Everything you need to know about solar charge controller

A solar charge controller sometimes referred to as a solar regulator, is a solar battery charger that connects the solar panels to the battery. Its job is to regulate the charging process and guarantee that the battery is appropriately charged or, more crucially, not overcharged. For decades, solar charge controllers that are DC-coupled have been utilized in practically all small-scale off-grid Solar street light systems.

Functions:-

1. It prevents the battery from overcharging by regulating the voltage.

The solar charge controller monitors the battery voltage. When it detects a low voltage, it permits the entire flow of the panels to enter the battery.

When the battery voltage reaches a specific level, energy flow is reduced to protect the battery from overcharging.

Closes the circuit, and the battery charging from the panels is halted.

When the battery's voltage drops due to less sunlight or more electrical use, the charge controller permits all energy to flow into the battery.

2. It prevents the flow of reverse current back to the solar panels.

The solar panels do not produce current at night, so their potential concerning the battery is decreased. We're all aware that the current is moving from higher to lower potential (Battery to the solar panel in this case).

Electricity could flow from the battery to the panels, draining the battery. The diode inside the solar charge controller, on the other hand, only permits current to flow in one direction, from the solar panels to the batteries.

It prevents current from flowing backward. As a result, it prevents the batteries from being drained by the reverse flow of electricity.

Types of Charge Controller:

PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)

MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking).

These charge controllers use advanced technologies to change their charging rates based on the battery's current charge level.

The working of charge controller:

The PWM solar charge controller adjusts the charge from the solar panels based on the battery's condition and its recharging requirements.

When the battery is nearly depleted, the charging rate and pulse width are higher, and when the battery reaches its maximum charging level, the charging rate and pulse width decrease.

It can keep the battery fully charged indefinitely.

This prevents the battery from overheating and gassing, resulting in good charging efficiency and long battery life.

When scaling the system, the PWM charge controller's voltage specification must match the battery's voltage.

When the battery is fully charged, the standard solar charge controller, also known as a shunt controller, stops charging it and recharges it when the battery dips to a predetermined level.

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What is the Difference?

The significant difference is that the PWM charge controller cannot detect the voltage difference between the solar panel and the battery voltage. In contrast, the MPPT charge controller can notice the voltage difference and convert the excess voltage from the solar panel into the equivalent amount of amperage, ensuring that the same amount of power reaches the battery.

Which is the most effective?

However, each technology offers advantages that are dependent on the site location, temperature, and array size about the load, size, and cost of the system.

Location:- The angle at which the sun's rays hit the solar panels is determined by the site and season. When the sun rays come at a shallow angle, the solar panel absorbs less energy, resulting in lower solar panel output power. The MPPT technology is ideal for capturing the maximum amount of solar energy in this situation.

Temperature: As the temperature drops, the solar module's Vmp rises, causing a more significant voltage difference between the battery and the panel. As a result, MPPT technology outperforms PWM technology in lower-temperature circumstances.

Increasing the size concerning the load: When the panels' size is large enough compared to the amount of power taken by the load, the battery will nearly always be fully charged. When compared to an MPPT charge controller, the PWM charge controller is more appropriate and cost-effective.

When the system's size is small: Because it functions at a consistent harvesting efficiency regardless of the size of the solar system, the PWM controller is better suited to small power solar systems. With a tiny solar power system, however, the MPPT charge controller's harvesting efficiency is minimal. As a result, a PWM charge controller is a superior and more cost-effective solution for low-power applications.

Cost of the system:?Charge controllers that use PWM are less expensive than those that use MPPT. As a result, PWM charge controllers are cheaper than their analog counterparts.

So, you can decide which type of solar charge controller is suitable for your solar system by analyzing the parameters mentioned above.

Conclusion

Finally, we discovered that the best solar charge controller (PWM or MPPT) is determined by the location, temperature variations, system size, and budget.

An MPPT charge controller may work well in one place, but in another, it may not. Similarly, a PWM charge controller may not be appropriate for every system size.

After examining all of the above elements, you will choose the ideal one for your home.

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