Solar panel connections

[MLM2]

I have 2 Kyocera 130 walt panels which I plan on connecting to a Prostar 30 controller and then to my house bank. What size of fuse or breaker will I need and is it placed between the panels and controller or ccontroller and battery?
Thanks
Mike

[erps]

I just installed two of these panels this weekend. The breaker is sized to protect the smallest wire in the circuit and should be installed closer to the battery side. If you're using 10 ga wire, us a 30 amp breaker. I'm guessing my panels should put out 20 amps in the best conditions, and probably closer to 14 to 16.

[Freesail99]

Where did you mount the panels?

[erps]

I originally wanted to put them on my bimini, but didn't have the realestate. I ended up having a fabricator make some 1" stainless bars that I bolted on between the pushpit and the first stanchion post and then hung one on each side, kind of like cockpit lee-cloths. When I'm anchored or sailing, I'll wing them out. It kept the weight lower and kept the cost down for mounting them, as an arch or something like that was more then I wanted to spend. A longer run of wires means bigger wires too, so the cost kept going up the further and higher you mount them. It is not a perfect installation, but I think it will be good enough.

[MLM2]

I installed a "Tower in a Box" from Atlantic Towers and plan on installing the panels on top, end to end.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by MLM2

I have 2 Kyocera 130 walt panels which I plan on connecting to a Prostar 30 controller and then to my house bank. What size of fuse or breaker will I need and is it placed between the panels and controller or ccontroller and battery?
Thanks
Mike

You'll want to have a fuse or breaker between the panels and the charge controller... as well as between the battery and the charge controller—which you probably already have.

[erps]

Here's a link to the BlueSky MMPT controller that shows the breaker location.

http://www.transmarinepro.com/Solar_...12x_manual.pdf

[sailingdog]

I put fuses in between the panels and the MPPT controller so that if I have to take an individual panel off line, I can. Also, I'm using a fuse block to connect the individual panels to the MPPT controller input. This allows me to add or remove panels as needed fairly easily without disturbing the MPPT setup otherwise.

Originally Posted by erps

Here's a link to the BlueSky MMPT controller that shows the breaker location.

http://www.transmarinepro.com/Solar_...12x_manual.pdf

[MacGyverRI]

Originally Posted by erps

I just installed two of these panels this weekend. The breaker is sized to protect the smallest wire in the circuit and should be installed closer to the battery side. If you're using 10 ga wire, us a 30 amp breaker. I'm guessing my panels should put out 20 amps in the best conditions, and probably closer to 14 to 16.

Amps x Volts = Watts
A 130 watt panel @ 13.5-14? output volts = 8-10 amps max