A charge controller is an essential piece of equipment for
all off-grid solar power systems. That being said, it is important to determine
which kind of controller would best suit your system’s needs. Charge
controllers come in different amp sizes and power tracking technologies: PWM
(Pulse Width Modulation) or MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking), which can make
shopping a bit confusing. Below is some information to make your charge controller
search a bit easier.
Flush Mount Controllers: Renogy carries one flush mount
charge controller, which is ideal for the interior of RVs or boats. The
Adventurer 30A Charge Controller is a Renogy exclusive. It features PWM
technology and four pre-drilled holes for easy installation. The exterior of
the Adventurer contains an LCD display screen, which allows for full control of
parameters settings.
PWM Controllers: PWM charge controllers feature Pulse Width
Modulation charging technology. PWM controllers are more basic in the sense
that they drop the voltage coming from the solar panel(s) to the batteries.
This drop in voltage equates to a loss in wattage, which results in 75-80% charging
efficiency.
MPPT Controllers: MPPT controllers feature Maximum Power
Point Tracking Technology. MPPT technology “finds” the maximum operating point
for the panels’ current and voltage under any given condition. With this
method, MPPT controllers are actually 94-99% efficient. This higher efficiency
can help increase the life of the battery or battery bank you are using.
LCD and LED Display Controllers: Renogy carries several
charge controllers that feature LCD display screens and LED indicators. These
added functions can help diagnose system faults and tell you what exactly is
going on in your power system. The LED lights, for example, can help you
determine whether the system is on and functioning properly. An LED display
screen shows various icons as well as numerical data to tell you how well the
system is working. All Renogy charge controllers feature LED lights, while the
Commander, Rover, and Adventurer, and Viewstar also feature LCD display
screens.
Why are charge controllers important: Charge controllers are
an essential piece of equipment because they prevent the battery from charging
over 100%. Once the battery is nearing full charge, the controller slows the
amount of electricity flowing to the battery. When the batteries aren’t
otherwise being used, the charge controller can “float” charge the battery, or
continuously top off the charge to prevent the battery from dying.
