If your solar system has a battery, add a charge controller! It will prolong the lifespan of your energy storage and make your system safer and easier to use. In this article, we&#;ll take a look at how to connect solar panels to a charge controller.
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A solar charge controller has to be a part of your system if it has energy storage. Otherwise, you don&#;t really need it. Here is what a solar controller does:
1. Controls current. It acts like a valve, making sure the current going into the batteries is safe. It also blocks reverse current. At night, batteries can send power back to the panels. The controller stops this from happening, keeping the energy flowing in the right direction.
2. Prevents overcharging. A controller stops batteries from getting too much charge. Overcharging can harm batteries and even lead to overloads or fires.
3. Prevents deep discharge. The controller disconnects batteries from your devices when they are almost empty. When charging starts again, it reconnects them back.
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What is a solar charge controller and how to choose oneIf your system is small and consists of only a couple of panels, you might want to get a PWM controller. It simply reduces the panels&#; voltage to match the battery's level which is not very efficient. However, it is cheap and durable.
MPPT controller fits any kind of system. It converts extra voltage into current, giving your battery more energy and minimizing power loss. It&#;s more expensive but it&#;s the only efficient choice for large systems. Whether you have a PWM controller or an MPPT regulator, the procedure of hooking it up with the battery and panels remains the same.
The size of a charge controller is measured in amps. To choose the right one for your solar setup, divide the total power of your solar panels by your battery's voltage. For example, if you want to connect two 300-watt solar panels to a 12-volt battery, you need a charge controller that can handle more than 50 amps. You should also watch out for the maximum input voltage of the controller.
The question of how to connect a solar panel to a charge controller usually comes from customers who want to build a small DIY off-grid system on their own. Let&#;s start by gathering the parts. Here&#;s what you&#;ll need:
1. Solar panels
2. Charge controller
3. Battery
4. Wires, connectors
5. Combiner box or branch MC4 connectors (optional)
6. Tools: Screwdriver and wire strippers
A charge controller usually has two wiring sections: one for panels and one for a battery. Small models may also have a section for DC loads so you can connect a lamp to it if you want.
We recommend wiring the controller to the battery before connecting it with solar panels. Many controllers perform an initialization sequence when they first connect to a battery. If you connect the solar panel to the controller first, it may not initialize correctly.
Wiring a solar charge controller and a battery together is connecting their negative and positive terminals. The charge controller might come with cables already attached for battery connection. If it doesn't, you should use stranded copper wire. Make sure the wire you choose can handle the maximum current your system will carry without overheating or power loss. Use a black wire for the negative terminals and a red wire for the positive terminals. If your wires aren't color-coded, you can mark them with duct tape.
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Solar wire exposed: types and sizesYou'll need connectors that fit the terminals. Common types include ring terminals or lug connectors. If you're uncertain about which ones to use, consult the user manual on your solar charge controller wiring.
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&#;heck that all the connections are secure, and then turn on the controller. It will initialize and check the battery. The display on a basic controller tells you about your battery's condition and how much charge it has. It will also check the voltage from the panels after you connect them. If you have an advanced controller, you can even set up how you want the charging to happen. Now you're set to wire solar panels to the charge controller.
The junction box of a solar panel has two cables coming out of it. One is positive and ends with a "male" MC4 connector. The other one is negative and it has a "female" connector.
You can remove MC4 connectors from the cables and add connectors for the charge controller instead. Sometimes it doesn&#;t need connectors, and you can just plug wires into it and screw tightly. Alternatively, you can use two additional cables with MC4 connectors on one end and whatever connectors the charge controller requires on the other end.
When you have multiple PV modules, the process of connecting solar panels to charge controller depends on how you wired them together. If you connect the panels in series, then positive and negative cables from panels on the opposite ends of your array go into the controller. If you connect the panels in parallel, then positive and negative cables go from a combiner box or branch connectors into a controller.
Senior Editor
Andrey had been a news editor and freelance writer for a number of medias before joining A1SolarStore team. Climate change and its impact on people's lives has always been among his interests and it partially explains his degree in Philosophy and Ethics.
More articles from this authorWhen connecting to a Renogy charge controller it is likely you have seen a warning like the following:
WARNING! Connect the battery terminal wires to the charge controller FIRST, then connect the solar panel(s) to the charge controller. NEVER connect solar panel to charge controller before the battery.
You might be asking yourself why? Or if there are any exceptions? The purpose of this article is to answer those questions and shed light on connecting solar order of operations.
Renogy charge controllers may turn on if they detect solar power (PV) or battery power. However, the battery source defines the system voltage (for auto recognition), is a stable supply that allows programming of the charge controller, and most importantly, is how the controller receives its operating power to regulate solar power. Though a controller may turn on with PV input, the power source is unstable, and in some cases can damage the charge controllers if they lack certain protections.
In previous years, the protections did not apply to all charge controllers. Over the years, Renogy controllers have improved on their electronic protections to the point where the controller would be fine if PV is connected before battery power. If you find that you connected it in this fashion and the controller is operating fine, then there is nothing to worry about. However, each controller may have a different threshold for this protection so above all else, it is always good practice to connect the battery first and then the solar panels to ensure system success and ability to program your controller.
As mentioned above, it is always good practice to connect the battery first to ensure system success. The unique exception to the rule is the Renogy Solar Suitcase with Controller. This product is uniquely designed to have the PV panels prewired to the charge controller and have it readymade for battery connections for plug and play. The controllers used in the suitcase, whether it be the Adventurer or Voyager are equipped with electronic protections to avoid damage. However, to navigate the controller, the rule is the same in that it needs a battery source. Ultimately, the suitcase is the exception to the rule because the panels are prewired and the controller has electronic protections in place, but the convention is the same in that in order to use or navigate the controller, it needs a battery connection.
We hope to have addressed concerns regarding the order of operations when connecting to solar charge controller.
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