We Care Solar Solar Suitcase User manual

We Care Solar - Solar Suitcase Installation Guide - 2017 Page | 1
We Care Solar Suitcase
Installation Guide
2017
®

We Care Solar - Solar Suitcase Installation Guide - 2017 Page | 2
Contents
Solar Suitcase System Overview............................................................................................. 3
Understanding the Solar Suitcase........................................................................................... 4
Batteries, Panels, and Lights ............................................................................................... 4
Main Control Board.............................................................................................................. 5
The Charge Controller ......................................................................................................... 6
Getting Started ........................................................................................................................ 9
Appliances............................................................................................................................. 11
Charging Appliances.......................................................................................................... 11
Phone Charger................................................................................................................... 12
Headlamps......................................................................................................................... 13
Fetal Doppler ..................................................................................................................... 15
Installation Guide for Solar Suitcases.................................................................................... 18
Installation Planning........................................................................................................... 19
Installation Day Preparation Checklist ............................................................................ 20
Installing the Solar Panel ................................................................................................... 21
Solar Panel Installation Checklist.................................................................................... 30
Installing the Solar Suitcase............................................................................................... 32
Solar Suitcase Installation Checklist ............................................................................... 36
Installing the LED Lights .................................................................................................... 38
LED Lights Installation Checklist..................................................................................... 41
Installation Day –Documentation ...................................................................................... 42
Documentation Checklist ................................................................................................ 44
Teaching Healthcare Workers How to Use the Solar Suitcase.............................................. 45
We Care Solar Suitcase Teaching Script........................................................................... 45
Teaching Tips .................................................................................................................... 51
User Comprehension Checklist.......................................................................................... 52
Solar Suitcase Repair and Maintenance ............................................................................... 53
Troubleshooting................................................................................................................. 54
We Care Solar Service Kits................................................................................................ 58
Warranty ............................................................................................................................ 61
Solar Suitcase Installation Master Checklist.......................................................................... 62
Checklist of Skills for Installing, Using, Maintaining the Solar Suitcase................................. 64

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Solar Suitcase System Overview
The Solar Suitcase Includes:
Appliances:
1 Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (LFP)
12 volt battery
2 rechargeable headlamps with micro
USB cable
2 bright, rugged LED lights
1 multi-tip phone charger
1 homerun cable for solar panels
1 2-slot USB adapter
1 wall mounting hardware kit
Optional Appliances:
1 roof mounting hardware kit
▪Fetal Doppler
Solar panel(s) –EITHER:
▪AA/AAA battery charger
2 plastic-backed solar panels (20 watts each)
OR
1 aluminum glass solar panel (50-200 watts)
▪Expansion switch box (provides 2
additional lights)
FETAL DOPPLER
(optional)
SOLAR
PANEL
LED LIGHTS
EXPANSION SWITCH
BOX WITH
ADDITIONAL LIGHTS
(optional)
HEADLAMPS
LFP BATTERY
MICRO-USB CABLE
AA/AAA RECHARGEABLE
BATTERY CHARGER
(optional)
MULTI-TIP PHONE CHARGER

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Understanding the Solar Suitcase
Batteries, Panels, and Lights
Battery Solar Panel
Lights
The Solar Suitcase includes a Lithium Ferrous
Phosphate battery (LFP; 12 volt, 12 amp-hour)
that stores electricity for night time use.
The LFP battery lasts for 5 years, and can be
fully charged and discharged hundreds of times
before it needs replacement. It can also be
stored for months without harm to the battery.
The Solar Suitcase is also compatible with
Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries.
Battery Replacement. After years of usage, if
you notice the battery is full at the beginning of
the evening, but runs out of charge quickly (for
example, the battery cannot provide enough
power for one LED light through the night), it is
time to replace your battery.
The Solar Suitcase can power two LED lights
throughout the night and an additional two
LED lights in systems using a 65-200 watt
solar panel. The LED lights plug into the light
sockets and are secured with the threaded
ring that is around the plug. The LED lights
can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
The solar panel turns sunlight into
electricity. The electricity is used to
charge the main battery in the Solar
Suitcase. The solar panel for the Solar
Suitcase is sized so that the battery can
fully charge every day.
Plastic-backed
(G-10) Everbright
Panels
Aluminum Glass
(Conventional) Panel

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Understanding the Solar Suitcase
Main Control Board
Main power switch/circuit breaker
Internal battery cable
Charge controller
Battery terminals/slip-on connectors
Light sockets
External battery socket
Light switches/circuit breaker
Solar socket
Appliance switch/circuit breaker
Solar plug on homerun cable
Appliance sockets (12V DC)
2 expansion sockets
Internal battery socket
Terminal screws (on charge controller)
7b
2
5
4
3
11
10b
10a
7a
8
12
1
9
7b
6
2
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
10a
10b
11
12
1
7a

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Understanding the Solar Suitcase
The Charge Controller
The Solar Suitcase connects solar panels to a charge controller, which optimizes the solar
charge into the battery. The charge controller also regulates the use of the energy stored in
the battery to power lights and other appliances.
Solar Charging Light
CHARGING –During the daytime,
when the green charging light is lit, it
means that the solar panels are
properly wired and that the Solar
Suitcase is receiving charge from the
solar panels. If you do not see this
light in the daytime, the system is not
properly connected.
Battery Type Selector
The selector must be on “2-
SEALED” for all sealed lead acid,
AGM batteries and LFP batteries like
the kind that comes with the Solar
Suitcase.
Battery Status Lights
The three colored lights allow the user to
assess the level of charge in the battery.
Lithium Ferrous Phosphate Battery
BLINKING GREEN –Battery is
full. This is a good time to charge
mobile phones and other
appliances.
SOLID GREEN –Battery is
between 10% and 90% charged.
You may charge appliances on
sunny days.
YELLOW –Battery is getting
very low –10% or less. Conserve
energy. Turn off all lights and
discontinue charging appliances.
RED BLINKING –Battery is
very low and power will soon turn
off. Turn off all light switches and
appliances. Wait until next sunny
day for battery to recharge.
13
15
14
13
14
15

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Solar Charging Light
The battery is charged every sunny day.
But how do you know your battery is charging?
There is a green light on the charge controller above the sun.
This light is called the solar charging light.
When it is daytime and the homerun cable is properly connected,
this light will be green. 
If you do not see this light in the daytime, the system is not properly connected.


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Battery Status Light
•The battery is like a bucket that holds water. The energy from the sun is like the water.
•The charge controller is like our eyes. It lets you see how much energy is in the
battery, like how our eyes let us see how much water is in the bucket.
•If the bucket is overflowing, this is a good time to wash your clothes.
➢Similarly, if the green light is blinking on the charge controller, this means there
is overflowing electricity in the battery. This is a great time to charge appliances.
•If you have little water, you would not use the water for washing clothes. You would
save the water for drinking.
➢If you only have a small amount of electricity in your battery, you need to save
this for lighting at night.
•If the bucket is empty, you cannot use water until the next time you fill your bucket.
➢When the battery is empty, it can only be filled during the next sunny day.

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Getting Started
1.Place the solar panel(s) in the sun and connect the solar
panels to the homerun cable
Place the solar panels in a sunny location. The panels should be permananetly mounted
on a rooftop with no shade between the hours of 9 AM and 4 PM. The panels should have
a minimum of 10 degree slope so that the rain will clean the panels off.
2.Connect the homerun cable to the Solar Suitcase
Make sure that the solar plug (yellow and blue) is fully inserted and rotated so that it is
locked in. The silver tab will face forward and click into position.
3.Connect the battery to the Solar Suitcase
Insert the battery plug into the internal battery socket.
✓


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The Solar Suitcase arrives with a battery cable already connectred to the battery with slip-
on connectors. If the slip-on connectors have come loose from the battery terminals, then:
Attach the (+)RED terminal on the battery to the (+)RED slip-on connector.
Attach the (–) BLACK terminal on the battery to the (–)BLACK slip-on connector.
Make sure the slip-on connectors are fully inserted.
4.Turn on the system
Once the solar panel and battery connections are secure, you can turn on the system. Use
the main power switch to turn ON the system. The battery status lights willflash in sequence
and the charge controller will turn on. After 3 seconds, the solar charging light will glow
solid . The Solar Suitcase is now ready to use.
The main power switch should remain ON at all times The
only time to turn the main power switch OFF is when you are replacing the main
battery.
Solar
Charging
Light