Battery bank question

[Ionelissy]

Hi there,

my local solar installer tells me that I should not have more than 3 strings connected in parallel for my 24v battery bank.... is this correct?

what could be the problem if I have series of 2 batteries x 6 strings in parallel?

thanks.​

 

[MorganPVI]

What panels, what charge controller and what batteries?

 

[Ionelissy]

What panels, what charge controller and what batteries?

suntech 250w, Outback MPPT 80amp charge controller and 12v SLA 230ah batteries

 

[nowty]

Is your question about parallel strings of PV modules or parallel strings of batteries ?

 

[Ionelissy]

Is your question about parallel strings of PV modules or parallel strings of batteries ?

parallel strings of batteries.... 6 strings is too much? what can happen if so?

 

[nowty]

I read about a week ago on a battery website that by putting more batteries in parallel , that although you increase the capacity, you also get more equalisation currents flowing which waste energy and thus lowers the efficiency of the system. So the recommendation is to limit the parallel battery strings to 3 and buy the largest batteries you can buy from the outset.

I think you could put 4 in series to make a 48v system with 3 parallel strings which would be more efficient but it obviously depends upon what you are powering with it.