faucet
or other electrical ground prior to handling the 1524 and avoid touching components on the circuit boards. The risk of electrostatic damage is highest when relative
humidity is below 40%.
BATTERY AND PV VOLTAGE
Nominal battery voltage and PV voltage are determined automatically. The battery is considered to be 12V if battery voltage following boot is less than
16V, or 24V if battery voltage is greater. If the battery is determined to be 24V all 12V voltage setpoints are doubled. PV voltage is also determined
automatically. If nominal PV voltage is changed following installation power must be momentarily removed to reboot the 3024 to reconfigure PV voltage.
SELECTING PV MODULES
Voltage, current and power produced by Photovoltaic (PV) modules fluctuate widely with operating conditions. As a result a set of test conditions
referred to as
Standard Test Conditions
(
STC
) are used to rate modules in a meaningful manner and accurately predict real world performance. STC
ratings are not maximum or optimal ratings. Conditions can be present where V
OC
and I
SC
approach 1.25 times STC ratings which is why National Electrical
Code and our recommendations call for 1.25 derating of both V
OC
and I
SC
. Yet in real world conditions I
MP
is commonly only about 75 – 80% of I
MP
at STC.
Key PV module specifications;
P
MAX
Maximum power in watts (P
MAX
= V
MP
x I
MP
)
V
OC
Voltage with module open circuit (typically
≈
20 – 22V for 12V modules)
V
MP
Voltage where module produces Maximum Power (typically
≈
17 – 18V for 12V modules)
I
MP
Current where module produces Maximum Power
I
SC
Current with module Short Circuit
The 1524 will provide the best MPPT current boost performance if all PV modules are identical. If module types are mixed, do not put dissimilar
modules in series. Dissimilar modules in parallel should have V
MP
values within
≈
0.5V or better for 12V modules, and be of the same basic cell technology so
their V
MP
will tend to track as operating conditions change. If module types are very different consider using a separate charge controller for each module
type to obtain the best MPPT current boost performance.
Select PV modules that do not exceed the maximum ratings shown below, and preferably produce at least 3A of I
MP
per 100 amp-hours of battery capacity.
Recommended range of V
MP
at STC
Nominal
Battery
Voltage
Automatic
Current Limit
Maximum
PV Power @
STC
Maximum
PV
Isc @ STC
Maximum
PV
V
OC
@ STC
Nominal 12V PV
Nominal 18V PV
Nominal 24V PV
12V 20A* 270W 16A* 24.0V* 16.5
–
18.5V
5
5
12V 15A 200W 8A 45.6V
5
24.8 – 27.8V
5
12V 15A 200W 6A 45.6V
5
5
33.0 – 37.0V
24V 15A 400W 12A 45.6V
5
5
33.0 – 37.0V
*
Current rating and current limit are 20A when charging a 12V battery from nominal 12V PV modules. If
PV V
OC
ever exceeds 30V (>12V nominal PV modules) current rating and current limit become 15A.
AS SHIPPED FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS
¾
The 1524 contains various user configurable settings all of which are preconfigured at the factory. Most installations require no
changes to these settings which are typically suitable for most lead-acid batteries including sealed lead-acid batteries such as
Gel and AGM. All software programmable settings require the IPN-ProRemote to change and are retained if power is lost or the
IPN-ProRemote is used as a setup tool only and removed.
Software programmable settings
•
Charge mode .............................................. 3-stage
•
Equalize voltage ....................................................... 15.2/30.4V
•
Acceptance voltage .................................... 14.2/28.4V
•
Equalize time ............................................................ 2.0 hours
•
Float voltage ................................................ 13.2/26.4V
•
Auto equalize days ................................................... 30 days
•
Charge time ................................................ 2.0 hours
•
Maximum voltage setpoint limit ................................ 15.5/31.0V
•
Float Transition Current .............................. 1.5A/100 amp-hours
•
Temperature compensation factor ...........................
−
5.00mV/
°
C/cell
•
Load control ON voltage ........................... 12.6/25.2V
•
Dusk-to-Dawn lighting control ................................ Disabled
•
Load control OFF voltage ......................... 11.523.0V
DIP switch & jumper settings (All DIP’s OFF, A2 open)
•
Auxiliary Output mode ................................ Auxiliary battery charger
•
IPN Network address ............................................... 0 (zero, IPN Master)
•
Equalize ...................................................... Disabled
EQUALIZE ENABLE
If DIP switch #4 is turned OFF, equalization is completely disabled. If DIP switch #4 is turned ON prior to the application of battery power, automatic
equalization is enabled and the 1524 will perform automatic equalization after the set number of Auto Equalize Days has elapsed. If DIP switch #4 is turned
ON, after battery power is applied an automatic equalization cycle will begin immediately. Equalization can also be started and stopped from the IPN-
ProRemote if DIP switch #4 is ON.
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