Off Grid Golf Cart Charging Station

[Sunking]

I am trying to design an off-grid golf cart charging station. I am using PVsyst to help me design the system. My preference is not to add batteries to the system
The load:
(8) 6v battery trojan t-105
It connects to 220v AC source
The car has an onboard AC/DC charger
I will be using around 12 PV 300 watt solar panel and 3kw inverter with AC input range from 120

OK lets start over. Items in RED are not needed, item in Black is all you need plus a 48 Volt 80 Amp MPPT Charge Controller. But there is a catch. The Golf Cart has to be parked in the day to recharge. At least part of the day.

12 x 300 watt panels = 3600 watts. Plenty to recharge in a few hours like Sun Up to noon depending on how deeply you discharge the batteries. 8 x 6 volt x 225 AH batteries = 10.8 Kwh. Assuming you limit discharge to 50%, you can easily recharge in half a day. All that is required is a 80 Amp MPPT Charge Controller. You would connect the output of the Charge Controller directly to the batteries and bypass the carts built-in charger. It will not hurt the charger.

Question is can you give up the cart for half a day during maximum sun to recharge? If not you are SOL with the above plan.

[SunEagle]

You are exactly right I gave up golfing a long time ago Gets my wife and I around R5 acres with no issues

Sounds like something I plan on for our 2.5 acres. Although for me it would be cheaper just to charge the carts batteries from the grid instead of building a solar rig.

[Outdoors]

You are exactly right I gave up golfing a long time ago Gets my wife and I around R5 acres with no issues

[SunEagle]

I charge my 36 volt golf cart from the genason Paid $186 2 years ago It is slower than the 120 V golf cart Charger But for me I am off grid it works just fine

I presume you use your golf cart very little as compared to those that try to get in 18 holes every day.

[Outdoors]

I charge my 36 volt golf cart from the genason Paid $186 2 years ago It is slower than the 120 V golf cart Charger But for me I am off grid it works just fine

[Sunking]

Now if that solar charger can help get rid of my slice then it would be worth it.

Just connect it to your pudder and it will straighten you out. Go down before you go around.

[SunEagle]

Yes sir Genasun GVB8, but it requires a 24 volt panel to charge a 48 volt battery. Now that may sound great to folks, but at the end of the day is not much help at all. A golf cart efficiency is roughly 150 wh/mile. A 100 watt panel mounted on a cat pointing straight up on a bright sunny day out in the sun all day from sun up to sunset at best can only generate 300 watt hours usable. A whopping 1 to 2 mile range extender. A gold cart battery is 48 volts @ 225 AH or 10.8 Kwh so adding 300 wh is like peeing on a forest fire.

Now if that solar charger can help get rid of my slice then it would be worth it.

[Sunking]

isn't there (at least ) one small charge controller that has DC-DC boost just for charging cart batteries (slowly)?

Yes sir Genasun GVB8, but it requires a 24 volt panel to charge a 48 volt battery. Now that may sound great to folks, but at the end of the day is not much help at all. A golf cart efficiency is roughly 150 wh/mile. A 100 watt panel mounted on a cat pointing straight up on a bright sunny day out in the sun all day from sun up to sunset at best can only generate 300 watt hours usable. A whopping 1 to 2 mile range extender. A gold cart battery is 48 volts @ 225 AH or 10.8 Kwh so adding 300 wh is like peeing on a forest fire.

[Sunking]

A lot of time. I am not even sure how a 12volt panel can charge any golf cart battery system unless it is just for the cranking battery on a gas power cart.

Most MPPT charge controllers are Buck (steps voltage down). Genasun is one of the few that make a Boost controller (steps up voltage). So instead of a 100 watt panel generating 8 amps into a 12 volt battery, it generates 2 amps into a 48 volt 225 AH battery. Less than C/100 charge rate which is useless and does not compensate for self discharge.

[ButchDeal]

A lot of time. I am not even sure how a 12volt panel can charge any golf cart battery system unless it is just for the cranking battery on a gas power cart.

isn't there (at least ) one small charge controller that has DC-DC boost just for charging cart batteries (slowly)?


edit: yep and Genasun makes it : https://genasun.com/all-products/sol...st-controller/

Though still with the rather slow charging factor we have mentioned. About the only use is as a slight range extender for a cart by mounting a PV module on the cart.

[Sunking]

There's a company called genasun That Enables you to charge your golf cart battery from a 100 W 12 V solar panel

So what is your point? A 100 watt panel to charge a 48 golf cart battery is about as useful as peeing on a forest fire. It would takes weeks to recharge if ever at all.

[SunEagle]

it really depends on your definition of "Charge"
Technically you could charge a golf cart battery with a 10w module, just going to take time.

A lot of time. I am not even sure how a 12volt panel can charge any golf cart battery system unless it is just for the cranking battery on a gas power cart.

[ButchDeal]

There's a company called genasun That Enables you to charge your golf cart battery from a 100 W 12 V solar panel

it really depends on your definition of "Charge"
Technically you could charge a golf cart battery with a 10w module, just going to take time.

[Outdoors]

There's a company called genasun That Enables you to charge your golf cart battery from a 100 W 12 V solar panel

[Alex_alvar]

I agree with you its better to connect to the main panel. But, just for my knowledge i would like to know if it is possible or no?

Alright, if i decided to go with battery charger to golf car config. Do i need any disconnect or fuses before the charge controller or after ?