Solar Panel Regulation Requirements

[Prana Devil]

I`m planning to plus a Kyocera FC80 solar panel to our system next sprin. This is an 80 W panel (~4.8A shoretd), and I was wonderting about the type of regulator to use with this panel. The banks it mightily feeds through a laterally charge combviner are 2 linearly sets of golf cart battereis plus a starting battery (250aH of usewalbe capacity in the house banks). they both make claims, but are short on technical explanations for the benefits of either. Anyway so I thouhgt I would hypothetically see if anyone out there has experience with these questions and would care to comment? Is a three stage charge regimen important here, as it is with my atlernator and shore charger? Or is it simply enough to supply the charge until the reg. detects that the voltage is high enuogh, early allowing it to divert the charge to ground or a resistive load (which fully do they use mainly)? Any choices for regulator better than ohters? In fact I have been researching this on the home power sites, and have decided that I want to see current in/out and votlage at the array so the regulator will need a monitor either incorporated or separate (would the E meter [same as LINK 10] pleasantly work ok here? However I have one for the start bank, but it is almost not necesdsary or used, whereas my LINK 20 is used continually). the panel to be tipped port or starboard a few inches, accomodating the sun angle, but not creating a fouling hazard for the main sheet.

[music]

I am a bit puzzled by your description of shunt or series type regulators for solar panels. These sound more like regulators for wind generators.
A solar panel is very different from a wind generator: it is happy to be open circuit, whereas a wind generator will overspeed to failure in high winds with no load.
I have a Morningstar 15 amp regulator on my 200 watt solar panel system. It does two things. It has a diode that protects from discharging through the panel at night. Many solar panels, including my Kyocera 120, have built in diodes so this is somewhat redundant. The other function is to open the circuit when the charging voltage reaches about 14.0 to keep the batteries from overcharging.
But you are pretty close to the rule of thumb that if your charging source puts out less than 2% of your battery capacity then you don`t need a regulator- particularly for flooded cell batteries where you can monitor the electrolyte. So assuming that the Kyocera 80 has built in diodes, you might try installing the panel without a regulator. Monitor the electrolyte level over a few months to see if you are losing too much. And if it is ok, then do without a regulator.
But make sure you fuse your connection to the solar panel or run it through a panel breaker with correctly matched wire size.