Komodo 140W 12V Folding Solar Panel Kit (KD140FSLRPA) - Manual – Kogan.com Help Centre

Safety & Warnings

Handle with care and inspect regularly to ensure product is in good working order.

If this product, power supply cord or plug shows any signs of damage: stop use, unplug the product and contact Kogan.com support.

Read all instructions before using the appliance and retain for reference.
Please read this manual carefully to familiarise yourself with all instructions and precautions before using the portable solar panel system. Keep this manual in the pocket of the storage bag for future reference. Failure to follow the instructions and precautions in this manual may cause personal injury to the operator or damage to equipment.
To reduce the risk of injury, charge only 12V AGM, gel and lead-acid (flooded) batteries. Other types of batteries may be subject to bursting which can lead to personal injury and property damage.
Always operate the solar panel system in a well-ventilated space. Batteries emit explosive gases. These explosive gases can be ignited by a spark, cigarette or naked flame such as a lighter or matches.
Make sure the voltage of the battery being connected is the same as the output voltage of the solar controller.
Make sure to connect with correct polarity (RED positive clamp to positive terminal, BLACK negative clamp to negative terminal).
Battery must be removed from the confines of a vehicle when connected to the solar controller.
Keep away from explosive gases, flame, smoke, sparks or flammable substances.
Always adhere to battery manufacturer’s recommendations when charging batteries.
Given sufficient light, solar panels always generate energy even when they are disconnected. Accidental ‘shorting’ of the terminals or wiring can result in sparks causing personal injury or fire hazard.
This system is not intended for use by young children.
Always avoid charging old, damaged or overly discharged or defective batteries.
When testing or working on or around a battery, it is advisable to wear protective eyewear.
Have fresh water and soap available in case battery acid comes into contact with skin, eyes or clothing.
If battery acid comes into contact with skin or clothing, flush immediately with large amounts of water. In case of accidental eye contact with battery acid, flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. The eyes should be submerged under water and kept open. Seek medical attention immediately. Do not use eye drops or other medications unless instructed by a physician.
When working with a lead-acid type battery, be careful not to short out the battery with a metal tool or object. Remove all personal items such as watches, rings, bracelets and necklaces. Short circuits can happen and can damage such items and cause severe burns and/or personal injury.
Keep the surface of the solar panels clean from dust by wiping with a soft cloth.
Protect the solar panel from contact with water, acid or alkali substances.
Do not scratch or bend the solar panels.
Mount the solar panels at a height that adheres to all local and relevant safety regulations.
Do not pack heavy items on top of the solar panels when storing, transporting or in use.
This appliance is not intended for use by persons (including children) with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning use of the appliance by a person responsible for their safety.
This appliance is designed for consumer use: follow directions and use only as described.
This appliance contains no user-serviceable parts. If it suffers any failure or damage, cease usage and contact Kogan Support after consulting the Troubleshooting section of this manual.

Overview

List of Parts

Folding mono-crystalline silicon solar panels with heavy-duty anodised aluminium frame
Carrying handle
Steel safety fasteners
Heavy-duty aluminium folding support legs
5m extension cable to connect to the controller
Anderson plug to crocodile clip adapter
Hinges
Solar panel junction box
Connection cable between the left solar panel and the right solar panel
Connection cable with Anderson plug

Specifications

Operation temperature: 5˚C – 60˚C

Operation Humidity: 20%RH~80%RH

Air Pressure: 86kPa~105kPa

Operation

Installation

Choose a secure, well ventilated location allowing for maximum sun exposure. Keep the solar panel system away from hazards such as camp fires, water, high-traffic areas, and shadows.

Remove the solar panel from the padded carry bag.
Open the folding solar panels so that they lay flat and fold out the support legs.
Adjust the legs to obtain the desired angle and orient the solar panel system in the direction that allows for maximum sun exposure. Secure the panels in position.

The direction and angle of the solar panel system can be adjusted throughout the day for maximum sun exposure.

Connection

Connect the Anderson plug from the back of the panels to the Anderson plug on the extension cable (the plugs have +ve and -ve sides to make sure the polarity is correct).
Connect the other end of the extension cable into your power system.
Connect the Output or Battery connection on the controller to your battery. If needed, you can use the crocodile clips provided for this purpose. Be sure to connect to the correct polarity (the positive red clamp to the positive battery terminal and the negative black clamp to the negative battery terminal). Connecting the clamps to the incorrect (reverse) polarity may cause irreparable damage to the controller and/or panel.

Controller

Safety Instructions

Make sure your battery is a compatible 12V type before installation.
Use as short a battery cable as practical to minimise loss.
This regulator is suitable for lead acid batteries only. It is not suitable for nickel metal hydride, lithium ion or other types of battery.
This controller is only suitable for regulating solar modules. Never connect another charging source to the controller.

Controller & LCD Diagram

Setup

Connect the battery to the positive and negative terminals of the charge regulator.
Connect the solar panel to the positive and negative terminals of the regulator.
Connect the consumer to the positive and negative terminals of the charge regulator.

Interface & Parameter Setting

Browsing Interface

Press Menu button to cycle through interfaces.

Set Parameters

In interfaces 2-5, long press MENU to enter settings. User [Up] and [Down] to set the parameter and long press MENU again to exit.

Battery Types	b01	AGM	Equalisation 14.4V
	b02	Gel	Equalisation 14.2V
	b03	Flooded	Equalisation 14.6V

Work Mode: How long after the device detects sunset it will work for.

e.g. If set to 24, it will always operate. If set to 0, it will only operate while sunlight is available. If set to 2, it will operate for 2 hours past sunset.

Cleaning & Care

Always check to ensure that the product is clean and in good working condition with no visible defects or damage.
Ensure that the environment where the solar panel system is going to be placed has adequate ventilation.
Make sure that all connection cables and extension cables are undamaged and in good working order.
Make sure all connectors are clean and free of dust, debris and/or rust.
Keep the surface of the solar panels clean from dust by wiping with a soft cloth.

Troubleshooting

PROBLEM	POSSIBLE CAUSE	POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Panel exposed to sunlight but charging indicator on regulator not lit	Battery not properly connected to regulator Regulator not properly connection to the panel Sunlight too weak	Check all connections to ensure regulator properly connected to battery and panel Wait until weather condition improves
Load icon off	Mode setting incorrect Battery low	Reset Recharge
Load icon flashing slowly	Overload Short circuit protection	Reduce load watts Reconnect
Without load, battery indicators do not change even after charging	Battery damaged or faulty: no longer holds charge	Replace battery
“No output” displayed on indicator	Battery over-depleted	Disconnect load from battery and charge for a long period of time
No voltage output reading from panel	Cables connected incorrectly	Verify cables connected to battery correctly
No charge indicator on regulator	Battery voltage is too low. Battery fuse is blown (if applicable).	Check battery voltage: if too low (often less than 8V), controller will not work Check fuse: fuse can blown if: 1. Battery poles +/- are reversed or a short circuit occurred 2. Solar controller output current over level specified for its controller

Appendix

As a general rule, multiply the amps (A) required to run an appliance by the number of hours per day you expect to run them to work out a total daily energy requirement in Amp Hours (Ah).

This can then be matched to your panel. Take the power production of the panel (W) and divide by the system voltage (12V) to work out the current in Amps produced by the panel. Then multiply this by the hours of expected sunshine to give a Ah per day that the panel should produce.

Bear in mind that angle of light, cloud cover, temperature and atmospheric conditions can all affect the output of your panel, and your system will not be 100% efficient, so when planning a trip it is recommended to build in a healthy safety margin. Also many 12V batteries produce power between 12.5V and 14V, and this variation will also affect your calculation.

Power Calculations

Amp hours (Ah) = Current (Amps) x Working Time (Hours)

Module power (W) = Current (Amps) x Expected module voltage (V)

Example: The following table represents a possible portable appliance configuration:

APPLIANCE	WATTS	VOLTAGE	AMPS	HOURS	AMP HOURS
12V fluorescent light	8	12V	0.65	4	2.6
12V TV	20	12V	1.67	1	1.67
12V radio	5	12V	0.42	1	0.45
12V fan	4	12V	0.33	5	1.65
12V travel iron	120	12V	10	1/6	1.67
12V fridge	45	12V	3.75	6	22.5
ESTIMATED CONSUMPTION					30.51

Amp hours: 30.51 Amp hours per day

Assumption: the solar panel is exposed to 6 hours of suitable sunlight each day. The required current from the system would be 30.51 amp hours/6 hours = 5.09A

The minimum size of panel would therefore be: 5.09A x 12.2V / 0.8 = 110W

(12.2 – system voltage, 0.8 – efficiency estimate)

In this example, a 110w panel is required to run the appliances for the desired time. However this is a minimum, and a larger panel would be recommended.

Required Battery Capacity

Solar panel systems should be designed to leave plenty of reserve in the batteries. Ideally at least 30% charge should be left in the battery.

Battery Capacity Calculation

current (amps) x hours = amp hour (Ah)

In the preceding example, we have determined that it is required to have 30.51 Ah current per day. If the battery is going to be used for 3 days without charging, then power required would be 30.51*3 = 91.53Ah. For the battery to remain 30% full, the required battery size is therefore 91.53/0.7 = 130Ah.

However, if the solar panel is able to produce 20W per day, then the power requirement from the battery is reduced to 10.51 Ah per day, in which case the required battery size is much smaller (10.51*3)/0.7 = 45Ah.