Best MPPT PWM Solar Charge Controller available in Pakistan

The amount of electric current that can be; added to or pulled from electric batteries is controlled; by a charge controller, charge regulator, or battery regulator. It guards against overcharging and perhaps shields against overvoltage, both of which; can shorten battery life or performance and may be dangerous.

To prevent batteries from overcharging, a charge controller, also known as a charge regulator, regulates voltage and/or current. It controls the battery's voltage and current as they go from the solar panels. The majority of "12-volt" panels emit between 16 and 20 volts; hence, without regulation, the batteries will suffer overcharging damage. Most batteries typically need a charging voltage ranging from 14 to 14.5 volts for complete charging.

Usually, though not always. The small maintenance, or trickle charge, panels, such as the 1 to 5-watt panels, typically do not require a charge controller. A general rule of thumb suggests that a charge controller is unnecessary when the solar panel outputs 2 watts or less for every 50 battery amp-hours.

For instance, a typical golf car battery (flooded) has a capacity of about 210 amp-hours. Hence, you would need a panel that is about 4.2 watts to maintain a series pair of them (12 volts) solely for maintenance or storage. The well-liked 5-watt panels are sufficient and won't require a controller. You can utilize a 2 to 4-watt panel if you are maintaining AGM deep cycle batteries, such as the Concorde Sun Xtender.

Charge controls come in a of shapes, sizes, features, and price points. The size of these controllers varies, starting from small 4.5-amp models like Sunguard to larger MPPT programmable controllers with computer interfaces, which can range from 60 to 80 amps. If currents greater than 60 amps are required, two or more 40 to 80-amp units are frequently wired in parallel. In battery-based systems, the most commonly used controls typically vary in capacity from 4 to 60 amps. However, there are newer MPPT controls, like the Outback Power FlexMax, that can go as high as 80 amps.

3 general types of Charge controls (with some overlap):

Simple one- or two-stage controls that use relays or shunt transistors to control voltage in one or two steps. When a certain voltage is reached, these simply short or disconnect the solar panel. In terms of practicality, these controls can be considered dinosaurs, but they can still be found on old systems, and a few low-cost ones may be available online. Their only real claim to fame is their dependability; with so few components, there isn't much to go wrong.

Morningstar, Xantrex, Blue Sky, Steca, EP Solar, and many others offer 3-stage and/or PWM systems. These are now the industry standard, but you will still see some of the older shunt/relay types on occasion, such as in the very low-cost systems offered by discounters and mass marketers.

EP Solar, Midnite Solar, Outback Power, Morningstar, Xantrex, Blue Sky, Steca, and others use maximum power point tracking (MPPT). These are the ultimate controllers, with prices to match. However, with efficiencies ranging from 94% to 98%, they can save significant money on larger systems by providing 10 to 30% more power to the battery.

Most controllers include some sort of indicator, such as a single LED, a series of LEDs, or digital meters. Many newer models, including the Outback Power, Midnite Classic, Morningstar MPPT, and others, now include computer interfaces for monitoring and control. The most basic usually only have a couple of small LED lamps that indicate that you have power and are receiving some kind of charge. The majority of meters will show both the voltage and current output from the solar panels, along with the battery voltage. Some also display the amount of current drawn from the LOAD terminals.

All of the charge controllers we sell are three-stage PWM and MPPT units. (In reality, "4-stage" is a bit of advertising jargon - it was previously known as equalize, but someone decided that 4-stage was better than 3). And now we're seeing one advertised as "5-stage"...