Solar Charger Controller

A Solar Charger Controller also called a solar battery charger is an advanced technology used in solar system. It is used in the solar application. These are for regulating the voltage and current from the solar arrays to the battery for the prevention of overcharging.

There are MPPT and PWM systems available. You must decide which one you want. This will impact on your budget. Models that have built-in maximum overload, short-circuit as well as overheating protections ensure that nothing gets damaged. Solar charger controller can also be chosen as per your specific setup.

Why Should You Use Solar Charger Controller?

Solar charge controller is more like a regulator. It allows energy from the PV array to system loads as well as the battery bank. When the battery bank indicates to be close to become full, the solar charger controller will taper off the charging current in order to keep the required voltage to charge the battery completely.

The solar charge controller protects the battery. Batteries are the most costly part of a solar system. This solar charge controller protects them from getting overcharged.

How Does Solar Charger Controller Work?

Solar power plants, wind power plants, tidal power plants, fuel cells, etc., are not producing electricity constantly and at any moment of the day as these are intermittent in nature. Because of this a battery is needed to store the electricity. Batteries don’t modify or transform the electrical current. It is just to store them.

In case, if electricity is not available, these batteries that store charge inside them is used to provide electricity to the loads. Most of the time batteries are installed with a charge controller. Basically, a solar charge controller is an electronic module that controls the amount of charge going in and out of the battery. Solar charge controllers offer the optimum and most efficient performance of the battery. These are just used to protect the batteries life.

Buyer’s Guide To Solar Charger Controller

There are some key considerations to keep in mind while looking for the best solar charger controller for your solar system. Check out our buyer’s guide to get the proper knowledge for choosing the right one available in the market below-

Types of solar charge controllers

There are two major types of solar charger controllers. You must consider which one you want. Types of solar charger controllers are-

1. Pulse Width Modulated (PWM)-

This is the normal solar charge controller. These are basically the industry standard. These are a simpler system compared to MPPT models that makes them much less expensive. However, it has some limitations on their on larger solar arrays. Basically, these solar charge controllers slow down the amount of power that goes into the battery as it approaches its capacity. When the battery is completely full, these types of solar charge controllers lets a small power to get into the battery. Without overdoing it, this enables it to constantly being full.

2. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT)-

These types of solar charge controllers are growing in numbers with today’s solar systems. They are able to truly identify the most suitable working voltage as well as the solar panel exhibit’s amperage and match that with the electric cell bank. It is worth estimating for a solar power system of more than 200 watts. This type of solar charger controllers offer an extra 10-30% more power of your sun oriented cluster than the PWM controller.

Maximum current output

Solar panels can deliver a wide range of currents to the solar charge controller. So, the controller should be able to process the maximum current sent by the panels. Additionally, the current transmitted to the battery of the controller should be managed. High currents can have a bad impact on the battery and low current can also affect the devices come with the system .

Dimensions and mounting options

Consider thinking about the space the system will require. How much the dimensions matter really depends on the place you are going to be using your new controller. For example, if you are thinking of installing it in a house or cabin, then there is nothing to worry about like the system’s size. If you are thinking about an RV or travel trailer, then it’s something that you need to consider thinking about as these have a limited amount of space. In this case, a smaller model would be ideal that doesn’t require too much room space.

Battery voltage

This is one of the most important factors to consider. Solar systems typically include a battery of 12 volts or 24 volts or 48 volts. But when for powering up a large system then the battery voltage also needs increasing. Suppose your battery voltage is 70 volts but you buy a controller that supports only 12 volts. That won’t be enough, right! So, it is recommended that you always carefully read the requirements and the instructions prior to purchase.

Other features

There are some other factors to consider looking- display system, temperature compensation, and safety as well. The solar charge controller should be able to protect your solar system from incidents like overcharging, short-circuit, reverse charging, etc. Look for a solar charger controller that comes with an LED display which will make it easier for you to read the charge, voltage input, and other important details. And the temperature compensation decreases the amount of voltage reaching the battery in order to prevent the battery from overheating.

Keep in mind these above important factors while choosing the best solar charger controller available.

Applications of Solar Charger Controller

Solar panel systems are gaining more popularity than other alternative sources since they are pollution-free and don’t need high maintenance. The applications of solar power are mentioned below-

1. Street lights come with photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into DC electric charge. Now the solar charge controller stores this DC in the batteries to use it in different areas.
2. A hybrid solar system uses multiple power sources to provide complete backup supplies to the other sources.
3. Home systems include a PV module for house-hold applications.

Conclusion

Solar systems are getting popular these days due to the decrease in price. These are getting more affordable with more enhanced technology that offers a huge number of benefits not to the consumers but towards our environment as well. Solar Charger Controller is one of the main components in a solar power system that keep maintaining the performance of the whole system.

However, choosing the right solar charger controller can be complicated as not much knowledge about these systems is there among people. So, we really hope this article will help you guide to purchase the best solar charger controller for your system.