Solar Power Demystified: The Beginners Guide To Solar Power, Energy Independence And Lower Bills by Lacho Pop MSE & Dimi Avram MSE

Author:Lacho Pop MSE & Dimi Avram MSE [Pop MSE, Lacho]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Digital Publishing Ltd
Published: 2019-04-11T17:00:00+00:00

There are two main types of charge controllers – Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) ones. MPPT controllers perform much better than PWM ones, but they are also more expensive.

PWM charge controllers can be only used with lead-acid batteries. You can never use a PWM controller with a lithium battery as it requires a special battery management system (BMS) and a specific charge profile that cannot be provided by any PWM controller.

PWM controllers are only recommended for small solar power systems. With a PWM charge controller, the voltage of the solar array must be equal to the voltage of the battery bank. On the opposite, MPPT controllers are usually provided with a step-down feature enabling you to connect a 21V or 24V solar panel to a 12V battery.

The primary benefit of MPPT charge controllers is that they are capable of squeezing the maximum solar power from the solar array. This is possible because an MPPT controller operates at the most efficient combination of voltage and current, known as ‘Maximum Power Point’ (MPP). Squeezing the maximum possible solar-generated power means proving the maximum charging current to the battery.

An MPPT charge controller is an excellent solution in colder climates and when you regularly discharge your batteries. MPPT charge controllers are about 2.5 times more expensive than PWM ones.

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