Solar panel controller how to#
Solar panel controller install#

a 12V, 120W Panel, 12V 100Ah battery, a 12VDC solar charge controller and DC load (like fans and light etc).Īs we have only single units of solar panel and battery etc. This small scale DC solar power system needs three basic components of solar panel installation system i.e. Keep in mind that AC load is not connected in this PV panel wiring tutorial which needs extra equipment such as UPS and inverter to convert the solar panel and battery (DC) power into AC power.

Solar panel controller how to#

In this simple solar panel wiring tutorial, we will show how to connect a solar panel to the solar charge controller, battery and direct DC load according to the rating.

We have one 12V KiloVault solar battery, one 96A Midnite MPPT-controller and two 330W Panasonic solar panels.Wiring PV Panel to Charge Controller, 12V Battery & 12VDC Load Here's the diagram, which gives an idea on how to connect these parts of a solar panel system together. PV modules start to generate electricity as soon as they face the sun. Check the status of your array on the charge controller screen.Ĥ. Once you've connected the panels to the controller, it should be able to recognise them. Plug these wires into the regulator: positive into 'plus', negative into 'minus'.ģ. If you have two wires coming out straight of the junction box, skip this step.Ģ. Connect MC4 connectors with a complementary pair of connectors with wires on other ends. More often, there are so-called MC4 connectors on each end, a 'male' connector for the positive cable and 'female' for the negative one.ġ. In some situations it's just two wires that go straight to the controller. Out of the junction box of a panel come two cables, a positive and a negative. This type of solar regulator is especially good in winter, when panels reach their voltage peaks.Īfter you've connected the charge controller with the battery, it is now safe to connect it to panels. However, even in these cases MPPT-controller allows you to harvest 20-25% more energy.

Solar panel controller install#

For example, you can install either of them with 30-cell panels and a 12V battery or 60-cell panels and a 24V battery.

PWM and MPPT are interchangeable in cases when the voltage of the solar panels is slightly higher than the voltage of the battery. MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller, on the other hand, uses extra voltage of the panels and turns it into electricity. PWM (pulse-width modulation) controller simply brings it down to the level of the battery. Solar controllers handle the voltage of panels differently. allows monitoring the state of the panels and the battery.At night electricity can flow back to panels from the battery, which can lead to temperature rises and fires in the PV modules. Regular deep discharge of a battery lowers the number of charge cycles a battery can survive. stops the usage of a battery in the state of deep discharge.

As a result, you have faster aging, decreased capacity and explosion in the worst case scenario. If you charge the battery after it's full, it's temperature rises because it tries to accept more current that it is capable of. Not only does it decrease the lifespan of a battery, it can potentially lead to its explosion. When the battery is directly connected to panels whose voltage is higher, the battery heats up. lowers the voltage of panels down to the level of the battery.Charge controller keeps your battery safeīut what does a battery fear? From what a controller actually protects it? Well, a charge controller In this article we'll explain how to wire together solar panels, a regulator and a battery. A charge controller acts as a safety barrier between panels and a battery and should be a part of every home solar panel installation. A battery is a fragile thing and high voltage of solar panels can easily destroy it. One of the most common questions we get is 'Can I connect my solar panels directly to the battery?' While technically you can, we strongly advise against it.