SBMS - Solar BMS from electrodacus

[froggy]

Has any one used one of these?
A solar controller for lithium with an inbuilt bms.
Disregard that it says its to do with kickstarter, it is a completed real working product, started with SMBS100 now has a SBMS40 and 120.
http://electrodacus.com

[T1 Terry]

I was one of the first to put up the $$ for the first units, in fact I was the one who encouraged him to build a new design to go with his MPPT powered heat storage gadget. They were supposed to be sent well over 1 mth ago after many delays, still waiting for them to arrive so I can evaluate them. Talk about a long lead time I'll let you know how they go when we finally get them, not quite up to full requirements for a lithium BMS but it looks like a good add on and has the benefit of Bluetooth to phone so you can read what the menus say, it would be near impossible even with a magnifying glass on the original units with the small screen. These are a serious upgrade from the original design, a lot of problems developed with the originals due to the way each layer contacted the previous layer, so time will tell if this approach sorts the problems.

T1 Terry

[bagmaker]

I wonder if it could drive an SSR?

[T1 Terry]

Has any one used one of these?
A solar controller for lithium with an inbuilt bms.
Disregard that it says its to do with kickstarter, it is a completed real working product, started with SMBS100 now has a SBMS40 and 120.
http://electrodacus.com

Sorry Froggy, I only just noticed this was your first post. Welcome to the forum. Do you have a solar system already set up or are you looking at including one of these into a new project build?

T1 Terry

[froggy]

Hi terry, new build in a small caravan. Looking at 200ah lithium, 500w of solar - 2 x 200w panels and 1 x 110w panel in parallel.
Probably a 2000w inverter, possibly inverter/charger.

[T1 Terry]

Hi terry, new build in a small caravan. Looking at 200ah lithium, 500w of solar - 2 x 200w panels and 1 x 110w panel in parallel.
Probably a 2000w inverter, possibly inverter/charger.

It might be better to look at using smaller panels. We often use multiple 60w panels because more can be fitted into a given area and only the one panel output is lost to a bird splat or shade, 60w rather than 200w. If you set the control system up properly the solar can be added to at a later date if required, including an Anderson plug so portables can be added when the weather is not so great and the batteries need a bit of extra charging.

T1 Terry

[froggy]

Too late unfortunately as I have the panels already, I was under the impression that I wouldn’t lose a cell if one was partially shaded. Looks like I miss read someone’s advice and it was that the other panels wouldn’t be affected.

[T1 Terry]

Too late unfortunately as I have the panels already, I was under the impression that I wouldn’t lose a cell if one was partially shaded. Looks like I miss read someone’s advice and it was that the other panels wouldn’t be affected.

Yes, in parallel only that panel is lost, in a series string it can drop the voltage to the point where the MPPT controller shuts down and all is lost. Generally though, only that panel output is lost if the series string is properly configured. Trying to run 2 series strings then paralleled into an MPPT controller results in the shaded panel seriously effecting the whole string as that strings output due to voltage drop.
These Electrodacus controllers are PWM control so linking panels in is fairly straight forward, they don't need to be all the same Vmp or open circuit voltage, each panel just produces what it can and the controller feeds it through until the control voltage is reached.

T1 Terry

[froggy]

Thanks, have you had an experience with the SBMS?

[T1 Terry]

Thanks, have you had an experience with the SBMS?

Only feed back from the man himself, he stopped making the original design after the first batch and only had the few extras that are always made to cover DoD's and lost in the mail problems. Once they were gone there were no more available, so those on other forums saying they have a few of the originals on the way are telling porkies.

T1 Terry