7 Best Solar Charge Controllers 2024
Solar powered systems need protection to avoid irreparable battery damage, there are a plethora of solar charge controller choices on the market, from the cheap and cheerful to the unduly expensive.
The following condensed review of some of the top MPPT and PWM solar charge controllers on the market will help you in your decision making process.
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links but this does not affect the price you pay.
MPPT Charge Controllers
Quick Links
- Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 Solar Charge Controller.
- Renogy Rover Li 40 Amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller.
- EPEVER 40A MPPT Solar Charge Controller
- Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT RS for Large Off grid systems with 48v battery banks
PWM Charge Controllers
Quick Links
- Renogy Adventurer Li- 30A PWM Flush Mount Charge Controller
- MorningStar PMW Prostar PS-30M
- BougerRV Li 30 Amp 12V/24V
What is a Solar Charge Controller?
A solar charge controller is a device that helps to manage the charging of your solar panels by regulating the amount of electrical current that is flowing through them. This will help to prevent your batteries from becoming overcharged, and also helps to optimize the performance of your solar system.
Solar charge controllers are typically classified by the type of control circuit they use: pulse width modulation (PWM) or maximum power point tracking (MPPT).
MPPT Charge Controller v PWM Charge Controller
If you are unable to decide which type to choose, choose a PWM controller if you need it for:
- Smaller systems – such as your RV and charging basics such as laptop, mobile etc
- When efficiency is not a necessity, such as for trickle charging your boat battery.
- For solar panels with a VMP of up to 18V that will charge a 12V battery.
- Your budget dictates, PWM are less expensive than their MPPT cousins.
An MPPT controller is best for:
- For larger systems, such as your holiday cabin where you value performance or RV/Boat where larger energy consuming goods, such as fridges, TVs, microwaves, AC unit are installed.
- If a solar panel battery encounters a higher voltage than the solar panel system, for example, using your home’s solar panel program to charge a 12 V battery. A MPPT charge controller will manage that.
- MPPT charge controllers are able to accommodate fluctuations in power demand by charging themselves when they’re low, adding more power in the battery when it is necessary.
What size Solar Charge Controller do I need?
When sizing a charge controller for a solar panel system, you need to consider the amps and volts of your solar panels, as well as the power and current requirements of your battery.
The size of your charge controller can be determined by using this simple equation: Amps = Watts / Volts. So, if you have a 100 watt solar panel and a 12 volt battery, your charge controller should be rated for 8 amps (100 / 12).
If you have more than one solar panel, simply add the amps together to get the total amps needed for your charge controller. Keep in mind that some solar charge controllers have a maximum voltage input, so be sure to choose one that will work with your system.
Do I Really Need a Solar Charge Controller?
A solar charge controller is an important component in any solar power system. It helps to regulate the flow of electricity from the solar panels to the battery and ensure that the batteries do not get overcharged.
Without a charge controller, it would be easy for the batteries to become damaged by overcharging.
However, there are also times when a solar charge controller is not necessary. For example, if your system only consists of one or two small solar panels powering a low-power device such as a phone charger, then you may not need a charge controller.
In other cases, if your system is using high-efficiency monocrystalline or polycrystalline panels with high voltage output, then you may not need a solar charge controller as well.
Ultimately, whether or not you need a charge controller depends on the type of system you have and its components.
Solar Charge Controllers to consider:
Features
- Bluetooth Smart built-in: dongle not needed
- VE.Direct data connection
- Ultra-fast Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT)
- Advanced Maximum Power Point Detection in case of partial shading conditions
- Internal temperature sensor
- Real-time data display options
- Rated charge current: 30 Amps
- Max. PV short circuit current: 35 Amps
- Maximum PV open circuit voltage: 100 Volts
- Weight: 2.87 lbs (1.3 kg)
- Dimensions (inches / millimeters): 5.12″ x 7.32″ x 2.76″ / 130 x 186 x 70 mm
- 5 year warranty
#1 Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 Solar Charge Controller.
Victron Energy’s 30A MPPT Solar Charge Controller is a high-quality, reliable product that is perfect for those who want to use solar energy to charge their batteries.
The MPPT, which increases the efficiency of the charging process by up to 30%. This means that your battery will charge faster and more completely, resulting in longer run times.
Additionally, the controller is backwards-compatible with 12V and 24V systems, making it a versatile option for any user.
#2 Renogy Rover Li 40 Amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller.
The Renogy 40A Rover MPPT Charge Controller is the most power-efficient type of charge controller. The Rover can charge up to 99% of the energy it receives from solar panels efficiently, giving your battery bank more energy. It automatically detects lead-acid 12V to 24V battery systems to support gel, wet cell, and sealed battery applications. （manual setting is required for 24V Lithium battery.
Electrical Protection: Overcharging, over-discharging, overload, and short circuit. Capable of charging over-discharged lithium batteries.
- Nominal System Voltage: 12/24V Auto-Detect
- Rated Charge Current: 40A
- Max. PV Input Voltage: 100 VDC
- Max. PV Input Power: 12V/520W, 24V/1040W
- Power Consumption: ＜100mA/12V; ＜58mA/24V
- Max Battery Voltage: 32V
- Ground Type: Negative
- Storage Temperature Range: -35°C to 75°C; -31°F to 167°F
- Operating Temperature Range: -35°C to 45°C; -31°F to 113°F
- Max. Terminals Size: 8 AWG 10mm2
- Dimensions: 238 x 173 x 72.5 mm; 9.37 x 6.81 x 2.85 in
- Weight: 2.0kg / 4.41 lb
- Material and workmanship warranty: 2 Year
#3 EPEVER 40A MPPT Solar Charge Controller
The controller in the Tracer AN series has a self-adaptive, three-phase charging mode based on the electronic device, which considerably extends a terminal’s life expectancy, allowing uninterrupted power supply of the solar battery system. The solar charge controller features comprehensive electronic protection against overheating, overcharging, over discharge, reverse polarity connection and battery, to provide a stronger system.
- Nominal system voltage:12/24VDC auto work
- Rated charge current :40A
- Rated discharge current: 40A
- Battery input voltage range: 8-32V
- Max. PV open circuit voltage:100V(at minimum operating environment temperature) 92V(at 25℃ environment temperature)
- MPP voltage range:V(BAT)+2V～72V
- Max. PV input power:520W(12V Battery) & 1040W(24V battery)
- Power terminals:#6 AWG(16mm2)
#4 Renogy Adventurer Li- 30A PWM Flush Mount Charge Controller
The new and improved Adventurer-Li features the added lithium battery charging features of the new Adventurer-Li Lithium Afterwriter. The programmable lithium voltage allows Adventurer-Li Lithium Afterwriter to charge almost all lithium batteries available. The Adventurer-Li also has the RS232 port that makes use of the Renogy BT-1 Bluetooth module.
This charge controller is designed to be used with 12V or 24V photovoltaic systems. This advanced negative-ground controller is designed for aesthetically clean flush mounting on RV or camper walls.
Adventurer-Li integrates highly efficient PWM charging, increasing battery life by regulating the charge flowing from the solar panels to the battery bank. It has an LCD screen for displaying system operational information and data, and includes full parameter control.
This circuit board comes pre-loaded with internal safeguards that render it inaccessible to inefficiencies or errors during install.
#5 MorningStar PWM Prostar PS-30M
Morningstar’s ProStar 30 (PS-30M) is a medium voltage controller, which is widely used for small to medium power systems, such as backup power systems. It’s suitable to operate on permanently connected 12 or 24 volt batteries. It can handle up to 30 amps of solar energy from the panels at 12 volts, 1,000 watts from the panels at 24 volts.
Morningstar’s series switching offers several advantages over shunt controllers. A series regulation helps reduce overheating in the FET, and it reduces stress on the FET’s power. Another major advantage of a series configuration over shunt handling is decreased error-inducing effects of the power FET on the power supply.
The series design improves charging accuracy. In PWM, series switching is automatically corrected for temperature and voltage drops. Up to 300 Amps can be paralleled.
#6 BougerRV Li 30 Amp 12V/24V
BougeRV 30A PWM solar charge controller uses negative ground design, can accommodate more vehicles, and has no concern about the polarity. A backlit display allows you to check or change parameter parameters in real time.
The controller of the solar panel will connect to the PV input current as well as the Battery voltage on the main interface, and the real-time value will display the current status and PV output status.
The solar panel battery regulator is Compatible with 12v/24v batteries , SLD, FLD, GEL, LiFePO4, ternary lithium battery and LTO battery.
This solar charge controller has the ability to automatically reset once the protected switch has been closed and to wake the inactive lithium battery after settling to lithium battery type. It speeds the tracing of the power with 32-bit high-speed master chip. The error code is useful to check and solve the fault quickly and clearly.
#7 Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT RS 450/100-Tr & 450/200-Tr
This solar charge controller is made for 48 volt battery banks and has two models to choose from, 450 volt input with 100 amp output and 450 volt input with 200 amp output.
The 100 amp has two PV trackers, the 200 amp, four. Each PV input can handle its own solar power array, so the 100 amp you can have two solar arrays and the 200 amp, four solar arrays.
This controller has a Bluetooth feature and data logging so through the app on your phone you can see how much power each array has generated by day/month/year.
This product is perfect for large off-grid, and grid connected battery systems.
Conclusion
In conclusion, when looking for the best charge converter for your solar setup, it is important to decide whether you need an MPPT or PWM converter. If you have a limited budget, PWM converters are a more affordable option, while MPPT converters are more efficient and can handle larger solar arrays. Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and budget.
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