PWM (Pulse width
controller) charge Controller
This type of
charge controller charges the batteries by sending out short pulses of current
to the batteries, hence the name.
It monitors the battery state and varies the
nature of the pulse it sends accordingly, during the bulk stage when the
battery is low, it sends long and continuous pulses and it sends it out
rapidly. It monitors the battery and as the battery starts getting fully
charged, the frequency of the pulse decreases, It doesn’t send it as rapidly as
before anymore and the pulses become shorter and shorter, this is done so that
the battery is not overcharged.
PLEASE NOTE. For a PV module to charge your batteries, the voltage of the PV module must be higher than that of the batteries,
Advantages
.1) Cost
PWM charge controller is cheaper than the MPPT charge
controller, it is easily affordable. It can be used for small scale solar
projects.
Disadvantages
.1) Efficiency
It is not as efficient as the MPPT charge controller.
.2) Small scale projects
It can’t be used for
large scale projects 60amps and above.
.3) Voltage conversion
It can’t convert the excess voltage to current.
MPPT (Maximum Power
Point tracking) charge controller
This is actually a
much more recent type of charge controller. The MPPT charges the battery by
sending out the maximum power possible to the battery hence the name. It
monitors your PV module and your battery and determines the most appropriate power
to send.
One of its most distinguishing features is its ability to
convert excess voltage from the panel to current for your systems.
Advantages
.1) Efficiency
It has a higher efficiency compared to the PWM.
.2) Voltage conversion
It converts excess voltage to current for the system.
.3) Large scale projects
It can be used for large scale projects
Disadvantages
.1) Cost
It has a higher cost compared to PWM.
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