How To Size Solar Panel Charge Controller

A solar charge controller is designed to receive power from a solar panel or array of panels and use it to charge a battery or bank of batteries.

How to size solar panel charge controller. How to size your charge controller. 12v solar panels up to 120w. If the solar array can produce 40a of current and the controller is only rated to 30a then the controller or system could be damaged. Shunt series and pwm charge controllers are unable to limit their current output.

Flexcharge pv7d charge controller 7a 12v. This means if your battery is full it stops the charging and if your battery is reaching an unhealthy. This short article focuses on the mathematical selection criteria of a charge controller based on the production capacity of solar panel and the total dc load on the system. Phocos cm 10 charge controller 10a 12v.

Phocos cm 04 charge controller 4a 12v. This involves varying charge stages voltages and current depending on the type of battery and other factors. So really it s worth doing more investigation in your solar system for best sizing a proper solar charge controller. 12v solar panels 5w 45w.

Overall though sizing charge controllers is fairly straightforward. It does this by using a transistor to shunt the pv charging circuit. It is the key for longer life and higher efficiency for your battery bank as the charge controller optimizes the power and voltage coming from your solar panels to provide best charging voltage and current to the batteries. The charge process is performed in a smart or intelligent way.

The function of a charge controller is to regulate the charge going into your battery bank from your solar panel array and prevent overcharging and reverse current flow at night. There are various types of charge controllers. An improperly selected charge controller may result in up to a 50 loss of the solar generated power. When it comes to charge controller sizing you have to take into consideration whether you re using a pwm or mppt controller.

Below you will find a quick guide to choosing the proper charge controller for several popular solar panel sizes. Solar charge controller functions.