Generator & Solar simultaneous charging

[VLWino]

Hi AS experts!

I've got a 2017 25FB with two 6v AGM lifeline batteries and 200w of solar panels. However, we are in a shady spot here in the redwoods so not as much solar as I would like. I'm supplementing with a generator.

Question- will charging solar and generator at the same time damage the batteries or charger?

Thanks for any help!

VLWino

[batman]

Originally Posted by VLWino

Hi AS experts!

I've got a 2017 25FB with two 6v AGM lifeline batteries and 200w of solar panels. However, we are in a shady spot here in the redwoods so not as much solar as I would like. I'm supplementing with a generator.

Question- will charging solar and generator at the same time damage the batteries or charger?

Thanks for any help!

VLWino

How funny. I have been out at the trailer playing with my solar. I had not given that much thought. Not being sure, so I tried it. I am plugged into house current 120v AC. I unplugged the 120v AC line and plugged in the 2-100 watt panels to my Blue Sky 3024i charge controller. Everything is working fine then I plugged in the 120v AC and everything is still functioning as designed. No power surge, no blown fusses and the best part no smoke, lol. So to be sure, I also called AM Solar and spoke with tech support, they said it was no problem to charge from multiple sources, E.g. solar panels and generator or solar and house current, etc.

-Dennis

[pteck]

No problem simultaneously charging from multiple sources. That's the beauty of DC. Gang them up as much as you like. Multiple solar chargers, converter charger, car umbilical charger... all together is a-okay.

They all coordinate through the bus voltage.

If the converter sufficiently supports 13.5V given charging and loads, the solar charger may interpret this as the batteries sufficiently charged and may not contribute additional current to charge the batts. Each charger internally has breakpoints associated to voltage which will determine their active function.

[VLWino]

Thanks for the input. I hadn't thought to equate generator to charging at the house, which we do all the time before trips.

And the other points about DC and the 13.5 charging loads makes me feel much better.

AS forum comes through again.

Thank you!

[uncle_bob]

Hi

If only it all was that simple .....

You will not damage anything with multiple charge sources. Equally, you will not likely get full power from them either. One or the other will "take over" and that will be what does the charging. If you have zip for solar, it's unlikely the solar will win the contest. Just don't count on getting solar + generator as the result .

Bob

[cazual6]

You have to be carefully during a solar eclipse. And you have to be careful when the moon is out during the day.

[waninae39]

when i have shore power and solar, the shore AC takes over and the solar output goes down and is reduce, but not zero. if i disconnect the shore AC, the solar out goes up.

thus the sharing of power is not equal