Modern solar charge controller perform several other useful functions: This function facilitates a unidirectional flow of current from the solar panel to the battery, and blocks the reverse flow during the night. This helps to prevent batteries from unnecessary discharging and it increases the battery uptime.
During the night or when solar panels are not producing electricity, there is a risk of reverse current flow from the battery back to the panels. Solar charge controllers prevent this reverse current flow, which might discharge the battery. Applications Solar charge controllers are a vital component in various solar energy applications.
Even a small 10W panel emitting 0.7A of current can overcharge a battery if not attended to, and while lead-acid batteries are cheap, replacing them due to overcharging can become expensive, and this is why you should have a solar charge controller. See also: What Types Of Solar Charge Controllers Do You Get?
The Pulse Width Modulation solar charge controller operates differently from the MMPT controller. It determines how much voltage the battery needs from the panels. Through a series of pulses, it controls the level of current flowing to the battery.
The diagram below shows the working principle of the most basic solar charge and discharge controller. The system consists of a PV module, battery, controller circuit, and load. Switch 1 and Switch 2 are the charging switch and the discharging switch, respectively.
Inverter.com offers you two kinds of solar charge controllers, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controllers and Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controllers. In addition, the all-in-one unit - solar inverter with MPPT charge controller is also available for off-grid solar systems.