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Note: although this page was written with alternator-augmented solar charging in mind, the general principles also apply to shore power charging and generator charging.
Alternator + solar charging has considerable benefits over alternator charging alone, and over solar alone.
Solar works anytime there is available sunlight, not just when the vehicle is running.
Alt charging alone is unlikely to get lead-acid chemistries fully charged since Absorption can take hours. Incomplete charge (Partial State of Charge, or PSOC) over time will result in battery murder.
How to avoid (or attenuate) battery murder with this scenario:
The reason for this is related to how lead-acid banks charge; they can take a ton of current in the first ~80% of charging (Bulk) then they hit a kind of wall. At that point you could drive 100mph or hook the bank up to the Hoover Dam's electrical output and it wouldn't finish charging significantly faster.
From ~80% to 100% (Absorption stage) charging requires little current but a long time holding at a relatively high voltage. So in our alt+solar scenario the alternator does the heavy lifting in the beginning then a small solar install does the light (but lengthy) work at the end.1)
Solar power is relatively weak compared to alternator charging. Solar is most challenged in the morning when the bank is deeply discharged. The sun is weak then but the bank needs a large supply of current (early Bulk charging).
PWM controllers are especially hamstrung in this scenario; since they run the panels at battery voltage (Vbatt) they produce the least power exactly when the most power is required. By the time Valt is reached PWM controllers are able to produce meaningful power.
Alt charging shovels current into the bank up to the point that alternator voltage (Valt) is reached. Solar can take it from there. A good metaphor might be a two-stage rocket: the alternator does the heavy lifting then the solar charging takes it to high altitude.
Boosting solar charging with alternator, genny, etc, works best during bulk stage. This is true for alternators because their terminal voltage is rather low, and for both generators and alternators because Absorption stage takes little current and a great deal of time.
In practice, it is generally ideal to start the charging from 50% depth of discharge on alternator or generator and discontinue alt/gen charging when Absorption voltage is attained.2)
When the chassis and house batteries are connected, deep cycle charging voltages (Vabs) from solar or other sources will be passed to the chassis. Since charging voltages differ3) this could be an issue if house batteries were flooded; flooded starter batteries would require more frequent watering. “Maintenance-free” sealed flooded batteries might be expected to fail earlier due to water loss. AGM starter batteries might be overcharged by flooded charging voltages, though voltage drop across the relay and inter-battery wiring may serve to attenuate that possibility.
If overvoltage is a concern, one can use one of these workarounds:
Voltage sensing relays can get "stuck connected" if the alternator and solar were charging the same time. This situation would exist until the sun when down and house voltage dropped below the VSR's disconnection setpoint.
It is effectively the same issue as the issue above. Workarounds: