Bollard Solar kit - Electrical connections and Junction box
Junction box mounting
Mount the Junction box vertically on a non-flammable substrate, with the electrical terminals facing downward. The Dimensions drawings chapter of this manual contains a dimension drawing of the solar panels and Junction box. This drawing also indicates the mounting holes. Observe a minimum clearance of 10cm under and above the Junction Box charger for optimal cooling.
Electrical connections
Use flexible, multi-stranded copper cables for the battery and PV connections.
It is recommended to use a 6 mm2 / AWG10 cable for connecting the PV panels in series and to the Junction box. For connecting the load output to the Parklio bollard, it is recommended to use at least 2.5m m2 / AWG14 wire.
The wire diameter may vary depending on the installation distance of the PV panels to the Junction box and the Junction box to the Parklio bollard.
The diameter of the individual strand of the cable used should not exceed 0.4 mm (0.016 inch) or have a surface area exceeding 0.125 mm² (AWG26). A 25mm² cable, for example, should have at least 196 strands (class 5 or higher stranding according to VDE 0295, IEC 60228, and BS6360). An AWG2 gauge cable should have at least 259/26 stranding (259 strands of AWG26). Example of suitable cable: class 5 “Tri-rated” cable (it has three approvals: American (UL), Canadian (CSA), and British (BS)).
In the case of thicker strands, the contact area will be too small and the resulting high contact resistance will cause severe overheating, eventually resulting in fire. See the below image for examples of what cable to use and not to use.
Warning! Check the polarity before connecting the battery and PV voltage. Follow the correct installation procedure described in this article. Torque the battery, load, and PV connections at 0.75 Nm.
The Parklio Solar kit comes with pre-wired batteries and charging circuitry. The installer must connect the PV panels to the Junction box, The load output to the Parklio bollard, and ground the Junction Box and PV.
Figure: Junction box Components
Figure: Junction Box terminal locations
Before connecting the Junction box make sure the Solar disconnect switch, the Battery switch, and the Output circuit breaker are in the disconnected position. First, connect the two provided photovoltaic panels in series: the negative terminal from the first panel should be connected to the positive terminal of the second panel. Then connect the Photovoltaic panel negative lead to the SOLAR - input of the Junction box and the panel positive lead to the SOLAR + input of the junction box. Connect the Load of the Junction box to the Parklio Bollard.
After all connections are made, inspect the connections, then turn on the Battery disconnect switch. Wait for 10 seconds to allow the charger to power up. After that, turn on the LOAD output circuit breaker. Lastly, turn on the SOLAR Disconnect circuit breaker. The correct connection order is necessary to allow the automatic system voltage detection to set up properly. Not following the correct procedures can disable or damage the charger and/or the installation.
Figure: Junction Box Connection Dia
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