Charge controllers are a critical component of every solar installation, although they often go overlooked. Charge controllers ensure your system runs efficiently and safely for years to come and ensure your batteries are supplied with a steady and optimum level of power. Charge controller technology also continues to advance and become increasingly powerful and efficient. Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Charge Controllers are some of the most popular controllers on the market.
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What is a MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) Charge Controller?
Maximum Power Point Tracking charge controllers are highly efficient at using the full power of your solar panels to charge your batteries. MPPT charge controllers convert the higher voltage DC output from solar panels down to the lower voltage needed to charge batteries. Essentially, they perform the important function of limiting their output from your solar panels to your batteries to ensure your battery bank doesn’t get overcharged and subsequently damaged. MPPT controllers will monitor and adjust their input to regulate your solar system’s current.
It can also be helpful to think of an MPPT controller as a “smart DC-DC converter.” MPPT controllers increase the current in the same ratio as the voltage is dropped, which is what a DC DC converter does. The controller will also monitor the maximum power point of the panel, which varies throughout the day because of sun angle and intensity and shading. The overall output will increase as a result and you can expect efficiency ratings of 90% or higher.
What’s the difference between MPPT and PWM charge controllers?
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controllers are the other main controller technology available in the marketplace. PWM controllers are simpler in design and function and essentially serve as a switch between the solar panels and the battery. PWM controllers bring the voltage down from the solar panels to just above the battery voltage. While a PWM controller draws the current from the solar panels at just above the voltage of the battery, an MPPT controller draws the current from the panel at the maximum power voltage, making them much more efficient. PWM controllers are suitable in smaller systems or where efficiency isn’t very important.
