Solar Direct is dedicated to increasing our customer's awareness of
sustainable and renewable technology by providing an educational, yet highly engaging internet venue,
where they can discover how green alternatives can impact not only their lives, but the world future
generations will inherit! Click here first to
begin your sustainable living learning adventure! Learn the step-by-step details of how and why sustainable
and renewable technology works, and the science behind the functioning of each alternative energy process. Solar Direct offers unsurpassed, highly-personalized
product selection assistance, with experienced professionals providing toll free support -
creating a truly inspired purchasing experience for our customers. Click here next to start
the selection process, then use online tools to decide your proper type of technology and its matching product.
Product Selection Assistants are standing by to help you with toll free support. Solar Direct hosts the Energy
SuperMarket website, the Internet's top-ranked shopping destination for renewable energy technology. Enjoy
a secure shopping for all your alternative energy needs. Solar Direct offers thousands of green, sustainable
and renewable products, combined with toll free Product Selection Assistants dedicated to providing a quality
purchasing experience for all consumers. Click here
last to finish your alternative energy adventure! The Energy SuperMarket website provides the
most advanced, real world authoritative, user-friendly shopping destination for renewable energy
technology today.

Solar PV Electric

Charge Controller

Photovoltaic System Component

PV Controllers

You will need a controller to prolong the battery life of your PV System.  The most basic function of a controller is to prevent battery overcharching. If batteries are allowed to routinely overcharge, their life expectancy will be dramatically reduced.  A controller will sense the battery voltage, and reduce or stop the charging current when the voltage gets high enough. This is especially important with sealed batteries where we can't replace the water that is lost during overcharging.

The only exception to controller need is when the charging source is very small and the battery is very large in comparison.  If a PV module produces 1.5% of the battery's ampacity or less, then no charge control is needed.

Unlike Wind or Hydro System controllers, PV controllers can open the circuit when the batteries are full without any harm to the modules. Most PV controllers simply open or restrict the circuit between the battery and PV array when the voltage rises to a set point. Then, as the battery absorbs the excess electrons and voltage begins dropping, the controller will turn back on.

Some controllers have these voltage points factory-preset and non adjustable, other controllers can be adjustable.

Controllers are rated by how much amperage they can handle. National Electric Code regulations require controllers to be capable of withstanding 25% over amperage for a limited time. This allows your controller to survive the occasional edge-of-cloud effect, when sunlight increases dramatically.  Exceeding the amperage ratings on your controller can destroy it.

Using a controller with more amperage capacity than you are generating will allow you for future expansion and it usually doesn't cost much.

A PV controller also prevents reverse current flow at night. Reverse current flow is the tiny amount of electricity that can flow backwards through PV modules at night, discharging the battery, but the loss of power is insignificant.  Only with larger PV systems is this significant but and almost all charge controllers deal with it automatically.

Products


ProStar
Charge Controller
Made by MorningStar
SunSaver
Charge Controller
Made by MorningStar
ASC
Charge Controller
Made by Specialty Concepts, Inc.
Xantrex/Trace Engineering
Charge Controller
C Series
Xantrex/Trace Engineering
Charge Controller
C12 Series
 Energy Policy Act

30% Rebate

Products

ProStar
SunSaver
ASC
Xantrex C
Xantrex C12

Other Components

PV Modules
PV Inverters
PV Batteries
PV Mounting
PV Hardware

Starter Kit

Complete PV Systems

Additional Info

PV Basics
FAQ

Other Products

PV Lighting

  Solar Direct    
  Bringing Renewable Technology Down to Earth!   Copyright Notice
© 1986-2016 Solar Direct
All Rights Reserved