How to select and size a solar charge controller

[@robthomas3488]

I wish I had a teacher like this, I instead am lucky KZbin has guys like Drew doing videos. Good easy to understand info. Thanks and keep up the good work

[@Justin-ne2xo]

This should be the first video someone should see when setting up a solar system! Very easy to understand with the pictures provided. I wish I had found this a week ago. I bought muliple solar set ups for my farms water pumps without knowing anything about solar, and assumed theres nothing to it. I got very lucky that all of my panels, controllers, and wiring work together. 😅

[@malachygallagher4936]

Hi Drew! Your videos are excellent! I am an installer in ireland & I have watched lots of videos but none as good as yours! I would have loved to have you as my teacher in my last life! Thanks mg.

[@immanuelimmanuel4812]

I'm new to solar systems and i'm already loving your breakdowns

[@tysondundas1947]

Thank you. This is the first video I've watched on the solar subject that whilst guiding us through the subject has not spoke at 100mph or assumed we already understand it all in full.

[@imnottellingyoumyname3050]

Wonderful video. Clearly explains a concept assuming the viewer knows nothing, which is great for people like me who indeed know nothing! Thanks so much for making this.

[@franmtt4461]

By miles the most comprehensive and still not too long to watch video! And I watched a lot

[@vishaladityaganguly2889]

One of the best videos that explains the difference between MPPT and PWM. This helped me a lot to understand. Thanks 🙏🏻👍🏻

[@bobbybopalo4683]

A

[@citizengkar7824]

I have just found your channel. The 2 videos I have watched so far are easily the best presented, in both easy-to-understand language, as well as explanation. I bet you are an excellent teacher. Thanks. I can't understand why you don't have far more subs: well, you have one more 👍

[@Robert-cd5zr]

Thanks for the video! Have a couple of questions 1. Do all solar charge controllers sense what type of battery you're connected to (lead acid, AGM, lithium ion, lifepo4) and automatically charge them appropriately, or is there a setting you have to change, or do you just have to make sure you get the right controller for the type of battery from the start? 2. Is there pass through capability? In other words, would you always put your load on the battery, or would it be better to put the load on the MPPT load outlets? If you do the latter, will the controller itself decide whether to power the load with the battery or with available solar once the battery is topped off, with the battery acting like a UPS? Or is that not how the load output works?

[@chigozieogbonnaya8713]

Your a good teacher in a clear way

[@elizabethbigley1596]

Perfect thanks for breaking it down with your simple examples.

[@gijbuis]

This video refers to charging a battery using DC. A PV panel produces DC but most existing PV systems use inverter(s) to convert the DC from the panels into AC for powering the electrical appliances in the home, such as lighting, electrical cookers, washing machines, heat pumps, etc. If you later then decide to add a battery to store surplus energy generated by your existing PV system during daylight hours you would probably install an AC-coupled battery. The AC current from the home network which goes into the battery will first of all have to be converted back into DC. I don't know if the DC would then go through a solar charge controller before it is stored in the battery? That is probably the case, but perhaps Drew should mention this?

[@bawatechreview2168]

A wonderful and an educative video I have been searching for. I have a question. If my solar panles are 420watts /36v connected in parallel to get 840watts\36v can I use a 60A mppt charge controller to charge a 12v 200a battery?

[@IesKorpershoek]

I just found this video, could you give some info on the MPPT charging controller that was shown in this video!!

[@BenEdwards754]

Great explaination. In another video, could you please explain specifying a battery charge Current. As if you have a 1kw pv array. You would surely not just charge 1 12v battery with it? thank you

[@hughburton9021]

Correct me if I’m wrong but i thought solar panels have a built in mechanism to stop reveres flow from battery. You’ve stated at least 2x there can be reverse flow back to panels,draining a battery without a controller.

[@uroskovac2212]

I have an 80W pannel, should I use 10A PWM regulator? If understood this correctly.

[@h2oboi531]

Thank you for this, I have been trying to find more about this. My question is if I wanted to directly want to go from solar panels directly to using an appliance that is plugged into ac/wall plug. Do I go from solar panels linked to charge controller to inverter? Thank you and subscribed

[@CollinBaillie]

Surely the amps during cold temperature adjustment isn't vital? The VoC I understand. The controller will only pass what current it can, and excess is bonus for poor production days. Amps would be an important consideration for cabling and fusing between panels and controller however. Thanks for your comprehensive video. I found the info I was looking for (those adjustment factors) 👍

[@zzbear317]

Have a rv with zamp connector and also have a small Bluetti power station. The rv has an 190W panel installed. I purchased a Rockpals 120W portable solar panel without a controller so I could use it with the Bluetti (for both emergencies at home and for camping). I've been researching getting a solar controller to mount inside the camper for the zamp "solar on the side" connector. The RV has 2 12v Lead Acid batteries, 88 amp hrs each. My questions are... The Panel is 18v, therefore 6.7A, so even if I buy a second, I could get by with a 15A controller. I want to mount the controller on a panel near the "solar on the side" connector, easily accessible. We boondock rarely, maybe a week or 2 a year, but I do have a 12v fridge and would prefer not using a gas generator. Don't think I need an MPPT for the limited usage, but have heard that PWM controllers may draw from the battery when not in use. Even if that's true, couldn't I just have a toggle switch or 12v breaker to disable the connection when not in use? I'm leaning toward an inexpensive PWM 15 to 30A controller. Any suggestions?

[@keishadholmes9796]

What will be the fasted way to charge a car battery using solar panels and how many watts of a solar panel do i need to fully charge a car battery ?

[@keishadholmes9796]

What will be the fasted way to charge a car battery using solar panels and how many watts of a solar panel do i need to fully charge a car battery ?

[@joshuapitong899]

Amazing discussion. Thanks a lot Sir

[@edsonmoralessantamaria5183]

It is a really good video, amazing explanation, but I have a doubt, when you are calculating the current for the mppt controller in the first example, you divided 100w/12v, but you have 2 panels and in some internet pages, they sum the power of all the panels they have in the array, so you would have to use 200w instead of 100w, is that incorrect?

[@sheldon_co0per]

I'm wondering the same, should he not have put a ×2 in there?

[@leesahcage3297]

No the second example is using the panels in parallel so so the voltage is the same but the amps increase.

[@LexMasita]

I am stumped on this too. At around 13 minutes into the video the panels appear to be in series and also since the division is in watts/voltage, it does not matter if it is in parallel or series since the overall power must double. Perhaps someone can clarify this.

[@keishadholmes9796]

What will be the fasted way to charge a car battery using solar panels and how many watts of a solar panel do i need to fully charge a car battery ?

[@iamb2348]

Question: Is having a higher output voltage solar panel pointless in a 12V battery charging system? The one I'm looking at is 475W and 40 something voltage. Is that extra voltage "wasted" because the charge controller reduces it anyway?

[@johndoe-uf9pu]

maybe after I get a doctorate in electrical engineering I'll review this again. geez

[@neural_networks16]

such a nice explanation

[@salutekiller300]

I have a 3w lights and 1 - 7V/1.5W small water pump which I want to purchase a solar pane and regulator .I have a 12v motorbike battery connected.how big solar panel and regulator do you think I need to run all of them?

[@Janisg616]

I ordered chep PWM 30A controller from alliexpres. Will use it to charge old 12V, 45Ah card battery. Plenty of cheap used solar panels locally, but all of them are have Voltages over 35V, some over 100V. Aliexpress charger is rated 30A and to be used with max 25V panels with 12V battery, and max 50V with 24V battery. I wan to use 180W(Peak Power) panel, Voltage (Vpm) = 36V Current (Ipm) = 5A. So if I use this 180W panel with that PWM controller and one 12V battery. Will I damage the battery, controller or only get very bad efficiency at 5A x 12V = 60W, that is 33% from the 180W panel? Since the panel costs 15$ and I have space for it in my project, I dont care for the loses, I only care if it will charge at all and not damage battery or controller.

[@basilkasimi2646]

How many watts can Pwm 30A solar charge controller can handle at max? Can it handle 540 watt panel 12v or 460 watt panel 12v?

[@rayberger2694]

I am not sure if I agree with you about your statement that without a charge controller your batter would loose its stored power back through the attached solar panel, Time stamp .45 seconds, I am pretty sure that most if not all solar panels have built in diodes that prevent this, Just look in that little black box on the back of each panel.

[@StanleyUchendu]

Please how do you identify an MPPT charge controller.

[@sumarianson]

Does the type of battery make a difference to the MPPT controller ( LiFe PO, Lead Acid, Lithium )? Do I have to buy a controller to suit the battery??

[@dannykzx7360]

Hy, can i connect a 18 A Solar pannel to a 16 A inverter? if i respect de voltage (voc) does the Amperage, in this case the the remain 2 A "remain in the air" or damages the inverter?

[@SanctuaryGardenLiving]

Awesome information! Thank you!

[@tcheko5095]

I have 4 solar panel with 400 watt each.What is the best controller Am i can buy for my system?Thank you

[@luckydubeinrc5165]

4x400w = 1600watt devide by voltage = amps so 24v = 66amps 48v = 33 amps 12v = 132 amps! so choose carefully

[@jacobfirst2365]

I have 3 new 350w 12v panels what gauge wire and mppt do I need? Must it take a 1050w input? I have a solar controller that is 40amps but it only takes 550watt input and 1100watt at 24 volts. I'm confused I need a bigger controller?

[@christopheranderson8275]

Question. Does it matter if your solar panels are in series or parallel coming into a MPPT charge controller that's connected to a 12 volt battery system as long as that voltage is within the specs of the controller? For example can I wire 2 solar panels in series to the controller and have that charge 2 batteries wired in parallel if that controller's input voltage is 24 volts?

[@markedtky]

0:59 When the battery starts discharging into the solar panel where is that energy going?

[@SolarPunk80]

I’m new to all this, but I thought it was interesting, and I probably misunderstood the concept, but I didn’t think that under any circumstances, regulated unregulated, that the batteries stored power would actually go anywhere much less through a specific exit channel such as at night or when not charging…. In my ignorance and curiosity, and letting my imagination do it’s thing, I can’t help but see that as a potential, automatic, nighttime heating or lighting source? Is this a thing in any way, is it really a useless trait or has it been refined by anyone/products at all?

[@hinternsaubachel5109]

Awesome video. Very Informative. Thanks!

[@crazycrab8578]

hears one, if I had a 13v zener diode, would that charge the batt, thats if my controller blow up on me, plus it would not discharge,

[@Sam-hj5ok]

Since the panels are two, shouldn't the power be a total of 200W?

[@zygmuntkuzminski8312]

Solar batteries have build in diode that prevent discharge at night not having charge controller-is that right?

[@MaritimeUnprepared]

Yes that is correct! The charge controller doesn't need to keep current from entering the panel because of this diode

[@Seeykulatahy]

Are batteries series or parallel? Please double check your drawings. That could be a typo.

[@yingjie3857]

for the calculation at 13:35, shouldn't the 1.21 factor be multiplied with 12V inside the bracket?

[@LexMasita]

I believe in math, how you arrange the multiplications and divisions does not matter and the final calculations will always end up the same. But when you bring in additions and subtractions into the mix with multiplications and divisions, then bracketing and performing calculations based on that will have different results which is why in that case bracketing becomes important.

[@GibsonRembi]

Hi i have 30ah controller how many watts panel can I use

[@user-saadmahdi]

Thanks

[@douglaswindsor120]

Unfortunately I bought a 30 amp Colman pwm solar charge controller I also have a smaller one that came with a Colman portable 75 watt solar panel I have also found out from RVER videos the proper charging parameters for sealed lead acid batteries confirmed by tearing apart and old black and decker booster pack with an inverter built in 12 volt battery is a no longer 12 volts but needs charging at 14.8 settling down to 14.4 and should be kept between 13.4 and 14.8 and anytime its discharged below 13.4 it reduces the life of the battery and below 12.2 it will severely decrease the life of the battery that's why booster packs usually have a one year life before the battery is dead they also don't charge them above 12 volts so sulphation starts immediately after they're built although the everstart booster pack charges to 13.1 it too will die in about a year but I did get an extra year properly charging it with a good charger through the booster cables

[@agbapaschal2514]

how can I increase my charging amp

[@mooseunit2711]

I always thought that most solar panels came with diodes, preventing the discharge of a battery.

[@aaron092000]

Thanks for the info

[@rodneyalberta2020]

i have solar panel built in pwm can i change it to mppt

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy E-UME, Thanks COOP ...

[@hayzersolar]

OMG this is so difficult i just have 1 200w panel this is why we dont get into solar. is there any short answer to this question without a math class.

[@APhonepc-lm1ud]

😂😅😊🤣😆

[@corkystephan5073]

I hate these idiots who stand there and trying to give us a big history lesson instead of getting straight to the details I paused this to put my piece in and now I’m out of here .

[@sajjadchiniotielectricstor5239]

Assalamualaikum

[@corkystephan5073]

He has got the polarity wrong the polarity goes from negative to positive.

[@laryangel4082]

Tt

[@RareAvoTrees]

Did not like this not usefull in the real world telling what size to buy for a 18 panel array

[@J-Ball]

Blah Blah Blah. Good grief.