How do I choose a solar charge controller?

It’s important to choose the right charge controller in terms of size and features. For remote systems, reliability and performance are very important considerations. Lower cost solar controllers are often not going to be the most reliable and may not meet vital charging requirements.

Are PWM solar charge controllers good?

PWM solar charge controllers are quite cheap, and ideal for small-scale PV systems. Since these charge controllers operate at an efficiency of 75-80%, they can produce 25-20% power losses to the system. How do MPPT solar charge controllers work?

What size charge controller do I Need?

Charge controllers are sized depending on your solar array's current and the solar system’s voltage. You typically want to make sure you have a charge controller that is large enough to handle the amount of power and current produced by your panels. Typically, charge controllers come in 12, 24 and 48 volts.

Why do solar panels need a charge controller?

Since solar panels produce different amounts of electricity depending on factors such as weather conditions, the charge controller ensures that excess power doesn't damage the batteries. Without a charge controller, a solar-powered system wouldn't be able to function optimally, and the batteries would quickly degrade.

How much Watts should a solar panel charge controller be rated for?

The amp rating charge controller should be rated for between 10 to 20% of the full bank capacity in amp-hours. However, a lot more goes into it than that. Your solar panels have a capacity in watts being output to a battery at some voltage.

What are the different types of solar charge controllers?

With many different solar charge controllers on the market, it is difficult to know which the best option is, but in truth, every model belongs to one of two types: MPPT or PWM. Here, we explain how each of these technologies works. How do PWM solar charge controllers work?