# Wiring up Solar Panels.



## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

Anyone interested in Wiring up Solar Panels? May find the following of interest and helpful:-

Step 1

Identify Parts and Gather Tools

Check to see that your kit has all of the parts shown on the parts list.

Gather the following tools:

#2 and #3 Phillips screwdriver

Pliers

Wire Stripper

Wire crimper

3/8" and 7/16" nut driver

Hand drill with 3/16" and 3/8" bits

Gather the following materials:

RTV silicone sealant or comparable RV roof cement. You will need enough to apply the sealant liberally on all four mounting brackets and any other roof penetrations you make.

For best performance, it is strongly recommended that ring terminals are used to attach the power cable to your battery. Gather two 14 gauge wire ring terminals that will fit either the battery terminal post or post clamp bolt, depending on your battery size and configuration.

If additional power cable length is needed inside the vehicle, use only 14 gauge (or larger) stranded conductor cable that is UL listed for household use. The power cable in your kit should be used in any area exposed to sunlight.










Step 2

Solar Module Placement

Warning! 
Disconnect RV battery(s) and RV electrical system from 100/200 VAC, or any other sources of electrical power before attempting to install your RV Power Kit. Connect your Solar Module only to 12-volt DC circuits. Connect your Solar Module only according to these installation instructions.

It is the responsibility of the installer to obtain a safe and secure attachment for the Solar Module and accessories.

Cover Module for Safety 
When first removing solar module from the box, tape a full size (8.5" x 11") sheet of paper over the center of the module area. This blocks a substantial amount of sunlight from hitting the solar cells and thereby prevents the module from actually producing electric current during any of the installation steps. This paper will be removed upon completion of all the steps, as described in the last step of this procedure. 
Solar Module Placement

When choosing location:

Choose a location where the roof is at least 1/2" thick and strong enough to support the hardware, Solar Module, and wind loads. Keep the Solar Module assembly at least 8" away from any edge of the roof.

Minimize the distance between the Solar Module and refrigerator vent or other location where the power cable will enter the RV.

Orient the module and mounting brackets so that the brackets are pointing to the sides of the RV (not towards the front and rear of the RV).

Avoid internal RV wiring when selecting locations for drilling the mounting holes.

For best performance, locate the Solar Module to assure that shadows do not fall across it.

Step 3

Wire Solar Module

1. Accessing the Wire Terminals 
Your solar module is equipped with a black hard plastic junction box located on the back of the module. The wiring terminals are accessed by removing the junction box lid, after loosening its two captive screws with a small flat head or Phillips screwdriver. Use of wire lugs is not required or recommended, but is possible.










The junction box provides six 10-32 terminal screws for external wiring of the module (see Figure 2.) Two terminal screws on the left, and two on the right, are used for the positive and negative connection. The two terminal screws in the center are NOT to be used for your RV connection. The polarity of the left and right pairs of terminal screws is engraved into the junction box base.

2. Wire Entry and Connections 
The junction box is equipped with small round plastic knock-out plugs on the sides of the box. Do NOT use one of the larger knock-outs located at the bottom of the junction box.One of the small knock-outs on the side of the box should be removed to feed your cable through to the terminal connections. Remove the small knock-out plug with a screwdriver using moderate impact. Slide the orange rubber foam seal into the cavity in the front of the knock-out and push it down and flat all the way with a screwdriver. Punch a small hole through the center of the foam seal to allow the wire to move through the foam seal easily. Insert the stripped end of the power cable through the foam seal and knock-out hole. Feed the appropriate length of wire to reach the terminal screw. Insert the stripped wire between the terminal plate and the square screw washer. Connect the white conductor to one of the positive terminal screws. Connect the black conductor to one of the negative terminal screws. Tighten the screws. Tighten the screws to 20 in-lb. Once the wiring is complete, mount the junction box lid and finger tighten both screws to 4-6 in-lb. Do not over tighten.

3. Strain Relief

No additional wire strain relief is required. However, should additional strain relief be desired, two posts are provided to accept cable ties for securing wire or cable to the junction box.

Step 4

Route Power Cable

The power cable included in your kit must be installed carefully and according to the following Siemens instructions to ensure a safe and reliable installation










Caution! Check your RV's vent chamber to make sure you can route the power cable free from hot, sharp, or abrasive materials. Refer questions to your RV dealer before installing. 
For most RV's routing the power cable through the roof access to the interior can usually be accomplished by using the roof mounted refrigerator vent. See FIGURE 3 and 4.

1. Locate the refrigerator vent on the roof of your RV. Remove the cover to gain access to the duct opening. Retain vent-fastening hardware.

2. Drill a 3/8" hole through the side of the vent opening.

3. route the power cable through the hole and down to the battery. Leave enough slack for routing the power cable from the vent to the Solar Module.

4. Make sure that the power cable is free from abrasions and sharp edges. Use tie wraps to prevent the power cable from contacting anything hot, sharp or abrasive.

If your configuration is different from the one shown, please consult your local RV dealer.

Step 5

Assemble and Mount Solar Charger

Mounting Bracket Assembly 
Assemble the mounting brackets onto each corner of the RV Power Kit using 1/4" bolt, washer, and nyloc nut as shown in FIGURE 6. Tighten hardware securely with a 7/16" driver.










1. Position the Solar Module on the roof as determined in Step 3.

2. Mark eight pilot holes locations by tracing the mounting bracket holes with a pencil or marker

3. Set the Solar Module aside.

4. Drill eight pilot holes using the 1/8" bit. Caution! Drill all holes only 1" deep. Avoid internal electrical wiring. Be careful not to oversize the holes or drill the holes off angle.

5. Apply a liberal ring of RTV or comparable RV roofing cement around each pilot hole within 1/8" of each hole.

6. Place the Solar Module back in position.

7. Start each 1/4-20 screw in all eight pilot holes with a 3/8" nut driver. Do not tighten until you have confirmed that all eight pilot holes are aligned with the mounting brackets

8. Tighten each 1/4-20 screw securely.

9. Completely cover all 1/4-20 screw heads and mounting brackets with a generous amount of RTV or comparable RV roofing cement. Warning! To prevent possible corrosion, make sure the screws are completely sealed from exposure to air or water by covering them with RTV or comparable RV roofing cement.

10. Seal the power cable entry hole into the refrigerator duct with RTV or comparable RV roofing cement.

11. Place the refrigerator vent cover back in position and secure with the original fastener hardware.

Step 6

Wire Charge Controller










1. Remove power from the battery and solar module 
Ensure that a sheet of paper, as instructed in Step 3 securely covers the solar module atop the RV. This is important to ensure that no current is flowing from the solar module during wiring. Disconnect power from the vehicle's batteries prior to running the wires to the controller.

2. Run System Wiring 
After disconnecting the power sources, run the wires from the battery and solar panel to the location selected for the controller. the wires should reach the location of the controller and be secured with a little extra length for strain relief loops.

3. Note Wire Polarity 
Make sure to correctly mark the source and polarity of the wires - the white wire coming from the solar module is positive and the black wire is negative. Incorrectly connecting the opposite polarity wires may damage the controller.

4. Connect the Solar Module to the Controller 
Wire the controller according to Figure 7. The white wire (positive) coming from the solar module should be wired to the controller terminal marked "Array (+)". The black wire (negative) coming from the solar module should be wired to the controller terminal marked "Array(-)".

5. Install Fusing 
Install the bladed fuse and fuse holder, which is included in your kit. The fuse should be placed on the segment of positive wire between the battery and charge controller.

Carefully remove a 1" to 2" length of the outer power cable jacket where you will place the fuse holder. Do not sever the individual conductor insulation jackets. Cut the positive wire at the middle of the exposed section. Do not strip the ends of the conductor - the fuse holder is self-stripping. Place one end of the positive conductor on one side of the fuse holder and insert it halfway into the holder. Place the other end of the positive conductor on the other side of the fuse holder and insert it halfway into the holder. Make sure there is a 1/16" gap between the conductor ends. With pliers, clamp the fuse holder completely shut until it latches closed. Insert the 7.5 amp fuse into the holder.

6. Connect Battery to Controller 
The positive wire from the battery (with the fuse holder) should be wired to the battery (+) terminal, and the negative wire from the battery should be wired to the battery (-) terminal.

7. Reconnect Battery 
Reconnect the positive and negative wires to the battery terminals. 
The Installation is Complete


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