Using Multible Controllers On Solar Panels

The danger might be that if both batteries are low both controllers will come on together shorting two batteries together and damaging the controllers.

Using multible controllers on solar panels.

Well all you need to do is wire a second charge controller in parallel in your dc load center with each output of the charge controller going into the dc breaker box or load panel. The solar panels and the charge controller are designated for the same system voltage. In fact by wiring several solar panels in series we increase the voltage keeping the same current while wiring them in parallel we increase the current keeping the same voltage. Charge controllers regulate the electric current that is transmitted to and from solar panels which prevents overcharging and increases their lifespan.

There are different sized charge controllers that are designed to handle varying amounts of solar panels. The pmw solar charge controller will match the solar panels voltage to that of the battery bank that is 11 7 v but keep the current at 5 2a. For mppt controllers mppt tracking of each subarray is preferred as there is less impact with voltage mismatches. Once the battery is full the charge controller switch will be mostly off so the other charge controller can use the solar cell.

If both charge controllers are turned on what s happening is each charge controller is managing independently sending it s own current into the battery. If you decide to apply a mixed connection it s practical your solar array to comprise an even number of panels a multiple of 2 for example 4 panels 2 in series and 2 in parallel or 6 panels 3 in series and 2 in parallel. A 12 volts 100 watt solar panel rated at about 19v and 5 2a should output 100 watts of power to your battery array. You could check for diodes or add them.

The meterhub was designed specifically for systems with multiple controllers. The connection of multiple solar panels in parallel arises from the need to reach certain current values at the output without changing the voltage. In general you simply have to obtain a charge controller that is able to handle the number of solar panels you have on your home.