How Do Solar Panel Charge Controllers Work

Charge controllers block reverse current and prevent battery overcharge.

How do solar panel charge controllers work.

Maximum power point tracking mppt is a popular technology that an increasing number of solar charge controllers offer. Some controllers also prevent battery overdischarge protect from electrical overload and or display battery status and the flow of power. Solar panels work by pumping current through your battery in one direction. Let s examine each function individually.

Most 12 volt panels put out about 16 to 20 volts so if there is no regulation the batteries will be damaged from overcharging. A charge controller or charge regulator is basically a voltage and or current regulator to keep batteries from overcharging. While mppt charge controllers usually cost more than traditional solar charge controllers the gain in overall charging efficiency makes them well worth it in most cases. Its job is to regulate the battery charging process to ensure the battery is charged correctly or more importantly not over charged.

If it has the full charge the controller will disconnect the solar panel automatically from the batteries. At night the panels may pass a bit of current in the reverse direction causing a slight discharge from the battery. Solar charge controllers work by regulating this voltage to a level that can safely charge batteries and run appliances. How does solar charge controller work the solar charge controller will first check if the battery is fully charged or not.

The controller also keeps checking at certain. There are two main types of solar charge controller the pulse width modulation regulator and the maximum power point tracking regulator. A solar charge controller also known as a solar regulator is essentially a solar battery charger connected between the solar panel s and battery.