Example solar powered systems – Banner SureCross FlexPower Solar Supply Assembly User Manual

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on the solar panel per day during the least sunny time of the year. Locations that will provide this amount of sunlight

include most locations between the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle. For average daily sunlight estimates please refer to

an insolation map of your installation location or consult with a Banner Sales Application Engineer.

Load Shedding

Without sunlight, the supply is powered exclusively from the battery. When the battery is mostly depleted, the controller

disconnects the load, or sheds the load. This load shedding lasts until the solar panel recharges the battery to a sufficient

operating level, which can require up to five minutes of full sunlight.

Solutions for Additional Power

Some applications require more power than one SureCross FlexPower Solar Supply can deliver. If load shedding is

unacceptable and a standalone solar assembly does not meet your power requirements, consider adding a DX81P6 Battery

Supply Module battery backup or consider using more than one solar assembly connected in parallel. See page six for

example configurations.

•

Battery Backup. The DX81P6 can supply backup power to a 350 mW load for up to 30 days of autonomy after solar

autonomy is exhausted.

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Parallel Assemblies. SureCross FlexPower Solar Supplies are modular and can be connected in parallel.

Along with the benefit of additional power, parallel assemblies also offer redundancy and flexibility.

When used in parallel, multiple SureCross FlexPower Solar Supplies recharge independently for added system flexibility

when direct sunlight is unavailable. Multiple panels can be positioned in different directions to maximize recharging at

different times of available sunlight. Partial shade from trees or buildings is a common problem in solar applications

because partial shade prevents individual solar panels from generating power to recharge the battery. When multiple

assemblies are used, partial shade results in a partial system recharge instead of a zero system recharge.

Temperature and Location Considerations

The SureCross FlexPower Solar Supply can be expected to drive a 350 mW load with 10 days of autonomy at battery

temperatures between –10 °C to 45 °C (14 °F to 113 °F). Because lower temperatures decrease battery capacity,

applications in very cold climates require extra consideration. The SureCross FlexPower Solar Supply will stop recharging

the battery at temperatures greater than 45 °C because of battery limitations. All these factors contribute to decreasing

system autonomy and may require additional power regardless of insolation.

Be aware that because much of the earth has typical insolation values that are 2 to 6 times higher than 1kW-hr/m

per

day, it may be possible to get more power from your SureCross FlexPower Solar Supply. In some high insolation locations,

it is possible for two SureCross FlexPower Solar Supply Assemblies to supply up to 2 W continuously with four days of

autonomy.

If you have any questions or need help determining the best solution for your solar application, please contact a Banner

Applications Engineer to help you find the right solution.

Example Solar Powered Systems

For installations without wired power, the solar powered assembly

may be used to power data radios, FlexPower Gateways, or

FlexPower Nodes connected to sensors that require more power

than a single battery unit can supply.

SureCross FlexPower Solar Supply Assembly

P/N 137304 Rev. G