Blue Sky Energy - Solar Boost 2000E
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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Solar Boost™ 2000E is a 25 amp 12 volt Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) photovoltaic (PV) battery charge controller with built in digital
display. Through the use of patented MPPT technology the 2000E can increase charge current up to 30% or more compared to conventional controllers. The
2000E’s sophisticated charge control system improves battery performance and life while minimizing battery maintenance. The unit is fully protected against
voltage transients, over temperature, over current, reverse battery and reverse PV connections. An automatic current limit feature allows use of the full 25
amp capability without worrying about overload or nuisance fuse blow from excessive current. An environmentally sealed high current high reliability relay is
used to disconnect the PV array at night to prevent unwanted current drain.
PART NUMBERS AND OPTIONS
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SB2000E ............ Solar Boost 2000E charge controller
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930-0022-20 ....... Optional battery temperature sensor
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720-0011-01 ....... Optional wall mount box, black powder coated steel
OPERATION
Charge control and MPPT current boost operations are fully automatic. Charge turns on whenever the PV array is capable of producing approximately
0.15 amps at @ 14 volts. Note that there must be a battery in the system with a minimum voltage of 9 volts or greater for the 2000E to operate. Electronic
current limit prevents the possibility of overload by limiting output current to 25 amps regardless of available PV input current or input power.
The highly accurate digital display consumes very little power and is always on and available for use. As shown in Figure 1, the display can be
selected to show Solar Panel Current, Output Charge Current or Battery Voltage. Solar Panel Current displays current in amps flowing from the PV array to
the 2000E, whereas Output Charge Current displays current in amps flowing from the 2000E to the battery. When MPPT current boost is functioning, Output
Charge Current will be greater than Solar Panel Current. If operating conditions are such extra power is not available from the PV array and MPPT current
boost is unable to operate, Output Charge Current may show 0.1 amps less than Solar Panel Current. This is normal as the 2000E consumes approximately
0.090 amps to operate when PV charge is on. When PV charge is off, standby current consumption is quite low at approximately 0.017 amps.
Battery Voltage is measured at the 2000E’s battery terminals. Although the measurement system is highly accurate, displayed voltage may be
somewhat higher than actual battery terminal voltage when high charge current is being delivered to the battery. This is due to voltage drop in the wires
between the 2000E and battery. Error during charge can be minimized by using large low resistance wiring.
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The 2000E operates on battery power, not PV power. A battery must be connected with a minimum voltage of 9 volts for the unit
to operate.
CHARGE CONTROL
The 2000E provides a two stage charging process, Bulk and Constant Voltage. A third manually actuated Equalize mode is also available. The 2000E
will be in Bulk charge when battery voltage is below the charge voltage setpoint (factory set to 14.0 volts). During Bulk the 2000E delivers as much charge current
as possible to rapidly recharge the battery and drive battery voltage up to the charge voltage setpoint. Once the battery recovers sufficient charge for battery
voltage to rise to the charge voltage setpoint, both PV current and output charge current are reduced as necessary to control battery voltage at the charge voltage
setpoint.
CHARGE STATUS INDICATOR
A Charge Status indicator LED is provided on the 2000E panel. For small scale solar electric systems an excellent indication of a highly charged battery is
when the 2000E is able to hold the battery at the desired charge voltage setpoint. These systems usually consist of 75 – 400 watts of PV power, and charge a
battery bank in the range of perhaps 100 – 600 amp-hours. With sufficient PV power and the battery under light load so that there is at least 2 amps of net charge
current per 100 amp-hours of battery capacity, the system will show the battery to be charged when the battery is greater than approximately 90 – 95% full. When
the Charge Status LED blinks showing the 2000E to be in the constant voltage mode, the battery is considered charged.
If PV power generation is too low and/or load current is too high for there to be at least 2 amps of net charge current available per 100 amp-hours of battery
capacity the Solar Boost 2000E may be unable to hold battery voltage at the desired charge voltage setpoint. This will cause a discharged condition to be
displayed even though the battery may be highly charged. A charged condition will again be displayed if sufficient net charge current becomes available and the
battery is indeed charged. A smaller battery and/or larger PV array will tend to show a charged condition sooner.
CHARGE STATUS INDICATOR
CHARGE STATUS INDICATOR
CHARGE MODE
APPROXIMATE CHARGE LEVEL
OFF CHARGE
OFF
CONTINUOUSLY ON
BULK
LESS THAN 90% FULL
BLINKING
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2 SEC ON / 2 SEC OFF
CONSTANT VOLTAGE
GREATER THAN 90% FULL
RAPID BLINKING
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0.2 SEC ON / 0.2 SEC OFF
EQUALIZE
TABLE 1
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