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What products can I run with your solar kit and how does it work?

You can go the following link to reference the scoreboard models our solar kit will operate effectively.  https://nevco.com/product/system-upgrades/scoreboard-accessories/solar-power-kit/

The solar panel itself is only about 85W, and the scoreboard’s maximum intended use is 200W max.  So the solar panel is not designed to run the scoreboard regardless of the amount of sun.

The solar panel charges the batteries when the board is not in use and then the two marine batteries in the metal enclosure run the scoreboard during the game. The battery power is converted to 120Vac utilizing an inverter that has been spec’d to supply the scoreboard models referenced in the product spec sheet.

There are a couple of things that could be cause a board to lose power prematurely:

  1. Failure to turn a system off over a winter or significantly long period could cause significant damage to the batteries.  When the inverter is left powered on, it drains more from the batteries overnight than the solar panel can put back in them the next day.  Lead-acid batteries lose capacity and life when left in a discharged state due to sulfates forming on the plates and the active material delaminating from the plates in the electrolyte. If this problem has occurred, replacing the marine batteries is the only cure.
  2. If the battery were fully charged at start up to their full-recommended capacity, then a typical board should operate for a minimum of about 40 hours. However, if the controller were left on overnight, then they only would have as much energy as they could have collected from sunrise to 10am. The solar controller in the enclosure has a capacity meter indicating the current charge on the battery. It is extremely important that the power switch be turned off every day so that the batteries will not be drained overnight.
  3. Standard installations use two Group 27 with 85-105 Amp Hour rating.  Deep cycle AGM Marine batteries that are 12v are what we recommend.  Use of any other batteries will diminish the expected life cycle of the system. (DO NOT USE STANDARD CAR BATTERIES)