Newbie's Guide To Photo Voltaic Charge Controllers
Solar cost controllers, also known as photo voltaic regulators, are an integral part of any stand alone photo voltaic system. The average 12 volt photo voltaic panel produces between 12 and 21 volts, a level that would overcharge and harm a battery if transferred on to it. Photo voltaic charge controllers work by regulating this voltage to a level that can safely charge batteries and run appliances.
There are two important sorts of solar cost controller, the Pulse Width Modulation regulator and the maximum Energy Level Tracking regulator. Both do the identical job of regulating voltage produced by solar panels, as shown on this photo voltaic cost controller schematic:
Pulse Width Modulation Photo voltaic Regulator
Pulse Width Modulation Solar Regulators are the commonest sort of battery charging expertise. They’re able to prolong battery life and reduce heating and sulphation whereas charging. PWM cost controllers are usually cheaper than their Most Power Level Tracking counterparts but work at round a 70% efficiency rate when transferring energy from the panels to batteries.
Solar Controller , Most Power Point Tracking regulators provide the same battery life-prolonging properties as PWM regulators but with the next effectivity price of ninety five to 97%. They do this by remodeling excess voltage to the correct level with an increase in current, somewhat than by simply clipping it. Whereas they may be the slightly dearer option, the increase in efficiency offered by MPPT cost controllers makes them effectively value the money, especially if you rely heavily on photo voltaic on your energy wants.
How do I work out what dimension of regulator I need?
To search out the proper minimum size for your solar regulator, you need to use the next fundamental guide below, depending on whether or not you need to make use of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) or Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) regulator. Please Be aware: this information assumes you might be utilizing photo voltaic panels of the same sort.
First, gather the following specifications out of your solar panels and batteries:
1) Combined Wattage of photo voltaic system eg. two 150W panels = 300W Mixed Wattage of system
2) Nominal Voltage of photo voltaic system Individual solar panels will often have a nominal voltage of 12V or 24V. If you are connecting them in parallel they'll stay at the identical nominal voltage, if they are linked in sequence the voltage will enhance. (Unsure which? See our submit on Sequence and Parallel)
eg. two 150W 12V panels in parallel = 12V nominal voltage of system eg. two 150W 12V panels in collection = 24V nominal voltage of system
3) Max Energy Voltage of photo voltaic system That is completely different to nominal voltage. Usually a 12V panel would have a max power voltage around 18V, while a 24V panel would be between 30V-36V. The same guidelines apply as above relying on whether or not your panels are in series or parallel.
eg. two 150W panels with 18V Max Power Voltage, in parallel = 18V Max Energy Voltage of system eg. two 150W panels with 18V Max Power Voltage, in sequence = 36V Max Energy Voltage of system
4) Battery Charge Voltage That is the voltage that your batteries will likely be charged at. Completely different battery varieties cost at totally different voltages, test your batteries for specifications if uncertain.
eg. 1x 12V AGM Battery can be round 14.4V eg. 2x 12V AGM Batteries in parallel could be round 14.4V eg. 2x 12V AGM Batteries in sequence would be round 28.8V
Now that you've bought these specifications, you should use them in one the 2 following calculations to work out what kind of regulator you need:
PWM Regulator Calculation
- Combined Wattage of photo voltaic system / Max Energy Voltage of solar system = Maximum Current (A) - Nominal Voltage of photo voltaic system (V)
eg. two 150W 12V panels in parallel, with one 12V AGM Battery - Most Present = 300W / 18V = 16.7A - Nominal Voltage = 12V
So using the above instance for a PWM regulator, you will have one that can handle greater than 16.7A maximum current, at a 12V nominal voltage.
Observe: PWM controllers require nominal photo voltaic and battery voltage to be the identical, eg. 12V nominal photo voltaic with 12V battery setup, 24V nominal photo voltaic with 24V battery setup
MPPT Regulator Calculation
- Mixed Wattage of photo voltaic system / Battery Cost Voltage = Most Present (A) - Max Power Voltage of solar system = Maximum Photo voltaic Input Voltage (V)
eg. two 150W 12V panels in parallel, with one 12V AGM Battery - Most Present = 300W / 14.4V = 20.8A - Most Solar Enter Voltage = 18V
So utilizing the above instance for an MPPT regulator, you have to one that may handle greater than 20.8A most present, and 18V Maximum Solar Enter Voltage.
Word: If you are connecting numerous panels in series (making a high voltage), take special care to ensure that this is inside the MPPT's maximum enter voltage window. Additionally it is beneficial to make use of the Open Circuit Voltage (VOC) as an alternative of Max Energy Voltage on this situation, to make sure the controller is not going to be overloaded within the occasion of a brief circuit.
Different things to look for when choosing a regulator embrace waterproof casing, LCD displays and ‘smart’ regulators with the flexibility to mechanically detect the type of battery they’re linked to. Whichever choice you go for, remember to put in your regulator outdoors of direct sunlight and with an appropriately rated fuse between it and the solar panel. You will discover out extra about what to search for in the panels themselves by looking at our weblog put up on portable photo voltaic energy.
Try our range of photo voltaic panel regulators or give one of the Aussie Batteries & Solar specialists a call on 1800 853 315 in case you need some help sizing up a solar cost controller for your system.
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