OutBack MPPT Display [RE-wrenches]

[Jeff Yago]

I have a basic "why did they do that" question.  This past week I traveled
to Idaho from Virginia to replace two (2) Trace C-40 controllers with two
Outback MPPT controllers.  There were no problems with the Trace equipment,
but my client's off grid home is at the "bottom" between two large mountain
ridges and has a very short solar day.  He wanted to upgrade to maximize his
system.

My client is the type of person who records everything, including taking
weather and cloud readings every 4 hours of every day and recording this
info in a weather log.  Anyway, he has also taken the amp-hour readings from
the Trace C-40's and his Tri-Metric battery meter every day for about 3
years.

My client was very un-happy to find out that the new MPPT controllers
display kWh, not amp-hr.  Yes, I know he can do some math to convert, but
you run into problems with what voltage to use.  Using the battery voltage
prior to charging, the final end of day voltage, or the average voltage,
will give very different amp-hr readings, and would make any comparison with
his 3 years of amp-hour data very questionable.  Is there a "magic" button
combination that will switch the display between displaying amp-hr and kWh,
and if not, am I the only installer that thinks you should be able to.
After all, the unit must already be taking amp and voltage readings in order
to display kWh.

I was very pleased that the Outback controllers fit the same conduit
locations, so replacing the controllers went fairly quickly, however we did
need to replace and re-route several of the wires which were too short to
reach the "reversed" array and battery connections in the MPPT.  Wonder why
they did not keep the same wiring connection orientation since they kept the
same conduit locations?

Jeff Yago
Dunimis Technology Inc.

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