COMPANY PROFILE
Midnite Solar designs, manufactures, and sells, advanced electronic devices, combiner boxes,
disconnects and installation aids specific to the renewable energy industry. The all new
Classic Charge Controller offers advanced features and built in Arc Fault Protection not
available from any other manufacturer. Our new lightning/surge arrestor is the first in
our industry to offer real protection to power electronics, low cost rebuilds, all at
competitive price.
With the ever changing electrical codes, our engineers stay ahead of the
industry with new designs and solutions. All of our products are substantially made in America.
We add new machines and jobs as needed to our production facility in Arlington, WA, which
also serves as our company's headquarters. Our products are found in renewable energy
systems, worldwide.
LOOK WHAT PEOPLE SAY
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"I recently replaced a 10 year old Apollo Solar Controller with a MidNite Solar Classic 150 Controller. After extensive research, and comparison shopping I found this unit. Although it wasn't the least expensive on the market, it did have the best warranty, the most extensive features, was made in the U.S. and as I eventually found out, during and after install, awesome customer service. Thanks Todd! (several times)....
All in all, I am completely satisfied with the unit and now that I have been monitoring its performance, I have to say the price point is spot on compared to other solar controllers. I like how easy it is to navigate its options and compared to both the Apollo and even my Outback which operates in parallel with my new MidNite is light years beyond both of them. I have to say, the designers of the MidNite controller. Tom C"
Tom C
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"Hey James I just wanted to report back that we received all the equipment. Thank you again for your help and service. This left a wonderful testimony to MidNite. As installers it gives us a good feeling to know there is a company standing behind us with premium products and service!
Thanks again."
Gary
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Trail Battery and Solar
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"I recently purchased a MidNite Solar MNBE-D Battery Enclosure through a consumer retailer (Global Solar Supply). I wanted to reach out as the assembly was a great experience supported by the fantastic video you have published on your site.
I also found the quality of construction of the unit to be superb. Many thanks"
Brian Quirk
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"Roy,
Thanks very much for your help. We installed a prewired MidNite panel with SPDs. The off-grid system had worked great for years, one night this fall there was a big electrical thunderstorm. A flash boom lightning strike thunder clap happened and the power went out. Some breakers were turned back on and the DC SPD had blown. Nothing was damaged in the system! I replaced the SPD and they are safe for a few more years. Thanks"
Latane
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"I have a Classic and will recommend it to ANYONE contacting me on which company to buy from. I've happily lived where the power company cannot go, for almost 2 years.
The controller has survived a lightening strike which knocked out the sensitive inverter.
I just wish there were a clearer, more detailed, explanation of (all) it's functions ... step-by-step on how to tune it for efficiency. I used to write user manuals in my corporate years, and always from a new user's perspective. My only other wish is to be able to afford TWO.
I'm all for good voltage regulation, and less government regulation. Thank you again."
Brian
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"OK updated both classics, unfortunately I updated the MNGPs also. This was of course after I reviewed the email and realized I should not have. My bad. That new updater just makes it so smooth and easy, I just kept hitting update. Nice work on that piece of software by the way. This my 8th different update on 8 different CCs without a hitch! And I used some random cable and brand new laptop. Wow!"
Lou Russo
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"Along the way there has been a fair amount of educating me, and a decent amount of troubleshooting. Lets just say I have used technical support a good amount over the years. Anyhow, for me although its just one opinion, I choose MidNite because of the great help I have received, and I want to specifically mention Jim Parish. Although your products are great, there is no better feeling than to know someone out there really is looking out for you and willing to follow through. Jim has come through for us too many times over the years and I'm embarrassed it's taken so long to pass along these accolades. There is no script reading, passing the buck, or really any BS with any of your tech support. I understand that sometimes products come out with issues that might have been missed. Maybe instructions are vague, or often it's just me trying to learn the product. Weather a dumb question, or a true challenge; your tech support team has really helped us out. Although I don't write reviews, I share these experiences with my peers in the installer world, my students as an instructor for Solar Energy International, as well as the equipment choice in design I use for consultation.
I have seen some other companies out there shave overhead by cutting quality at tech support; I want to say I would gladly pay more for what you are doing. Not that I think you are considering this, but maybe make sure Jim sticks around and buy him a bass boat or Shiatsu massage chair or something¦.. Keep on doing what your doing. Thanks, Jay Poz"
Jay Poz
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"Dear Support folks at MidNite Solar. It turns out that the SPD that we have was not damaged after all. We've discovered that the issue lies with another component in the system which was damaged by the lightning strike ahead of the SPD and the SPD worked just fine and saved the Inverter. Your SPD is now back online.
Thank you very much for your offer of the warranty repair, but it won't be needed. We're grateful that the installation contractor knew to include your device in the system.
All the best. - Robert."
Robert
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"Greetings Robin from sunny Khartoum, Sudan! I wanted to let you know how grateful we are for the Midnite Solar controller and accessories you donated for our remote hospital treatment center where we are treating a neglected disease called Kala Azar which is 100% deadly if not treated. Everything is working perfectly here a world away.. Your products
really have made a difference with the ease of use in the hospital which is paramount in Africa. We have to net down to the easiest denominator and one of the great benefits of the controller is the intelligent
lighting and the AGS. Without the intelligent lighting in particular, our batteries would always run down because people would not remember to switch off the lights during the day. This was a huge frustration of mine on another project so I am ever so grateful for this feature!
And thank goodness for the battery capacity meter!! Really, I can not thank you enough for your products and making life SO much easier here in our project far away from anything!! Just a spartan little village in the middle of nowhere.. And, of course, your buddy and mine, Marc, was just the perfect guy to get the job done. We are hoping to get him back in September to finish out the solar installation that we started and to do a brand new one in another hospital in the same state. Solar is the way to go for sustainability here instead of a generator which would be killed in 3 months, if they could find the fuel for it.. Thank you again!! Carolyn"
Carolyn
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Médecins Sans Frontières - Switzerland
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"Hello Roy,
Just wanted to take couple minutes and let you know the replacement Classic 150 works perfectly!!! It fired right up and Volts, Amps, and Watts were reading perfectly, and the system is operating within Factory Specs!!! I wanted to "Thank You Personally" for diagnosing the problem almost immediately, and accepting our unit so quickly for the change out. You were faster than you estimated on the return, and the owner is ecstatic! "Thank You Sincerely" for all your help!"
William S. Baptist
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William S. Baptist Construction
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"Dear Mr. Butler...
I wanted to take a minute and "Thank You" for all your help this morning in diagnosing the problem with our Classic 150. Also, "Thank You" for your time and effort in answering all of my question for the owner and myself along the way. We are sending the unit back to you per your instructions, and we will await eagerly its return. It is a great feeling to know your technical assistance is always available to us! Keep up the great work, and do not let those people out there get you down....There are a few of us out here that I hope make up for that.... Sincerely, William S. Baptist"
William S. Baptist
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William S. Baptist Construction
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"Midnite Solar team,
I have had 2 classic 150's hooked up now for 2 weeks and I just want to say thanks you on a very good job at building the ultimate charge controller. And to be made in the USA. Your customer support is also the ultimate. You guys rock. Keep up the good work"
Merrill
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"Hello:
I am the Diagnostic Imaging Manager for 4 hospitals and professionally value patient/customer feedback. I wanted to say that I am very happy with the level of service and knowledge that Roy Butler provided through a series of emails and phone conversations. He was easy to talk to, knew his products and provided suggestions and support. Most important I did not feel rushed on the phone and was given the feeling from Roy that he personally cared about my questions. Thanks for the great experience, and support"
Trevor Filsinger
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"Good Morning,
I understand that this may not be the typical reason for people to contact your company, but I feel required to give credit to a product you have that made a recent project feasible. I'm a Marine, who purchased a MidNite Solar Kid charge control system for a proof of concept deployable power generation mechanism. Your product worked brilliantly. It survived 100 + degrees and high humidity for the entire deployment. On top of that, it was able to use an enormous array of input sources to charge an out of the normal voltage range series-parallel configuration of proprietary battery packs. It effectively reduced the weight of anything else the USMC had to offer (solar wise) by almost 1000 Lbs. while maintaining the same efficiency and offering more options (like auto generator start and emergency on the spot battery reconfiguration.) I'm impressed. My command is impressed. Thank you."
Michael L. Ott
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United States Marine
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"Fabulous!
I received my Classic 150 this morning, and, so far, am very impressed. I am already harvesting at least 20% more energy from my PV's than via my old PWM steca 2020 controller. I am based in the UK. I bought the classic via a friend in California, and would like to take advantage of the free Whizbang Jnr offer, but understand that this offer is limited to those in the USA. At present I have a very expensive, but gorgeous Victron battery meter fitted which does the same job but will not allow me to monitor data via an android tablet (without a lot of extra expense/messing about with data connections…). Many thanks again for you prompt response and please pass on my appreciation to the designers/ engineers of the 'Classic' - its nice to see a product whose design shows a sense of humour and style as opposed to the usual boring aluminium, square case…"
drew smith
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"Thank you. I will keep you posted. Wow, real customer service. I did not think it still existed. Congrats."
Doug Scott
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"Ryan,
I just had to write you once again and praise your Clipper / Classic combination for small wind. For those of us passionate about wind who live in pretty windy places, the ability to harvest more, with a quieter turbine, with less wear and tear, with robust equipment that does not burn up or trip breakers, that can be remotely monitored and programmed, and very precisely charge batteries, is quite an accomplishment. Battery based wind charging is difficult, and you and your company have done a great job with it. After dealing with the old, noisy, inferior equipment for years, this is a blessing. I am as content with wind harvesting as I have ever been. Thanks,"
Robert Appel
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"I want to say again I AM VERY,,,, VERY ,,,, VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE SERVICE
YOU CAN BET I WILL BE ONLY BUYING YOUR COMPANY'S PRODUCTS,,,, VERY GREAT SERVICE AND THE EQUIPMENT IS ALSO !!!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH"
Chuck French
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"I have lived with wind as part of my off grid energy mix for nearly 7 years and have spent countless hours listening, watching, and observing the output of my wind turbines. I have observed about a 80% - 90% instantaneous increase in power output new vs old and about twice the overall energy capture based on the fact the the new turbine does not furl / unfurl nearly as often which obviously leads to increased production as well.
The new higher voltage stator with the Classic 250 and Clipper has revolutionized our wind energy harvest. Besides more production, it is quieter, no more breakers tripping, no more controllers burning up, and very precise battery charging. I strongly recommend installing the Clipper if you live in a windy location because above the max charging capacity of the Classic, the turbine will freewheel and can be quite noisy."
Windyneighbor on MidNite Forum
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"On another note, I'm super impressed with the work and thought put into the
Kid. The MidNite staff and quality of the kid have convinced me to be a
customer for life. Anyone and everyone who may be considering alternative
energy sources owe it to themselves to look at the Quality of MidNite
products. Not to mention the outstanding customer support available through
the product forums and email. MidNite's staff have been outstanding and
should be recognized for it. Thank you all for the effort you have put into
the kid development and MidNite products. MidNite is truly a class act that
other companies should use as a business model.
Thank you, Blair Grover"
Blair Grover
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"For a RV/trailer application "The kid" is going to be "The ticket" in my opinion. I'm quite impressed. Installation was simple and well thought out. The wall mount accessory is an excellent addition to a
trailer or RV retrofit! I think you are going to sell a lot of them to the RV crowd."
Blair Grover
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"Kim;
Beta Marine Kid #27 received and temporarily installed awaiting some breakers and a box which should be here tomorrow. Working great on 300 watts of 4 old Siemans SP75 nominal 12 volt panels in series.
Packaging was superb, The Kid is well built and was easy to configure & upgrade the Firmware on. Thanks for the opportunity to test one of these. Tom"
Tom DubYa
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"This is my first post to this forum. I have lived off grid for nearly 7 years with both wind and solar. My wind harvesting has been done with 2 Bergey XL1 turbines. I recently replaced one of them with the new 48 volt stator and the MidNite Solar Classic 250 and AC Clipper. The improved performance is remarkable. The turbine is much quieter (furling/ unfurling is nearly eliminated), harvests more energy with less wind, and is generally more under control. I am also able to shut it down completely when we get a super high wind event. It is also very nice to be able to charge my battery bank just as accurately with the wind as with the sun. I would like to thank Ryan and the crew at MidNite Solar for such a great product and the timely technical support they have provided me as I was setting up my new turbine."
Windyneighbor - MidNite Forum
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"The Kid arrived last night, had it operational before sunrise. In summary, it gets an A."
Steve Hicks
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Mountain Pass Wind
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"What commonly available MPPT controllers have a user configurable current output limit? (other than Outback FM##)
Jason Szumlanski Fafco Solar Midnite Solar has that capability as well. IMO, it's a better CC than the OB FMs. Bob-O" |
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"Bob-O nailed it.....couldn't agree with you more!
The Classic is my first choice for an MPPT controller."
Roy Butler
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Four Winds Renewable Energy, LLC
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"MidNite has some of the best product support I've encountered in a long time. boB and Ryan have been great answering questions, as well as everyone on this forum. It's nice to see a company that takes pride in its products and really tries to help its end customers. So many businesses these days just want to sell you a product and forget about it!"
From Devo on MidNites forum
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"Hi Robin,
I was just sitting here at the computer working on inventory when I came across the numbers for Classic 150's. Since they have become available we have ordered or sold over 500! Add another 100 of 200's and 250's and I'd say we have pretty well been won over. Thanks to you and Bob and Mary and all of your crew for great products and for you friendship and support over the last 12 years. Onward and upward. See you in San Francisco. Regards, Mark"
Mark Coleman
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Wholesale Solar, Inc.
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"We had a great time touring Midnite Solar! We had only planned to shake
hands and offer praise for Midnite products, but I'm really glad we had a
flexible schedule for the day. I enjoyed seeing the new products in
development and the active production lines, but what most impressed me was
how you've managed to maintain a quirky, real-life work environment while
delivering world-class products. That is so cool, and rare. Feel free to
use me as a resource if I can be of assistance with product development, or
anything else.
Thanks again for giving us the VIP tour and a nice lunch. I hope you'll allow me to return the favor when you're in our area."
Don Clark
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"MidNite Solar Goes to NASCAR
(Suniva was hired to make the UPS NASCAR track side cart off grid. Sol Haroon, EE used Midnite charge controllers, E-panel and combiners.) Hi Kim, The Suniva UPS trailer is now live! The Charge Controller is working great. Looking forward to connecting up to the Modbus directly. Will now be doing upgrades to the trailer such as upgrading the Magnum inverter and other items based on further requests. Will send you a write-up. Regards,"
Sol Haroon, EE
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Suniva, Inc.
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"Ryan
Here is a slide show of my 6 KW system totally installed by myself with no help except my wife. It was rather difficult at times as I am rather small(5'-7" and 120 lbs wet and 51 years old) and my wife is about the samesize, so if we could do it anyone who tries can do it. The system went online December 21, 2011 and Midnite Solar's equipment has performed flawlessly. I must also commend Ryan for his excellent support during my installation. All I had to do is send an email and he called me back on the phone and took all the time needed to help out, THANKS AGAIN. Thanks again Midnite Solar your products are great."
Pete
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"From the Wrenches list posted by Roy
Hi Chris, Other than the increased cost for the additional equipment, I like the new high voltage XL.1. I have one in the field, running for almost one year now. Took about 1 hour to work through the Classic/ Clipper programming but then everything worked perfectly. And no call backs!!! The customer is thrilled with it. We saved a bunch of money on the smaller wire run and the turbine produces more energy for the client than any of the 14 standard issue XL.1s I have out there....and it's not in as good of a wind resource as some of the others. So, other than the learning curve on the part of the installer, I see no glitches. And the customer service at Midnite is second to none so even the learning curve is painless. FYI- I have the Classic/ Clipper at my place now. It's now controlling my legacy Whisper H1500. (The old World Power Tech. unit with the big alternator, not the 1kW SWWP unit). It sure beats the good old "EZ-Fire" controller.....so far, so good!"
Roy Butler
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Four Winds Renewable Energy, LLC
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"Hello Robin,
I thought you would be interested to know that your MNPV6HV pre-wired disco was selected over the originally specified Eaton Cutler-Hammer units. The major reasons it was approved by our engineers and the consultants were lower costs with increased safety features. This made your MNPV6HV Disco better than an approved equal due to the built-in MNSPD600 Lightning Arrestor. We also liked the welded Nema 4X aluminum powder coated enclosure which can have a remote disconnect via your Birdhouse feedback compatible option. The MNPV6HV Disco meets the NEC 2011 codes and into the future, keep up the great work making the industry safer for a reasonable cost. Many Thanks,"
Tim Yusishen
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Solar Solutions - Canada
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"Well.... I got the Classic hooked up & programmed. You are right about the
ease of programming. I am damn impressed."
Robert Shearer
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"Hi Ryan,
I forgot to say thank you for the new unit. I have installed it the day I received it and it is working perfectly. Thank you very much for acting on the issue for the CC so quickly and sending me the new unit. You and your company are great and have responded to the fastest way that I have seen in many years. Thank you Sincerely"
John
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"Bob,
Its really cool to see such a dedicated group of people working all hours of the day to produce such a great product. I'm extremely happy with my MidNite Controller. I had my reservations about the style the company was going with but now I feel the passion you guys are putting into the product and its inspiring. Thanks"
Bob
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"Good morning,
After six months of functioning of l 'ensemble 5 panels of 210 W in series with the controller of load MIDNITE CLASSIC 200 and 4 batteries in series of 12 volts 150 AH. - I am very satisfied with performances of CLASSIC 200 - assemblage was easy as well as its linking electrical - The menu is simple d 'utilization to enter parameters IN CONCLUSION PRODUCED EXCELLENT Mes 73 QRO de DANIEL F1ACU à KH7RQ, K7IQ ET à RYAN Good holidays of noel and all my congratulations for 2013 -------------------------- Bonjour, Après six mois de fonctionnement de l'ensemble des 5 panneaux de 210 W en serie avec le controleur de charge MIDNITE CLASSIC 200 et 4 batteries en serie de 12 volts 150 AH. - Je suis très satisfait des performances du CLASSIC 200 - Le montage a été facile ainsi que son raccordement electrique - Le menu est simple d'utilisation pour entrer les parametres EN CONCLUSION UN EXCELENT PRODUIT"
Daniel THIEL - FRANCE
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"How can i thank you for all your support even on Sundays you are supporting.
My best wishes for you. Thanking you. Mohamad."
MOHAMAD HAMIEH
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"I recently purchased one of MidNite's pre-wired combiner boxes. I must say, pretty awesome and painless if your using MC4 connectors. I'm sure I paid a decent amount for it vs making my own but simplicity/ease of use got me this time.
I only have 2 strings so I used an open string to connect an existing MC4 cable to my inside connection. For me it was click click click done.... Painless and perfect. Thanks MidNite and NAWS!"
TBR
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"I thought I would share this experience with everyone, although it is at my expense. But I will add no body is perfect ! The only people who never make a mistake never do anything anyway.
I had a new small 12v install with 450 watts of PV and was fitting a Classic 150 using the clients old 12v Inverter charger Everything else was new. On completing of the system everything connected as soon as I fired up the array the Classic would start charging but then went to arc fault. The Inverter charger behave OK when inverting and charging. I checked all my connections again and again and everything checked out. I disable the arc fault setting in the classic and hey presto everything proformed as it should . Done sorted OK. About 4 weeks later I got a call from my client saying that the Classic was dead . He was local so I was up the following day. A test of the system found that the classic was not getting its Battery feed. Positive side was OK but the negative side was open. Back system checking through the negative side found the culprit a connection that I assumed was a good bond it was not and failed. Attaching a new bond cable direct from the negative lead cured the problem . System restored arc fault turned back on system Ok. So the lesson to be learned is if the Arc Fault from the classic appears (default factory value) Before you reduce sensitivity or disable it, please check everything on both polarity's. The Classic was bang on the money !! Im still saving up for my Flir Thermal Imaging Camera to assist in signing off system installs. Which would have detected this . But as I said Classic 1 Installer 0."
Nigel
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"Midnite Solar Controller Installation Report
Site: Taveuni, Fiji Islands System Type: Standalone Solar System with Diesel Backup System Summary Solar Array: 3.5kW, comprising of 20 x 175W 24V BP Solar Panels Solar Array Details: Array 1 - 5 strings with 4 panels each Solar Controller: Midnite Solar Classic 200 66A MPPT System Nominal DC Voltage: 48V Battery Bank: 700Ahr @ c100, comprising of 8 x 6V 700Ahr Gell Exide Batteries Inverter/Charger: Selectronis 7.5kW 48V Generator: Olympian 7.5KVA 230VAC Single Phase Programming & Installation Report of the Solar Controller - The main reason we chose the Midnite solar controller for this installation was because of its wide PV input open circuit voltage range. This enabled us to install 4 x 24V panels in one string which was required for this installation - Programming of the controller was very simple. The setup wizard made programming very easy. - Its advanced features such as PV Arc fault protection, VOC limits and programming parameters such as Latitude and longitude settings, wiring size, breaker selection, voltage drop calculation certainly proves its claim of providing increased flexibilty and features when compared to other MPPT range controllers"
Clay Energy - Taveuni, Fiji Islands
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"Just now took the time to try the Sizer. WOW, very fast to enter data ... works great.
The best string sizer that I've seen.
Thanks! Vic"
Vic
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"I wanted to let you know that you have some absolutately wonderful folks working for you, which I’m sure you already know. I particularly want to mention Ayla who went above and beyond last week to help me fix an issue that was totally my fault.
A customer had ordered an MNPV6-Disco-AC, but I shipped him an MNPV6-Disco by accident. On top of that, the customer didn’t check his order for a week, so it wasn’t until they got to the jobsite and had the inspection scheduled that they noticed the problem. Ayla was so great, helping me not only get them the right parts, but also working hard to find a way to get everything to him at the jobsite early this morning so they didn’t have to reschedule the inspection. And she was very polite and professional throughout the whole thing. She really knows how to provide top-notch customer service. And since I’m here, I’ll just say that Walter is always great to work with as well. Hope you are doing well."
Alana
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"Hi there. After watching several of your product videos on YouTube, I can say we have no doubt that we want to use Midnight solar products for our project here - you guys are so cool!"
Christine Harbour
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Trowbridge, Wiltshire - United Kingdom
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"The 150 $ price reduction, will make the Classic Lite a very attractive proposition on its price per amp power handling alone it knocks the rest into the corner with a single punch, with PC Software interface included as standard. Not mentioning Upgradable Firmware, Harvest Yield , Ethernet,USB as standard 3 Operating Voltages and Hyper VOC"
Nigel Dawson
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www.prismsolar.eu
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"Aloha Gentlemen,
Thank you for what I believe was the best presentation hosted by Inter-Island Solar.
Your discussion and classic charge control presentation was very informative and motivated quite a few installers to further their knowledge in PV.
You are both an asset to the renewable energy industry and keep alive the roots and foundations on which the industry was created. Please let me know if there is anything I can assist you with in the future. Mahalo"
Mark Nifong
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Inter-Island Solar Supply Maui
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"Your help has been a blessing. Thanks so much for the response. I ran all week end under a load. I have three small 8 Cu.FT. freezers running on all 8 cylinders and am very satisfied with the results. We had two days of somewhat cloudy and hazy conditions, yet my system supported the load and kept my battery bank at full charge. This week I'll be adding additional load to see what the maximum is it will handle. Will stay in touch. Many thanks!"
Mike
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"I've had this set up for a few weeks now, and it works totally awesome. This is not a voltage-based "dump". The Classic is smart enough so that it will only turn on the water heater if there is excess power available from the RE system for the particular charge state it's in.
In Bulk MPPT I never see the water heater come on. But once it gets to Absorb voltage the Classic looks at what the batteries are taking for current vs what it determines is available from the panels. If there's more power available than what is being used by the bank it activates the Aux port and we start heating water. In the initial stages of Absorb when the bank is still pulling up to 80 amps it will cycle the water heater on and off to maintain the Absorb voltage. As the bank gets charged up it leaves the water heater on more. At the end of the Absorb stage the water heater is on all the time. I have the ending amps for Absorb set at 30 amps. So when the batteries are pulling 30 amps it drops into float and finishes the last 5% of the battery charging. Once in float the water heater is always on until the stat kicks it out at 190 degrees. The solar Classic interacts beautifully with the wind Classics. Even if there is little or no solar power, if the wind system gets the bank up to the Absorb level and holds it there for the max Absorb time set in the solar Classic, it activates the Aux1 port and starts heating water with wind power. Both of our 55 gallon water heaters are up to 190 degrees by mid-afternoon for the whole last two weeks. We have so much hot water heated with free electricity (well, not "free", when you figure in equipment costs, but still.....) that my wife has been using her dish washer just to use it up and cool the water heaters down a bit so we don't get burned when we take a shower or something. I have used various relay type voltage based controllers to do this, from Coleman Air ones to Morningstar RD-1's. This is the first time I have had a smart enough controller to properly charge the bank, and use the excess power to operate a water heater without using PWM schemes for "dump". The PWM schemes are fine, but it requires an SSR and driving water heater elements at part of their rated power with PWM does not provide efficient water heating. Using a simple contactor and powering the element at it's full rated 2,000 watts @ 240 volts is about 95% electrically efficient, and it works to actually get LOTS of hot water. If we get some poor power days, our two water heaters can store enough hot water for about five days if we cut back on the excess use (like the dish washer) before the water gets too cold to take a comfortable shower. And on a good we can heat them both from well temp to 190 with this system in one day. I have figured out that it takes about 36 kWh of power to heat both of our heaters from well temp to 190. I have to giggle with this system. When all the energy saving folks are promoting turning the thermostat down in your electric water heaters to save on power, we got ours cranked to the Max. And when we turn on the faucet we get hot water with a good head of steam on it"
Chris Olson
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"We received six of the twelve charge control panels today. WOW, they are everything we wanted and then some. When the batteries arrive later today we will wire a panel and watch it work. Great job to all.
Thank you for the hard work."
Lex Paine - Project Manager
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Federal Services LLC
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"That battery capacity meter that you sent is REALLY nice! It's my wife's new monitoring tool so she can see at a glance how bad she's got the bank sacked - got it mounted right on the kitchen wall by the cupboard."
Chris & Kristin Olson - Barron, WI
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"FINALLY! New system is online. The pair of Classics are purring along quite well. Each Classic has its own "identical" array. Amazing how well they share the common battery bank. Almost always identical power (within a few watts) of each other. This is without any Master/Slaving.
Excellent Documentation. Very happy with this setup. Am very jazzed with all that is included in each Classic -- Removable Front panel/Display, dual Aux outputs on each (even an Aux input!) etc. A very comprehensive package at a very reasonable price. Most here know all this and more, but ... The Classic is the best CC by far! And, all of this with great support as well. THANK YOU MidNite! Vic"
Vic
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"By the way I am very impressed with the quality of the unit and all of the thought that was put into the branding of the unit and packaging. I am proud to own the Classic 150 and I can see myself buying another one."
Darren Caruso
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"We still got good wind tonight but it's tamed down a bit from what it was earlier. It's averaging 9-10 m/s right now and supposed to die down further tonight. But I'm happy with it - it had a good first day's run on the tower - 10.1 kWh since 10:00 AM.
What's really cool is that I ran a permanent Ethernet cable from the Classic to my home network wireless router. I downloaded a thing off Midnite Solar's website that lets me access the Classic over my network with my laptop. I can sit right in my easy chair and watch my turbine's performance on gauges and stuff on my laptop. Never had anything like that before and it's cooler than hell."
Chris
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"Robin-
These videos are quite informative, in fact after watching I am emailing Walter next to order some lightning arresters to replace my grey useless ones.
Good job on the videos, even better job on the products!
Cheers,
Jason"
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"Thanks for sending these links. I hadn’t seen the Power Time videos yet. It’s a fun concept, and very informative.
Great features on the disco product line. The SPD comparison is super interesting. I’ve always suspected that the gray products were about as effective as a rabbit’s foot. However, maybe a rabbit’s foot would work better?"
David Brearley
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"These videos are quite informative, in fact after watching I am emailing Walter next to order some lightning arresters to replace my grey useless ones.
Good job on the videos, even better job on the products! Cheers, Jason"
Jason Stone
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Harness the Wind
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"Happy New Year Robin -- you guys keep up the great work! As far as I'm concerned you're the Apple of the solar world."
Ron Young
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earthRight Products
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"Regarding the pricing of the Classic: to me, the Classic is a great building block. It is not static. Many other manufacturers of CCs seem to get something shipping, and then only do bug fixes (and some other CCs seem to have serious BUGS, (like the XXXXXXXXX!).
On the other hand, the Classic seems to be a canvas, that the engineers at Midnite continue to paint great new functions onto. And believe that this will continue for some time to come. There is just no other manufacturer of MPPT CCs that I know of that has this commitment to product function extension. AND, the Classic is just a small amount of $ more than the others, that, IMHO are seriously lacking in capability. Whatta I know? .. But I sure love my Classic 150. Will need more of them this year. Thanks Midnite for all the great products and support. All the best for the new year. Vic"
Vic
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"Another Kudos
Hi Ryan, they don't pay you enough yet. You and the tech support dept. are very high quality stuff. That probably indicates a regard for getting it right by Robin and the guys at Midnite. Ron"
Ron
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"Yes, I have my distrust of electronics too. But the more I tested and learned about how the Classic works, the more I like it. It took me a long time to even convince myself to try it, and I came up with every excuse I could think of why it wouldn't be any good. But, frankly, this is no cheap Chinese controller slammed out with substandard components in it. This thing is built like a tank and it's pretty obvious boB didn't cut any corners on designing it. So I'm learning to trust it because it's the coolest thing I've ever played with."
Chris & Kristin Olson - Barron, WI
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"Hello Ryan-----could you please thank Mario and everyone else who had a hand in the quick repair of my customer's Classic 250 returned for warranty work. It is now back in service and all is good. This is the kind of manufacturer support that I always expect and rarely get in this industry. You may rest assured that I will remember this at future order time. This is WAY more important to me than price point or any other consideration . Please forward this to anyone else who might be interested, and thanks for your good work!"
Nick Houser
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Off Grid Services - Powell River, BC
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"I had to "kludge" together my small off grid cabin system (<500W of PV) and the outback PSDC stuff was just so overkill. I almost died when I saw your E-panel, it is perfect. Can't say enough about your clever and utilitarian designs.
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!"
Anthony
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"Man this equipment looks like something out of Alien the movie. Awesome looking. Has quality look that I have not seen before. Especially the E-panel, talk about a nice finish on it. Everything was very well packed with plenty of documentation. I can't wait to hook it all up! Thanks Again!"
Robert
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"After letting your marketing booklet hang around for several days, I finally decided to read at least the introduction, then found out what a great story you both have to tell and I read it cover to cover! I really enjoyed reading the history of the inverters and pre-wired panels you have been associated with, and I assure you I go back far enough to have installed at least one of every single one you listed!"
Jeff
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"I've been busy lately, but I wanted to report that my Classic 150 controlled wind turbine system continues to work great. It's been relatively calm the past 2 weeks, but today we've got some good wind blowing through. They are predicting gusts up to 30mph today and supposed to stay windy tonight. My Classic 150 works so well that I don't have to pay much attention to it these days. The wind blows, the wind turbine spins, and the Classic just does it's job without complaining. That's the way it should be!"
Edward
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"Hi Robin,
Just received all the equipment I've ordered. Frankly, the Midnite/Magnum stuff is of high grade quality. Keep on with the good work!!!"
Marc Beauvais
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"I'm a semi-experienced amateur, and it does take application and self study to be sure. For me learning the "lingo" and what is and what is not, standard practice is crucial. Your equipment is obviously well thought out and based on real experience. Everything I get just reinforces that impression. My plan is to make it visible in my home because it is a very clean industrial design."
Mike
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"Thanks man... I really appreciate it! Love your products... the E-Panel is amazing."
Trent
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"I thought I was the only solar guy who was (still) "open 24 hours". Now I see why you call it "Midnite Solar". Your answers are understood and my quote to the prospective customer is now complete. Thanks again!"
Mick Abraham
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Abraham Solar
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"Robin,
I ended up spending time on your site this evening and I'm really impressed. I know that as a meager mechanical engineer I'm easily impressed but I worked on the manufacture of various equipment over a dozen years and your group is doing very clean work. Also, your documentation is top notch which I'm not used to finding in most industries. So, for what it's worth - great job."
Ian Trask
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Balance Technology
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"We are currently installing your E-Panel model MNE250XW. I would like to say that this thing is a work of art it looks like you guys really have pride in what your making. Keep at it good work!"
John Ewing
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Mondamin, Iowa
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"Thanks Robin,
You guys are awesome. Even your Ryan S in Maine has been helping me on another forum and even offered to rewire the thing for me"
Bob
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"Did one FW250 and that was it. No space for bus bars and it can be an issue remebering each bit you need to order for a job. Also, the breakers are not supposed to be mounted facing up or down in order to work properly so that means the install has to run vertically up the wall or be on a shelf where the inverter led indicators are not visible. E panel wins hands down even outside the USA!"
Bruce Geddes
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PowerOn - New Zealand
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"We've looked at both, and the E-panel wins every time for single inverter installs where space and cost are issues. (Midnite includes cables, and breakers, and lots of extra goodies, while Outback keeps leaving more things out). Midnite's E-panel and battery box make for a very clean Grid tie w/ battery backup system. We just couldn't fit systems in such small spaces before."
R. Walters
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"Hi,
I just spent the weekend installing my epanel for the outback inverter and FM80...what an amazing product you have built. Having both units on the door is fantastic. I must tell you, the way your system cleans up my install is simply amazing. I had stuff spread across (2) 4x8 sheets of plywood before and now it all fits on 1. Thanks so much for making such high quality products!"
Lowell Slyter
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Aurora SD
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"Hi Robin,
I just got done with an installation that included the use of your XW e-panel. It worked great and helped keep things pretty clean. Thanks for all of your help!"
Matt Sherald
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PIMBY: Power In My BackYard
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"I am very aware that I am consuming a great deal of your valuable time. It was never my intent that you should validate my work, and I am extremely appreciative of your lending your expertise. If there is anything I might do for you- beyond giving you my business- I would appreciate it if you would let me know."
Peter Lotz
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"Thank you Robin. Great products, great service. Keep up the good work!"
David Gribben
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Science Center at San Antonio
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"Robin:
Thanks a bunch! You are a class act! I am former VP and GM of a very big company and I used to be very, very interested in customer service. Your attention to the problems of one small and ignorant customer is very impressive and I appreciate it."
Bruce Overson
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"I think I just sold out of the last one (Big Baby electrical box) and will sell more of these... What a great product."
Maverick
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"Hi Robin,
I love the quality. Obviously lots of time was spent forseeing how these things (E-Panels) would be installed and used. It has provisions for litterally EVERYTHING and makes wiring very simple. It also has to be the most compact solution available, and not a bad price either (even list price). Another fine product Robin! http://dieukhiendien.com"
Randy
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"I completely agree with Chris here. The Midnight Solar E-Panels are far superior, in my opinion, to the OutBack FW-250 boxes, and by the time that you add up all of the needed parts to make the FW-250 boxes work (cables, wire, breakers, shunt, etc.), they are about the same cost. The E-Panels are much easier to install and service. They also come with a shunt, whereas with the FW-250 boxes, if you need a shunt, you have to mount it on the inverter, below the top cover. This only works with the vented inverters, as the “turbo” cover on the sealed units don’t have the clearance. On top of that, the shunt ends up only about 2-3” from the negative battery post, and is a hell of a hassle to connect with 2/0 or 4/0 cable."
Brian Teitelbaum
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"Great job! Once again, when you touch something, you are going to change the market & be well ahead of the curve!"
Greg Pitz
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"This is a good family response to a new company, where else in the world would a new product get so much customer support than this.
Guys at Midnite you are very fortunate to have an customer base which is willing you on. Im a loner in Spain but I still like the fact that I can chat with real people at a real company fixated on its customers. Tto this I say thanks to Mary, Walter and Eric, oops Robin as well !!! Sorry bob you only warped me to hyper space, Ryan I appauled you as the flak carrier who stands up in all weather. Keep up the good work. I'll maybe a distributor one day. PS The SPD,s are selling well. Good Fortune Midnite."
Nigel
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