Solar Panel and SLA

[aaron]

Hi guys,

Just thought I would get some expert opinions...

I have a 7.2Ah SLA Battery, and I'm after a solar panel to keep it charged up. It's for an outdoor system, and it's all going to be sealed away in a metal box. (Excluding the solar panel of course...). 

I was thinking of this one: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=ZM9094 as it's east to go buy, and has a warranty. I was going to use a cheap 10A/12/24V Charge controller from eBay to control the charge. This is just a quick battery job for an outdoor gate actuator, probably used at most 6 times a day. (3x Open/Close).

Thanks a lot for any input in advance. 

[Simon]

A battery is a battery and a solar panel is a solar panel, no one can tell you if that particular model is better or worse, if you want help sizing things up power wise you need to give us some figures.

[Electrical50]

Hi,
Before installation, Check this post with Step by step installation of PV with Battery and Inverter with proper rating...

Solar Panel Installation Guide
 

[fww]

To establish a stable solar power supply system,  also need to provide following parameters:

The voltage of SLA Battery:12v or 24v? the battery is a new one?
The power of solar panel;
Local average illumination time and the local latitude.
The load's power  and the time of be used.
Supply voltage of the load. Or directly connected to the battery?
---more information is welcome.

Also note that some maintenance ways about SLA battery, the direction and angle of the solar panels .

[SeanB]

Buy a Centurion gate motor, as they have a solar option on the control panels, and have both the panels, the charge controllers and the larger battery typically used in these systems.

If it is an existing gate controller check the current drawn by the controller with the mains disconnected, and then the operate current of the unit. Typically you have a 30 to 100ma draw with it in standby ( depending on the remote receiver and the relay for the light being energised for 5 minutes) and 10-20A in operation. You need to have enough capacity in the battery so that you do not draw more than half the capacity if there is no sun for 3 days and you operate the gate 10 times. Typically you need more than 7.2AH, more like 16 to 20AH. Your panel should be able to charge it from flat in 8 hours, so a panel that delivers 20W will be a little undersize, but 2 in parallel will work with a simple charge controller to charge the battery and maintain it.

[VincenzoGregorich]

Buy a Centurion gate motor, as they have a solar option on the control panels, and have both the panels, the charge controllers and the larger battery typically used in these systems.

If it is an existing gate controller check the current drawn by the controller with the mains disconnected, and then the operate current of the unit. Typically you have a 30 to 100ma draw with it in standby ( depending on the remote receiver and the relay for the light being energised for 5 minutes) and 10-20A in operation. You need to have enough capacity in the battery so that you do not draw more than half the capacity if there is no sun for 3 days and you operate the gate 10 times. Typically you need more than 7.2AH, more like 16 to 20AH. Your panel should be able to charge it from flat in 8 hours, so a panel that delivers 20W will be a little undersize, but 2 in parallel will work with a simple charge controller to charge the battery and maintain it.

Plenty of thanks for your advice..Well I was in bit old dilemma but I think your post will now help me out..