Charge Controllers

EnerStore offers all types of charge controllers from Blue Sky Energy, Iota Engineering, Morningstar, OutBack Power, Solar Converters, Speciality concepts and Xantrex.

The main function of a charge controller or regulator is to protect your battery from overcharge and block a reverse current. There are various types of charge controllers which you will find listed below along with brief descriptions.

An AC charge controller allows you to recharge your batteries by using an AC source.

The DC charge controller is used to control the current going into a battery from a DC power source.

A solar lighting controller allows you to charge a battery during the day and turns on the lights at night.

Charge controllers protect the batteries from any potential dangers such as overloads and keep the life expectancy of your lead acid batteries will be reduced if connected to a non-self-regulating solar array with no overcharge protection.

There are two types of charge controller that are generally used: series and shunt. Both methods use the batteries' voltage to automatically determine when to reduce the voltage or completely shut off the mechanism. Simple controllers contain a transistor that shunt the PV charging circuit, terminating the charge at a pre-set high voltage and, once a pre-set reconnect is reached, opens the shunt, allowing charging to resume. More sophisticated controllers utilize pulse width modulation (PWM) or maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to assure the battery is being fully charged. The first 70% to 80% of battery capacity is easily replaced, but the last 20% to 30% requires more attention and therefore more complexity.

Unlike most generators, solar modules can be short-circuited without damaging the solar panel. With series type regulators, the batteries' voltage can occasionally be cut off by the regulator between solar modules and batteries, while with shunt type regulators, the batteries' voltage is re-directed towards a resistance.

A temperature sensor is essential to increase the battery's performance and lifespan. This is vital for the battery's temperature changes. The temperature sensor allows the charge controller to adjust the voltage with the battery's temperature.