Advice on upgrade (please)

[eurajohn]

I have a Pilote G691 with Electobloc EBL271, currently with 1 x 100watt panel and single 100Ah lead acid battery, Votronic MPPT duo digital 250.



I want / need to upgrade, my plan is for 350 watt of solar with 230Ah Lithium battery, B2B charger.

Will I be best to utilise the EBL or simply bypass / disable it and use a suitable stand alone mains charger, along with the B2B and panels.



I’m thinking I will need:

Panels 2 x Victron 175 watt

Votronic MPP duo digital 350

Victron 500Amp shunt

230 volt charger?

Battery 230 Amp seat base.

Obviously all of the necessary cable, fuses and holders etc.



What’s your advice???

 

[marchie]

I have a Pilote G691 with Electobloc EBL271, currently with 1 x 100watt panel and single 100Ah lead acid battery, Votronic MPPT duo digital 250.



I want / need to upgrade, my plan is for 350 watt of solar with 230Ah Lithium battery, B2B charger.

Will I be best to utilise the EBL or simply bypass / disable it and use a suitable stand alone mains charger, along with the B2B and panels.



I’m thinking I will need:

Panels 2 x Victron 175 watt

Votronic MPP duo digital 350

Victron 500Amp shunt

230 volt charger?

Battery 230 Amp seat base.

Obviously all of the necessary cable, fuses and holders etc.



What’s your advice???

PM David of Wildebus fame, and then wait for him to give you a range of options and costs plus pros and cons of the various approaches. But don't do it too soon; I'm hoping that he will be able to fit my Inverter next week, and we already have a day of paralysis to navigate ...

Steve

 

[eurajohn]

PM David of Wildebus fame, and then wait for him to give you a range of options and costs plus pros and cons of the various approaches. But don't do it too soon; I'm hoping that he will be able to fit my Inverter next week, and we already have a day of paralysis to navigate ...

Steve

Thought of the direct approach but then thought that might be a bit rude

 

[maingate]

There may be a limit to how many amps you can push through the EBL. I vaguely remember a figure of 15 amps to the Leisure batteries and 2 amps to the engine battery on the older EBL units but have no knowledge of your model.

 

[wildebus]

PM David of Wildebus fame, and then wait for him to give you a range of options and costs plus pros and cons of the various approaches. But don't do it too soon; I'm hoping that he will be able to fit my Inverter next week, and we already have a day of paralysis to navigate ...

Steve

Your inverter should arrive today in fact. And I have been gathering all the other bits (and making a couple of bespoke items) ready for the installation

 

[eurajohn]

Your inverter should arrive today in fact. And I have been gathering all the other bits (and making a couple of bespoke items) ready for the installation

Any thoughts on my question?

 

[marchie]

Your inverter should arrive today in fact. And I have been gathering all the other bits (and making a couple of bespoke items) ready for the installation

Thanks, David. After 24 hours of futile chasing around getting parts ordered, phone numbers transferred to new providers, and car service outstanding items, it is nice to get some good news! Dentist appointment for 21st [Wednesday], because Elaine has developed a problem that needs speedy attention, but, other than that,the calendar is clear!

Steve

 

[wildebus]

There may be a limit to how many amps you can push through the EBL. I vaguely remember a figure of 15 amps to the Leisure batteries and 2 amps to the engine battery on the older EBL units but have no knowledge of your model.

On the popular and very common (and old) EBL 99, it has a basic 18A capability for both split-charging and mains charging, but does allow up to 30A on the circuitry. Adding a 30A B2B (or 'Booster' as they like to call them) is a fairly accepted upgrade. More than that and I think I would want to bypass the EBL unless it was one of the latest units, but they often already have the Schaudt 70A 'Booster' installed anyway.

The EBL 271 does not look any different to the 99 and current specs seem the same (18A built in), so not sure what the actual difference is.
Personally, I would be wary of charging big battery banks that are capable of taking high charge for extended periods though something that is designed for 'regular' sized Lead Acid batteries. You will be running it at full capacity for hour after hour and that does not tend to be good for equipment like the German EBL units or the British Sargent Units and similar that are not designed up front for it.

 

[wildebus]

I have a Pilote G691 with Electobloc EBL271, currently with 1 x 100watt panel and single 100Ah lead acid battery, Votronic MPPT duo digital 250.



I want / need to upgrade, my plan is for 350 watt of solar with 230Ah Lithium battery, B2B charger.

Will I be best to utilise the EBL or simply bypass / disable it and use a suitable stand alone mains charger, along with the B2B and panels.



I’m thinking I will need:

Panels 2 x Victron 175 watt

Votronic MPP duo digital 350

Victron 500Amp shunt

230 volt charger?

Battery 230 Amp seat base.

Obviously all of the necessary cable, fuses and holders etc.



What’s your advice???

A pair of Victron 175W Panels? Sounds like a good choice (I have a pair of 175W Victron Panels arriving today for an installation as it happens )

Votronic Duo Digital 350 Solar Controller? People like them. Not my preference as the trickle is limited to just 1A and only when Solar is active. My choice would be the Victron SmartSolar 100/30 to allow fine-tuning and monitoring of Solar; and a separate intelligent battery maintainer such as the Ablemail AMT12-2 to allow better maintainance of the Starter from both Solar and EHU.

Victron 500A Shunt? I would recommend one with bluetooth, so either SmartShunt or BMV-712. BMV-712 has both a display, which can be handy, and a programmable relay, which can end up being very useful potentially, so that would be my recommendation, but the Smartshunt is a good unit and a fair bit cheaper.

230V Charger? Going to stick with Victron again. IP22 BlueSmart Model available between 15A to 30A. If requirement is to just recharge overnight, then 20A unit is adequate for a 230A Lithium unless you will be always recharging from near dead (that 20A output does not all go to the battery, whatever you may be using in the van will use it as well. So say you have a TV on that takes 5A (mine does), that only leaves 15A left for the battery and whetever else).

230Ah Seat Base Lithium? Sounds like the KS Energy SB model? no experience of this, so cannot comment further other than it sounds like a nearly packaged product.

Fuses, etc? For the various charging connections to the battery, I would go for a Fuse Block which incorporates busbars, either Midi or Mega (NOT spade). Avoid stacking connector after connector on the battery. Looks naff and a nightmare to service.

 

[eurajohn]

Thank you very much for that, I shall follow your advice.
John

 

[wildebus]

PS.
"230Ah Seat Base Lithium? Sounds like the KS Energy SB model? no experience of this, so cannot comment further other than it sounds like a nearly packaged product."
I meant NEATLY packaged product

 

[wildebus]

Thanks, David. After 24 hours of futile chasing around getting parts ordered, phone numbers transferred to new providers, and car service outstanding items, it is nice to get some good news! Dentist appointment for 21st [Wednesday], because Elaine has developed a problem that needs speedy attention, but, other than that,the calendar is clear!

Steve

Maybe you are jinxed? No Delivery yet Maybe on Tuesday?

 

[trevskoda]

1 AMP is ok from the votronic to the starter batt, if you are losing more than this then something is draining it, all the other power is going where it should, the les batts.

 

[marchie]

Maybe you are jinxed? No Delivery yet Maybe on Tuesday?

The combination of Royal Mail strikes, Brexit Supply Chain disruption, and COVID Supply Chain hangovers, plus other related issues such as businesses, especially smaller Suppliers who are traditionally screwed royally by the Banks by overcharging and stingy overdraft support, which is forcing them to reduce stock levels to survive, etc etc is becoming the new normal!

Like the cat outside the mousehole, I shall wait with baited breath! My bet will be delivery on Wednesday, or Thursday, because of thelogistics disruption from tomorrow's closedown

Steve