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Off grid system

 
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Greetings fellow permies. I am having difficulty with my electric system and soliciting advise from anyone with more knowledge and experience than I. Currently I am running a coleman 440 hva charge controller with a 12 volt system. I have a 5000 watt inverter by aims and 8 6volt batteries in a series/parallel configuration. I had been running 10 seasun solar panels that are 185watts each. The system was working fine until I connected two 1600watt wind turbines. What follows is a brief description of the difficulty presented: the battery charge would not go above 12.3volts regardless of the amount of wind or sun available. When the turbines slowed to a stop the battery charge would decrease without a load on the system other than what the inverter and charge controller would draw under normal operation. Upon removing the turbines from the system the solar panels resume working fine as before operation with turbines. I have also configured the system without the panels and encountered the same issues. I am at a loss of ideas on how to get my electric operating properly. Anything at this point will be welcome.
 
pollinator
Posts: 3827
Location: Massachusetts, Zone:6/7 AHS:4 GDD:3000 Rainfall:48in even Soil:SandyLoam pH6 Flat
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A Wind turbine system need one additional component that a solar system does not need and that is load diversion. If you do not get this then the turbine will overload and overheat the battery bank which will then cause it to work improperly.

Another factor is that the turbine is not producing a voltage that the charge controller can use i.e the turbine is outright defect and unstable or it might be producing 12v whereas the charge controller is rated for 48volts.

So make sure you have a load diversion in place and if you do make sure that it is big enough to handle all it.
Get a multi-meter and make sure that the voltage/current from the wind turbine is at an acceptable/usable range.
Make sure that the charge controller is one that can utilize the charge coming from the turbine and also that it is not defective.
I am pretty sure that your wind turbine contains a functional DC regulator but just to be sure please double check that.
 
pollinator
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Location: 2300' elev., southern oregon
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Howdy.
this from home power magazine,
https://www.microhydropower.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Diversion-Battery-Control.pdf
 
pollinator
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Location: Bendigo , Australia
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That micropower site is amazing! Thanks
 
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