What is a good resource to understand all the jargon, definitions, and all the essentials about solar controllers? I have a new camper with a Victron 150/35 and the manual to me is very difficult to understand. Help!
asked
Newbie needs education
I think many of us went through this. And it needs a decent article. The information is there, but distributed. Most of the time you can concentrate on a few concepts without worrying too much about the rest. But I'm not aware of a good introductory guide. It's one of the things that needs to be done to improve this community.
To start with your controller.
The 150 means max input voltage of 150. This must not be exceeded, watch for cold weather increases in panel voltage.
The 35 figure is the maximum output current. So on a 12V system, you're looking at 12*35=420 watts. In reality this can be higher as you usually charge at more than 14V.
What else? PWM/MPPT - these are two types of internal electronics to convert panel output to what the battery needs. In general MPPT is better, but more expensive. MPPT is maximum power point tracking. The idea is that the panels need something to push against to deliver maximum power.
I is the current (this is from the history of physics) and usually has a suffix, oc open circuit, sc short circuit.
Something else to be aware of is the panels. They're specified under standard conditions, 25C. Some are quoted at other temperatures, so check. There should be a temperature compensation given, usually a negative value in millivolts/C. Showing the voltage falls as temperature rises. Also with panels, voltage is not an indication of available power. All it tells you is that light is hitting the panels. And as you load them the voltage drops, hance the MPPT controllers. Panels deliver close to max rated power under standard conditions, very bright sunay give higher power, but in bright sun the panel temp goes up, giving less power.
Another key concept is that because panel voltage drops under load, the controllers will not switch on until panel voltage is 5V higher than actual battery voltage. So if your batteries are at 13.7V, you need 18.7V from the panels to turn the controller on. Similarly the controller will switch off if panel voltage is too low.
Hope this helps. We can help better if you have more specific questions.
