How do I size a solar charge controller?

Selecting the Right Size Controller To size a solar charge controller, take the total watts of your solar array and divide it by the voltage of your battery bank, then multiply by a safety factor of 1.25. This calculation will give you the output current of the charge controller.

How to calculate a solar charge controller rating?

To calculate the required rating of the Charge Controller for a 100W solar panel charging a 12V battery bank: 1. Watt Rating: The power rating of the panel is 100W. 2. Current Rating: Let the system voltage be 12V, so current = 100W / 12V = 8.33A. 3. Consider Safety Margin:

How do I calculate my solar array's Max charging current?

Multiply your solar array’s Voc by your voltage correction factor to get your solar array’s max Voc. I’ll be using the solar array Voc I calculated above (44.6V) and a voltage correction factor of 1.2. Done! Calculating max charging current depends on whether you’re using a MPPT or PWM charge controller.

How much current does a solar charge controller use?

This calculation will give you the output current of the charge controller. For example, a 1000W solar array divided by a 24V battery bank equals 41.6A. Applying the safety factor, 41.6A x 1.25 = 52A. Therefore, you need a charge controller rated at least 52A.

How do I choose a solar charge controller?

MPPT solar charge controllers are rated in amps (Output Current). To select a charge controller, you’ll need to calculate the maximum amount of current (in Amps) that the MPPT should be able to output.

How to charge a solar battery based on a nominal voltage?

1. Pick a charging voltage based on your battery’s nominal voltage. A 12V battery doesn’t charge at exactly 12 volts. The same goes for a 24V battery. So, using the table below, pick a charging voltage based on your battery bank’s nominal voltage. 2. Divide your solar array’s wattage by the charging voltage. Watts divided by volts gives us amps.