Blue Sky 2000 User Manual
SOLAR BOOST™ 2000
20A 12V MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING
PHOTOVOLTAIC CHARGE CONTROLLER
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION
MANUAL
THIS MANUAL INCLUDES IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
COVERED UNDER US PATENT 6,111,391
OTHER PATENTS PENDING
© RV Power Products 2000 430-0012 E
RV Power Products - Solar Boost 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.............................................................................. 2
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION................................................................................................... 3
OPERATION .................................................................................................................... 3
Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT)................................................................. 4
Typical Current Boost Performance............................................................ 5
How MPPT And Current Boost Works........................................................ 5
Optional Temperature Compensation...................................................................... 6
Optional Battery Manager 6210 Interface ................................................................ 6
Charge Operation With 6210 Controller ..................................................... 7
INSTALLATION 7
Over Voltage / Reverse Polarity Protection.............................................................. 7
Electrostatic Handling Precautions .......................................................................... 7
Installation Steps...................................................................................................... 7
Solar Boost 2000 Setup ........................................................................................... 7
Operating Mode .......................................................................................... 8
MPPT Disable ............................................................................................. 8
Maximum Power Voltage ............................................................................ 9
Optimizing MPPT ........................................................................................ 9
Temperature Compensation ....................................................................... 9
Charge Voltage ........................................................................................... 9
Solar Boost 2000 Installation ................................................................................... 9
System Wiring .......................................................................................................... 10
Battery Temperature Sensor.................................................................................... 12
Integrating With Battery Manager™ 6210................................................................ 12
SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................ 13
THREE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY .................................................................................. 13
TABLES AND FIGURES
Table 1 Typical Current Boost Performance ..................................................... 5
Table 2 Factory Default Setup........................................................................... 8
Table 3 Maximum One W ay Wire Length For Less Than 0.42V Drop.............. 12
Figure 1 Panel Layout......................................................................................... 4
Figure 2 Charge Voltage -vs.- Battery Temperature .......................................... 6
Figure 3 Setup Adjustments and Field Connections .......................................... 10
Figure 4 Preferred Wiring Method ...................................................................... 11
Figure 5 Battery Manager 6210 Interface ........................................................... 12
Figure 6 Mounting Template............................................................................... 14
RV Power Products
1058 Monterey Vista Way
Encinitas CA, 92024, USA
800-493-RVPP •••• 760-944-8882
www.rvpowerproducts.com
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Installation and Operation Manual
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel. Incorrect installation may result in risk of electric shock or fire. No
user serviceable parts in this unit.
2. Remove all sources of power, photovoltaic and battery before servicing or installing.
3. WARNING - RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES
a) Working in the vicinity of lead-acid batteries is dangerous. Batteries produce explosive gasses during normal
battery operation.
b) To reduce risk of battery explosion, follow these instructions and those published by battery manufacturer and
manufacturer of any equipment you intend to use in vicinity of battery.
4. PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS
a) Someone should be within range of your voice or close enough to come to your aid when you work near a lead-
acid battery.
b) Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, clothing or eyes.
c) Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while working near battery.
d) If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If acid enters eye, immediately
flood eye with running cold water for at least 10 minutes and get medical attention immediately.
e) NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of battery.
f) Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping metal tool onto battery. It might spark or short circuit battery or other
electrical part that may cause explosion.
g) Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches when working with a lead-acid
battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a short circuit current high enough to weld a ring or the like to metal,
causing a severe burn.
h) Use charger for charging 12 volt lead-acid batteries only. Charging other battery types may cause these batteries
to burst and cause injury to persons and damage to property.
5. PREPARING TO CHARGE
a) Never charge a frozen battery.
b) Be sure battery is mounted in a well ventilated compartment.
c) Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches level specified by battery manufacturer. This helps
purge excessive gas from the cells. Do not overfill. For a battery without cell caps, carefully follow manufacturers
charging instructions.
6. CHARGER LOCATION & INSTALLATION
a) Controller employs components that tend to produce arcs or sparks. NEVER install in battery compartment or in
the presence of explosive gases.
b) Protect all wiring from physical damage, vibration and excessive heat.
c) Insure that the controller is properly setup for the battery being charged. Do not exceed maximum safe charging
current as specified by battery manufacturer.
d) Do not expose controller to rain or snow.
e) Insure all terminating connections are clean and tight to prevent arcing and overheating.
f) Charging system must be properly installed as described in these instructions prior to operation.
g) Do not connect to a PV array capable of producing greater than 20 amps of short circuit current @ 25°C.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
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RV Power Products - Solar Boost 2000
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Solar Boost 2000™ is a 20 amp fully automatic, very high performance Maximum Power Point Tracking
(MPPT) photovoltaic (PV) charge controller. Through the use of advanced patent pending MPPT technology, Solar
Boost 2000 can increase charge current up to 30% or more. A high accuracy digital display is also provided to monitor
PV charge performance. The controller is fully protected against voltage transients, reverse polarity, and overload
conditions.
Solar Boost 2000 employs series pass Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) charge voltage control. Precise PWM
voltage control is superior to simple on/off type controllers and leads to a more fully charged battery, with longer life and
less maintenance. Solar Boost 2000 also includes an automatic current limit feature which allows you to use the full 20
amp capability without worrying about overload or nuisance fuse blow from excessive current. The PWM control
system uses highly efficient and reliable power MOSFET transistors. The MOSFET’s are turned on and off at high
frequency to precisely control charge voltage and MPPT. An environmentally sealed high current high reliability relay is
used to disconnect the PV array at night to prevent unwanted current drain. A relay is used rather than blocking diodes
for improved power efficiency and MPPT current boost performance. The relay is not stressed by functioning as part of
the voltage control system and continually turning on and off as with other PV controllers. It simply turns on in the
morning and off in the evening, and in this application has a life expectancy in excess of 10
Fully automatic temperature compensation of charge voltage is available as an option to further improve
charge performance and battery life. The available SensorLug™ battery temperature sensor is built for long term
reliability. The sensor element is environmentally sealed and encapsulated into a copper lug which mounts directly to
the battery terminal. Order the SensorLug with 20ft/6.1m of cable as RVPP part number 930-0022-20. Additionally,
Solar Boost 2000 may be fitted with an optional interface to allow operation from an RVPP Battery Manager™ 6210
three stage charge controller. A wall mount box with conduit knockouts is also available as RVPP part number 7200011-01.
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operations.
OPERATION
Charge control and MPPT current boost operations are fully automatic. Charge turns on whenever the PV
array is capable of producing approximately 0.15 amps at @ 14 volts. Note that a minimum battery voltage of 10
volts or greater is required for the system to operate. When the battery is at a low state of charge, Solar Boost 2000
delivers as much charge current as possible to recharge the battery as rapidly as possible. Maximum available
charge current varies with the number and size of PV panels installed, available solar energy, and operation of the
proprietary MPPT current boosting system. Electronic current limit prevents the possibility of overload by limiting
output current to approximately 21 amps regardless of available PV input current or input power. The current limit
feature makes it impossible to overload Solar Boost 2000.
As the battery charges, battery voltage increases. When the battery recovers sufficient charge for battery
voltage to increase to the charge voltage setpoint, which is factory calibrated to approximately 14.0 volts, output
voltage will remain constant at this value. As the battery continues to charge at a constant voltage, charge current
will decrease. If there was no DC load on the system, output current from Solar Boost 2000 would eventually drop to
approximately the battery amp-hour rating divided by 500 when the battery is fully charged, or approximately 0.4
amps for a 220 amp-hour battery. The precision PWM voltage control method provided by Solar Boost 2000
prevents overcharge while maintaining a more fully charged battery.
The highly accurate digital display consumes very little power and is always on and available for use. As
shown in Figure 1, the meter can be selected to display Solar Panel Current, Output Charge Current or Battery
Voltage. Solar Panel Current displays current in amps flowing from the PV array to Solar Boost 2000, whereas
Output Charge Current displays current in amps flowing from Solar Boost 2000 to the battery. When MPPT current
boost is functioning, Output Charge Current will be greater than Solar Panel Current. If operating conditions are
such that PV output power is insufficient for MPPT current boost to function, Output Charge Current may show 0.1
amps less than Solar Panel Current. This is normal as Solar Boost 2000 consumes approximately 0.090 amps to
operate when PV charge is on. When PV charge is off, standby current consumption is quite low at approximately
0.017 amps.
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Installation and Operation Manual
Battery Voltage displays battery voltage as measured at the Solar Boost 2000 battery terminals. The battery
voltage measurement system is highly accurate. However, when high charge current is delivered to the battery, the
displayed voltage will be somewhat higher than actual battery terminal voltage. This is due to voltage drop in the
wires between the Solar Boost 2000 and battery. Error can be minimized by using large low resistance wires and
connections to the battery as described in the Installation section. The displayed voltage will be highly accurate
when output charge current is low or zero.
The front panel serves as a heat sink for
power control devices. It is normal for the
front panel to be warm during operation.
PANEL LAYOUT
Figure 1
MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING (MPPT)
MPPT and associated current boost operation is fully automatic and will function whenever sufficient PV
voltage and current are available. The percent increase you will receive in Output Charge Current relative to Solar
Panel Current is variable, and will change with operating conditions. When conditions are such that sufficient PV
voltage and current are not available to produce an increase in output current, Solar Boost 2000 will operate as a high
performance series pass PWM controller. Boost performance can be easily monitored using the digital display.
Whenever Output Charge Current is greater than Solar Panel Current, MPPT current boost is functioning. A minimum
PV current of just under one amp is required before MPPT can begin to operate.
The principal operating conditions which affect current boost performance are battery voltage and PV array
temperature. At constant solar intensity the power available from a PV array changes with PV array temperature. A PV
array’s power vs. temperature characteristic is such that a cool PV array can produce a higher voltage, and therefore
more power, than a hot PV array. When PV voltage is sufficiently high for MPPT to operate, Solar Boost 2000 delivers
a constant power output to the battery. Since output power is essentially constant while MPPT is operating, a decrease
in battery voltage produces a corresponding increase in charge current. This means that the greatest current increase
occurs with a combination of cool ambient temperature and low battery voltage. Solar Boost 2000 delivers the highest
charge current increase when you need it most, in cold weather with a discharged battery.
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