12V /24V /48V Auto Recognition High Efficiency MPPT Solar Controller

The best panel match for an MPPT controller:

To match a panel to an MPPT controller it is advisable to check the following:

1. The panel open circuit voltage (Voc) must be under the permitted voltage.
2. The Voc must be above the “start voltage” for the controller to “kick-in”
3. The maximum panel short circuit current (Isc) must be within the range specified
4. The maximum array wattage - some controllers allow this to be “over-sized”, e.g the Redarc Manager 30 is permitted to have up to 520W attached

5. The MPPT controller is best:

    

   • For larger systems where the additional 20%* or more energy harvesting is worthwhile

   • When the solar array voltage is substantially higher than the battery voltage e.g. using house panels, for charging 12V batteries

    

   * An MPPT controller will yield higher returns compared with a PWM controller as the panel voltage increases.  I.e. a 160W eArche panel using 36 conventional monocrystalline cells with a maximum power amps of 8.4A will provide around 8.6A at 12V; while the 180W panel having 4 more cells will provide the same amperage but 4 additional cells increases the panel voltage by 2V.  A PWM controller will not harvest any additional energy, but an MPPT controller will harvest an additional 11.1%  (4 / 36) from the 180W panel.

    

   For the same principle, all panels using SunPower cells with more than 32 cells require an MPPT charge controller otherwise a PWM controller will harvest the same energy from 36, 40, 44 cell panels as it does from a 32 cell panel.