DIY Solar Battery Charger, with a DC to DC Buck Converter.

#diy
#power
In this video, we performed an experiment to see is we can use a constant current DC to DC buck converter as a solar battery charger or charge controller. The goal of the experiment was to see if a DC-DC buck converter as a cheap device, can be used as an alternative to the more expessive MPPT charge controllers in the market today.
To see the first experiment, please watch the video below.
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[@vztech]

Hello! I've been using that same buck converter to charge my 12v, 100ah LifePO4 battery with a 240w solar panel for more than a year now without a problem.😁

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Wow! I am glad to hear that. Thanks a lot for the feedback.👍 Well, as I said in the video, I really don't know why mine was charging at such a low current when clearly the solar panel was providing lots of power. Please, if you don't mind, what was the maximum charging current you were getting with your setup on a good sunny day? Also, what is the Voc (Open-circuut Voltage) of your solar panel? One of my concerns was that maybe my panel's Voc was too high for the buck converter. But it has a maximum rated input of about 40V, though - with was higher than my panel's Voc, with some good margin. Thanks again.

[@TheChrisco1969]

​@theinnovati0nlab782 I have same buck converter also Works fine with my 150w 20v solar panel. Efficiency isn't as good as mppt controller but works perfectly

[@TheChrisco1969]

​@@theinnovati0nlab782I would check the solar panel

[@TheChrisco1969]

​@@theinnovati0nlab782looks like the voltage is too high for your buck converter... strange

[@vztech]

@@theinnovati0nlab782 On a good sunny day, the charging current is 8-9 amps. Solar panels' VOC is 22 volts.😁

[@crazyham]

Thanks Mate. I have used a 20 to 30V input to 13.8V ,7 Amp output Buck Converter successfully to maintain a 2nd battery in my car for my amateur radios. It also generates less ripple (RF noise) than a solar regulator which is good for my purposes. Thanks for the video Mate 👌

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks a lot for such wonderful feedback! I greatly appreciate success stories. I am glad you found this video useful. Thanks for supporting our channel. 👍👍 Respectfully, The Innovati0n Lab 💥 www.theinnovati0nlab.com

[@mghuertas]

Hi friend thanks for sharing i will be doing a similar setup for charging a dewalt battery using 12v car lighter with a step up 😮

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks for the wonderful feedback. Respectfully, The Innovati0n Lab 💥 www.theinnovati0nlab.com

[@SA-yc9lf]

Didn't you see the input current? It is only 1.05 amp, buck converter boosted it to 2.35 amp.( 6:52 ) Perfectly working, And you showed in a comment that the converter is working at 89% efficiency. So why you're saying it doesn't work? While your panel is making only 34.8 watt from sun at that time, how can you expect more than 31 watt from the converter? The problem is your solar panel. Maybe it is because of shedding. But you're blaming the converter.... Lol.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi friend, Thanks a lot for the wonderful feedback. I do appreciate it. However, did you watch the entire video? 😊 I am only asking because if you did, then what I was saying about the converter being the likely culprit might make a bit more sense to you. I added a control test with the MPPT charge controller in the end (

[@mikejones-vd3fg]

@@theinnovati0nlab782 Thats seems like a solar panel problem, buck converter still did its job given what it was given. At 2:08 you showed the panels and one of them was half shaded.. maybe thats why? I dont know, 34w does seem low but its not the buck converters fault it shouldnt affect the panels input voltage which was only 33v 1 amp when you had it plugged int. And with that it seemed perfectly fine working buck converter, something is up with the panels. Maybe the 2nd panel got out of the shade when you plugged in the mppt converter? Very strange plugging the panels into the mppt gave you full watts from the panel. Anyway I just got a similar buck converter im going to try with my 180w panels to make sure and ill let you know. Didnt plant to use it for this because i got a regular pwm charge controller i think works just as good but now im curiouse. I do know these CC CV adjjustments are finickey and with solar panels youre basically manually finding the maximum powerpoint, which you can overshoot and get lower watts then you should which easy to do with these trim pots,-overshoot them before you find that maximum power point. Ive had this issue with a similar converter but a boost i was using to boost a 19v panel to 42v to charge a 36v scooter battery. It worked but only managed 22w from a 40w panel. Thats because I wasnt in full afternoon sun (late afternoon like 3 -4) and after boost converter losses 22w seemed right i think. The issue was it was very finickey to get that maximum power, too much adjustment and it would go to 7watts, too little it was at 7watts... you had to find the right spot to get it to 22w and seemed to change overtime so you had to keep adjusting. No wonder they have a microcontroller do this automatically. Thats what an mppt charge controller is, just a micrcontroller controlling a buck/boost converter to keep that maximum powerpoint. Ill see if the buck converter is as finickey, maybe i can find the maximum power better then the cheap PWM charge controller im using? ...

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

@SA-yc9lf Guys!! I am beginning to sound like a broken record on this. It was not the solar panel. Please watch the video to the end where I shower the control test to see how much power the solar panels were able to put out using the MPPT ( 7:45 ) time code. I don't know where you guys think that your theoretical observations and calculations trumps my real-life test observations. The buck converter test and the control test were both conducted at maximum irradiance. I have a new video coming out tonight using the same panels but a different converter, and you will see a delivered output power of about 200W. You guys are wrong on this one. The issue is not the solar panels. Impedance mismatch issues between the converter and the solar panel could lead to oscillations, hence causing the converter to underperform. I am not some guy on KZbin soldering wires, I am a professional in this field...lol. The Innovati0n Lab 💥 www.theinnovati0nlab.com

[@mikejones-vd3fg]

​@@theinnovati0nlab782 I see but we dont have the benefit of knowing what you really did, only what you showed us, and you showed us a perfectly fine working buck converter given its imput voltage and a weird solar panel that was only producing 34 watts you claim was under full irradiance yet you show it was half in the shade in the video, and thats the only logical conclusion I can come up with, with all due respect. So in the end I dont thik it was not a fair comparison between a buck converter and mppt as they both didnt recieve the same input voltage, whatever the cause of that reason. I suspect a buck converter is just as good as an mppt charge controller as you get to manually find the maximum power point, it just doesnt have auto tracking abilitly. And maybe with a microcontorller you can make it autotrack. So maybe not for $5 you can get a cheap mppt charge controller, but for $10 (mictrontoller + buck converter) and you can. But how do you control the cc and cv trim pots with an arduino? robotic actuator motors? ...

[@Eric-cz1er]

This project i feel like it is working as well as it still can tune the voltage to the voltage level and charging the battery with 2.3A. However, there is a harmonic noise u mentioned about in video is actually related to the buck converter is damaging rn. It is using higher than its specification, im suspecting on the current/power, may need to check on its datasheet. I did work on this kind of project before as I am using the MPPT Solar Panel Controller converter which works well for me, i think mine this model have current supportation up to 5A which is enough for my project. *I would recommended kick start by observing the specifications pf the solar panel (short circuit current & open circuit voltage), DC-DC buck converter (max charge current, Iin, Vin, Vout) and battery (max voltage & Power)* I would suggest you do a vid using this model, try it out with charging the battery on sunny day and night, to see the changes of the voltage output. I met a problem on the input side where the voltage is pump up over time when sunny day turn cloudy (From my solar panel - from 24V drops to 3V) will have a pump up voltage over time on Vout of buck converter. I scare it would hurt my other component so i changed it. But yeah Hope your project works well!!😊

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks a lot for the great feedback. MPPT charge controller is the best. Unfortunately they are too expensive for most people. This was meant to be an experimental project. Thanks again. 👍👍 Respectfully, The Innovati0n Lab💥 www.theinnovati0nlab.com

[@Martinsebas77]

Try with out using the input power Meter.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi friend, Thanks a lot for the great suggestion, I will try that when I get some time to troubleshoot the system. However, I honestly don't see the issue being the power monitor because the monitor is just a passive device that uses the voltage drop across a low resistance (miliohms) shut to calculate the input current. That was something I put together her myself, and I fully understand the inner workings - super simple, too😊. But you never know, you may be right, I will try removing it to see what will happen. Thanks again for the wonderful interaction. We appreciate it. 👍👍👍

[@MrBurtonf]

The converter is probably working. The problem is likely demanding more power from the converter than is available from the solar panels.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks a lot for the amazing feedback. However, I believe that I added a control test with the MPPT charge controller to show that the issue was not as a result of insufficient input power from the solar panels. Thanks, regardless. 👍😎 The Innovati0n Lab

[@gussiong]

I use dc to dc buck converter for charging my battery and i put welding diode for anti Backflow 😂

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

It's definitely a great idea! Now, you got me thinking. 😊. I will definitely try that to see if it will help improve the stability issue. However, the system will still suffer lots of losses, as those are cheap buck converters, and they can't do MPPT.

[@firstnamelastname3811]

This is quite common, what happens is when your input does not have enough amps to feed the buck converters output, the buck converter will draw the input down to just over the output voltage, so in your case your solar panel is pulled down to ~14V and at that voltage it will only deliver 0.5A. Im using a step down converter as a temporary charge controller, but i run 57V charging and my pannels 2x36V in series still perform somewhat good at 61V that the buck converter will pull it down to, to supply the output 57V.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi friend, Thanks a lot for the wonderful feedback. I do appreciate it. Thanks for sharing your experience. However, if you watched the video to the end, you will see that I performed a control experiment to rule out the issue of insufficient power from the solar panel.😊 Is the buck converter you are using a constant current buck converter? I will be retesting in a future video.

[@LostSoulsMed.]

Have you tried adding a PWM SCC to the output of the converter to solve the problem of converter collapse, since the pwm regulates the voltage to charge the battery. And also it would be an interesting topic if adding dc buck converter to convert higher voltage pv panel closer down to the charging voltage and converting that excess vomtage to usable current to charge the battery, since the pwm only steps down the pv voltage to the battery charging voltage without converting that excess voltage to usable current. Please make a video about this, if a PWM can solve the converter collapse issue. A lot of us wants to try alternative ways to charge batteries from solar without using an expensive MPPT, and once they get damage, its hard to find a good technician to trouble shoot their complicated components. Please make a video about this🥺thanks

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Great feedback. 👍👍 However, it is not a good idea to cascade converters because it will double the amount of power losses due to efficiency hits. Thanks again for thinking outside the box. The Innovati0n Lab 💥 www.theinnovati0nlab.com

[@jec_ecart]

What you're experienceing is buck converter "collapse" basically the source Cound not generate the power which buck converter demanded. These cannot replace an mppt long term, but in emergency they'll charge your battery. Especially if battery & solar voltage is not very far apart.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Yeah, you are correct about the cheap buck converter not replacing an MPPT charge controller. This was essentially the point I was making in this video because a lot of kept asking about it. Those converters are very cheap and the price is enticing. However, the efficiency losses and overall performance with varying solar irradiance, is something to be carefully considered. I will repeat this experiment with blocking diodes installed as this is something a lot of people have suggested in the past as well, but I haven't gotten the time to try it. Thanks for the wonderful feedback. 👍👍

[@mrtechie6810]

Maybe the solar panel voltage is dropping under load. It looked like one of the panels was shaded.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi friend. Thanks a lot for the wonderful feedback. However, if you watched the video to the end, you see that I performed a control test with my MPPT charge controller under the same exact conditions, and I was able to charge the battery at 14A. Secondly, the clip showing the solar panels was an old B-roll video clip taken a long time ago - when I installed the solar panels. Also, the shaded panel on the right was actually disconnected and not being used for the test.

[@mrtechie6810]

@@theinnovati0nlab782 okay. So what went wrong? Did it overheat?

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

It did not overheat, at least not at delivered power

[@ruthp2693]

I use the same module with 30w 18v panel. Efficiency is quite low. It can charge only 0.5A or 8w. However, if I connect this module directly to my 12v fan, it can give 12v 1A or 12w. I don't know why. I seem if I increase output voltage to 14.6 current will drop.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Make sure that your output current is set to the maximum point when you are driving bigger loads.

[@malai5143]

Input 34w from solar only, how can output be more then 30w++?

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi friend, Thanks for the feedback. That part is explainable. I assume you looked at 5:25 minutes into the video and you saw that the measured input power was at 34.9W while the delivered output power was at 31.2W. This behavior is expected for any converter, actually, and the difference is due to converter efficiency losses. So, in this case, power losses = 34.9 - 31.2 = 3.7W. This also means a converter efficiency of about 89.3% Personally, the issue I had was that I expected the converter to deliver more power because I was using a 220W solar panel. Typically, that effort was a failure for me. Getting barely 34W out of a 220W solar panel (at full irradiance) was a huge fail. Maybe I will try a different buck converter in the future, but not that product. Thanks again for watching the video. 👍👍

[@myloalex]

Check the cables thickness and connectors. Converter was working fine. You can see the input power

[@chongshenchang9367]

Sorry , but it's because you don't really know how much current coming in from the solar panel. That buck converter is cvcc output.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

It's a cheap and poorly designed buck converter, that's why. Watch the video to the end to see the control test. Do you understand the concept of a control test? I knew that a lot of people would blame the solar panels in the future, and this was the reason why I added the control test with an MPPT charge controller in the end. If the solar panels were not making much power, where was the 14A of charging current coming from - when I used the MPPT controller? I welcome feedback and comments, but try to be patient and watch the entire video before we start propounding theories....before making comments that could be seen as disparaging to my work.... that is a fair ask - yes? The Innovati0n Lab💥

[@petervoss2317]

I want to supply a12 V motor direct from a 550 W 48 V panel.What would be the best system to do it ?

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Will this be a solar panel? If so, I would highly recommend having a buffer battery between your solar panels and your load. You can use an MPPT solar charge controller to recharge your 12V, then connect the 12V battery to your motor. I hope this helps. www.theinnovati0nlab.com

[@petervoss2317]

Thanks !​@@theinnovati0nlab782

[@MegaCyrik]

Looks like it pulled down the panel too much. I read that this can collapse a panel voltage permanently so be carefull. I have 5 of those bucks and i use them on a small buffer on my mppt that charges the buffer at 30v and empty it into my 12v bank continuesly.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks a lot for the feedback and for sharing your experience on these converters. 👍

[@mentalfusi0n911]

I really enjoy your videos and how you take the time to explain everything! 👏👏😎

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback and for watching our videos. We greatly appreciate it. 👍👍

[@sanjithnair3266]

I noticed your input current is only 1.05A.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Wonderful. Thanks.

[@martipetdebullar9658]

What I want to do is to use it to reduce my 24volt panels to 12volt system and I believe it will work. I have 12volt interter and 24volt panel and just want to use it to reduce to 12 volt

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

It sounds like a feasible idea in theory, but directly coupling an inverter to a solar panel is never a good idea. I know you are planning to connect the buck converter in the middle, but I would not recommend you try this. It will not work for many reasons....I mean, if the load you are going to put on the inverter is a 2W load...then it might work until a cloud goes over your panel. You need to have an MPPT charge controller to charge your 12V battery. Then, connect your inverter to the 12V battery. Even with this connection, if your inverter depletes all the energy you have stired in the battery and your load is greater that the input power from the solar panels, you are going to oscillations due to an over-damped response between your load and inverter. This is hard to explain fully over text.

[@jec_ecart]

Other thing that's important is that they're non isolated devices.. Means you MUST use diodes for back feeding & reverse polarity protection. Maybe you can repeat the experiment with proper diodes. Get at least 50A rated ones. Lower are trash.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

That is a great idea. 👍👍

[@ebikebrasil]

Hi. Want to to use a DC DC buck converter to charge a LifePo battery. I heard about using a diode to prevent recurrent. But I don't know how to solder this.

[@Jayromemagtipon07]

Buck converter. And mppt is the same voltage. Compared to Pwm. Buck converter have current limit. And the power current is depend on the highly sunset condition to get the set limit current. Mppt. Have automatic current limit if in low sunset it can boost Current. And limit the current. Thats what i think. I use a mini 5a buck converter to charge my battery. It works. But the current is continously increase. And very fast decrease . It has a unstable current but stable voltage my exp. Using buck converter as charger it can charge but low efficiency

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks for the great feedback. Is your buck converter a constant current converter?

[@Alph84]

The ampes works 5:1 only you need higher ampes input to get higher output

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

5:1 will mean a 20% Converter efficiency. This is not the case according to my measurements. At heavy loads, these converters are supposed to have efficiencies greater than 80%

[@awesomedee5421]

can you put the link where you purchased these products used in the testing so we know to avoid it.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hahaha, Hi friend. I didn't mean to imply that this buck converter is a bad product. I was just showing that it doesn't work well as a solar charger, as a lot of our audience implied in the past.

[@VDOless]

This may seem like another stupid question but I love the knowledge I gain from my own stupidity: power input = power output + losses. Even under ideal conditions power output can never be higher than power input - especially with a BUCK converter. How could we expect it go higher than input with step down topology? I'm sure there's a law of conservation of something or the other that you're trying to override against the physics of the universe😮. Respect the attempt though and I'm slightly anxious to see you "Shock the World" if you do succeed. I'm still trying to figure out the detail I've missed here. In any case, doesn't it seem that we're overanalyzing the problem at the wrong point in the circuit? I'd say work on the input supply to amp up the power required in order for the buck mechanism to step it down to your required output charging VA. Guys please feel free to correct any part in the above since as I was typing this, not a single page of a textbook was turned 😄

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi friend, I am not exactly sure at the exact point in the video that you saw that the output IV was greater than the input IV? Maybe I missed something - if I did, I would gladly welcome correction because I don't pride myself on being above mistakes. Right at the 6-minute mark, the video showed a test summary with the following conditions; Max INPUT POWER = 34.5W ==> Digital meter on the LEFT Max OUTPUT POWER = 31.2W ==> Digital meter on the RIGHT. Calculated EFFICIENCY of Buck converter (%): ((31.2/34.5)*100) = 90% Now, if my numbers are correct, IV losses = 34.5 -31.2 = 3.3W. Again, unless I am missing or overlooked something here, I will assure you that I have not invented new laws of physics with this 10-minute KZbin video. So don't worry, our universe is still intact, at least until we understand how to harness the dark energy that fills the universe... Only then can we fly off to the Andromeda Galaxy...yes?🤔 Please, I would appreciate it if you could keep your comments less disparaging, cynical, and condescending. If you spot a mistake in my videos, please respectfully let me know. I keep my videos as honest as I possibly can, and I am equally here to learn from my audience. My motivation and inspiration mostly come from my audience. Please keep your feedback constructive.

[@VDOless]

@@theinnovati0nlab782 hey there. It's all humour. Probably misunderstood. I'll keep it clean. I did give you constructive feedback about why you were not able to get your CC above a certain point and suggested working on maximizing the input power supply. Please check my comment. To explain further, the system crashes at; 13.2V x 2.52A = 33.2 W at the output side. With 90% efficiency, this is completely alright and functional. The problem arises when you try to go above 2.5A. Also you were expecting close to 10A since the max rating of the device is 15A I(out). While the buck converter can indeed output close to 15A, this will never be possible with an input power of 34.5W and V(out) at 13.2V. You want a CC above 2.5A, let's say 3A, to the battery. Then; P(out) = 13.2V x 3A = 39.6 W You can never achieve ~ 40W from 34.5 Power(in). Impossible! That's why I mentioned about the laws. Also the buck converter does not work according to the MPPT principle and hence maximum power does not come into play. If you wanna continue using this setup for learning further, see my suggestions below: 1) Replace battery with another having lower capacity. Requires less Charging Current OR 2) Increase the no of solar panels until the Power reading of the input meter shows at least 150W consistently. Even thought the solar panel is marketed as 200W, this is only the maximum. The above will help you understand how make it better to your needs. MPPT certainly comes with its benefits. Maybe have a go at that too. Once you understand how it works, I'm sure you could incorporate it into your DIY builds 👍

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks a lot for the great feedback.👍👍 However, I hope you watched the video to the end where I performed a control test with the MPPT charge controller - simply to show that the problem was not as a result of insufficient input power from the solar panel. I never expected a cheap $12 Amazon buck converter to give me the same performance/efficiency as an $80 MPPT charge controller that uses incremental conductance and a complex control algorithm. As you saw in the video, the control test shows that the solar panel was actually delivering close to 200W - given the same exact setup, test components, battery pack, irradiance, etc. Basically, the only variables were the buck converter and the EPEVER MPPT charge controller. The power monitors do not count as test variables because they are truly nothing but passive measuring devices, consuming less than 80mW each. I performed this same test in a previous video using a boost converter and the same solar panel and battery pack, but the result was better than this. My suspicion was that the buck converter (maybe due to its switching noise/interference) was impeding the solar panels' ability to properly allow the flow of current from the photon-electron energy handshake (photovoltaic effect). I have a good grasp of solar energy systems and converter design fundamentals, and I have built quite a few in the past. I was not saying that I was expecting a charging current >10A based on the 34.5W that was observed at the input power monitor. All I was saying was that the constant current DC-DC buck converter used in this video was not doing a good job of harnessing the available power from the solar panel. Instead, it was only accessing 34.5W. I will not recommend anyone using it. Maybe a regular buck converter - that is not a constant current converter - might do a better job. However, I lean towards the CC converters for my battery charing projects/videos because they provide the user with the ability to adjust the charging currents of their batteries. A good battery charger should provide both voltage and current variability. As you mentioned, I believe that this might have been a misunderstanding. I have made multiple videos on similar subjects. Please feel free to check them out. Thanks again😊.

[@VDOless]

Appreciate the response. However I shall maintain my opinion that buck converter has upkept its main purpose as these devices are pretty straightforward and the even cheap ones found online are seldom faulty. I suggest looking at the specifications of the circuit or the datasheet of the IC available online. Any significant impedance will definitely be stated here. Also like you said, to achieve the full power potential with Solar cells, a controller circuit is required. Preferably MPPT as opposed to PWM. Lastly, I'm no scientist but I'm not shy to learn what stimulates my curiosity. So I know I could be wrong on many fronts. Also I've been watching your stuff and have been a subscriber for a while now. Great ideas and productive content. Keep amazing yourself and then amaze your viewers!

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

👍👍 Honestly, I am very glad to have you as a subscriber! I find your feedback super helpful. Thanks a lot for keeping me on my toes. 😂 We need more people like you in here.

[@myloalex]

Pay attention at the 2 screens, you have 34W in and 31W out, it's a 90% efficient system. It's not the buck converter's fault. Your panels don't deliver

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

I keep seeing this comment over and over. Please watch the video to the end. I highly anticipated this very comment and I added a control test with an MPPT charge controller and the same solar panel.....same conditions, tested 5mins apart at full irradiance, gave the same batteries a charging current of 14A....so if the solar panel was not delivering, where did all that power come from?🤔🤔🤔 Sometimes, there is a big disconnect between the theories we are propounding and what actually happens during the test. You get the full picture only if you can be patient to fully review the test data. This would allow you to make an informed decision. You are saying that a tested 240W solar panel at full irradiance could only deliver 34W? Less than 15% of its power rating? I encourage audience interactions and engagements. However, only ask from my audience is to watch the entire video before leaving your comments. This saves me time trying to explain something that I have already presented in the video. I hope this makes sense to you. The Innovati0n Lab💥 www.theinnovati0nlab.com

[@DavidDoyleOutdoors]

the zk-sj20 mppt buck boost convert might work better

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Sounds great! Thanks a lot for the recommendation, I will search for those next time I am looking to buy a buck converter.

[@pauladams2112]

Can I hook a solar panel right to my electric bike

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

I have not done it myself, but I think you should be able to do it. However, for a very efficient charging, you will need a solar MPPT charge controller. 👍👍 The Innovati0n Lab💥

[@SuperMaiki76]

You using buck converter vs mppt. Mppt as we all know takes the high voltage and current to step down to what voltage you are using as battery. As the buck converter, i had the same kind and this crash is what i learned due to the adjustment pod. And also poor quality. 🤔

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks a lot for the feedback. 👍👍 You are absolutely on the right track regarding the functions of MPPT charge controllers. However, as the name goes,'Maximum Power Point Tracking' solar charge controllers do more complex functiond than just down-converting the input voltage to the battery charing voltage. The cheap buck converters were crashing because they are not designed for solar application. This video was just an experiment to know if we could possibly have a breakthrough with a super cheap converter - because this is what we do here at The Innovati0n Lab. We will be developing our our MPPT controller in the future - with the goal of making it super cheap. Stay tuned. - The Innovati0n Lab

[@agtv1963]

Buck converter better then pwm controller or not?

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi, thanks for the thoughtful question. My intuition will be that the PWM controller should be more efficient than a buck converter - given the fact that PWM charge controllers are actually designed for solar charging....and buck converters are typically designed for constant power applications. However, I could be wrong since I have not actually compared the two. This is a good idea for a test video. Stay tuned. 👍😎

[@shajialmk930]

i think you have to use a cooling fan

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

I believe I mentioned that in the video. Were you able to watch the entire video? 👍😎 The Innovati0n Lab💥 www.theinnovati0nlab.com

[@naveenreddym6137]

Used same converter it overcharged my battery and swelled.use always charge controllers these are just voltage regulators

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

In the video below, I explained our six-step process for DIY battery charging. Step 1 is to know your battery's charging voltage and current specs or requirements. These converters are not smart, and they are not originally designed for battery charging. We are only showing how you can use them as cheap alternatives for those of us who can not afford expensive battery chargers. If your set charging voltage and current is too high for your battery system - especially lead-acid batteries - you will overcharge them. Please, I highly recommend you watch the video below. I took the time to explain how the diy charger system works and how you can prevent your batteries from getting damaged. THE SIX-STEP PROCESS FOR DIY BATTERY CHARGING. 👇👇👇👇 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXW6e2ptjLyejsUsi=rgVHD2y-7hCsrTxC The Innovati0n Lab 💥

[@Jayromemagtipon07]

30 ah battery multiply 10% minimum battery rating is 3 amp. I think it can charge the battery. Or maybe the sunset outside is not good. Make video. Pwm vs. Mppt vs. Buck converter

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

The battery pack is a lithium phosphate, and it can handle high current charging. Besides, the issue was that the buck converter was actually blocking the power from the solar panel. Why settle for a 3A charging current when you expected 15A? That seems like a lot of wasted power and horrible efficiency to me. Also, charging a 30Ah battery with 3A means that it will take 10 hours to charge. Then why build a lithium phosphate battery and slow charge it like a regular lead-acid battery? 😊 Thanks again for great feedback, friend! 👍👍

[@nichtschoenaberselten]

Solar panel does not deliver more than 30 Watts. Hence the the breakdown.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi friend, Thanks a lot for the feedback. However, the solar panel was not the issue. Please, watch till the end.

[@RedMixRecords]

Hello hello, to cut a long story short this buck converter looks to have a maximum current and wattage that it can handle. Did you find this to be the case?

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks for great feedback. The quick answer is yes. However, that is the case with every converter. There is always a power, voltage, and current limit.

[@muhammadilyas2835]

Nice video

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thank you so much! We appreciate your wonderful feedback. 👍👍

[@kellyblackman2552]

I tried this and got no output voltage

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Sorry to hear that. However, that shouldn't be the case unless you have a faulty buck converter or if your input power source is too noisy for the buck converter. If you can describe your setup, I will see if I point you in the right direction on how to troubleshoot it. But this should really be a simple setup. Also, make sure that your input voltage level is within the converter specs. If it is too LOW or too HIGH, you will run the risk of damaging the buck converter. 👍😎 The Innovati0n Lab.

[@e.a297]

Battery resistance maybe the issue

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

That is a great point. 👍👍👍 The Innovati0n Lab💥

[@dedytofandi127]

untuk mencoba buck converter dc to dc. seharusnya anda tidak menggunakan baterai sebagai beban. anda harus membebani dc to dc dengan beban yang tetap seperti inverter dc to ac yang terhubung dengan kipas angin 200watt. anda akan mendapatkan nilai maksimal dari panel surya yang anda pakai

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks a lot for the wonderful feedback. What I am taking from your point is to expand the scope of the load tests in the future to accommodate converter output response to different load forms. However, I respectfully disagree that a fully discharged battery should not be used as a test load. Also, the major focus of the video is to show that constant current buck converters can be used as efficient battery chargers. The video is basically about solar battery charging. Thanks again for the wonderful engagement.

[@Ro-Bucks]

crashing the panels cause you needs a diode to protect the panels.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

I see you point. I believed I repeated the test with a protection diode added to the input of the Buck converter and also achieved the same result. However, it was done a long time ago. I planned to make a follow-on video, but for some reason, the KZbin algorithm does not favor a lot of my solar project videos. Well, let's see what the future holds.....too many project ideas but no time. I am simply too busy 😊. Thanks again for the amazing feedback. 👍😎 The Innovati0n Lab.

[@Ro-Bucks]

Almost looks like you could be hitting the max amps that the battery can soak in and the BMS is cutting of or if your charging lead acid your shorting them. could also be the limit of the buck converter. would be fun to revisit with different gear. @@theinnovati0nlab782

[@danielchatrie6614]

The buck converter is not designed good I design buck converter and get 100 and 200 amp its the pwm driver ic not rating for peak current of 2amp to drive the fet of the resistor Value is to low causing saturation of the top amp to stop working I see it alot in smaller converter.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Wonderful feedback! 👍👍👍 Thanks a lot for such great feedback. I am glad to have you in here. We need more experienced people like you on this platform. I hope you are a subscriber. 👍😎 -The Innovati0n Lab 💥

[@beholder4465]

Why dont you have any videos? If you do have this knowledge it be helpful to do so

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

@@beholder4465 I fully agree. 👍👍👍

[@danielchatrie6614]

@@beholder4465 i'm a professional Electrical engineering its my job day to day and I don't have time to do video and editing to busy .but to help you out always use silicone diode have high amp rating in series with the output of the converter,s you using for projects feedback battery currency will damage the converter causing failure to work properly

[@Etaraki61]

Dc dc buck converter is very bad as solar charger. I bought 4 pcs but it is not working. Very bad... They all the same bad. Dont use as chrger. You cannot adjust both voltage and cc. They crashed 😡😡😡😭😭

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Hi friend! Thanks for the feedback. 👍 That was exactly why I made this video. I was asked about it a few times in the earlier videos, and I don't think it's a good idea.

[@mrglasecki]

DC to DC PWM

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Thanks a lot for watching our videos! 👍👍👍

[@RajeshKumar-ry4on]

Not recommended test.

[@theinnovati0nlab782]

Okay. Can you explain why?

[@felkerka]

@@theinnovati0nlab782 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpWUd5mdp9Cmoac