1.What is a PWM charge controller?

When charging a solar battery, in order to prevent overcharging, we often use a controller, and PWM charge controller (pulse width modulation controller) is a kind of controller. PWM charge controller can maintain a constant voltage, when the battery is fully charged, the PWM charge controller can reduce the charging efficiency, in order to prevent overcharging to reduce the performance and service life of the battery.

2. Advantages of PWM charge controller

(1) Low cost: Compared with MPPT charge controller, PWM charge controller has lower cost, which can reduce the cost of solar energy system, and it is a good choice for some families with low budget.

(2) Long life: PWM charge controllers have simpler components, circuit design, etc., so the damage rate of components is lower, which can reduce the battery damage problem and better durability.

(3) Large battery reserve capacity: PWM charge controllers can improve the reliability of the solar system, as well as reduce the disconnection of the load, so that solar system users can reap great benefits from it.

(4) Good performance: PWM charge controllers operate at battery voltage and perform better when the weather is sunny or the battery is fully charged.

3. Disadvantages of PWM charge controller

(1) Low efficiency: Under the same conditions, the charging efficiency of PWM charge controller is not as good as that of MPPT solar charge controller, which cannot fully utilize the solar energy for charging, so the charging time is longer.

(2) Noisy: when the PWM signal frequency is in a certain range (200Hz~20000Hz), the inductance and output capacitance in the LED driver will generate noise, which affects the user’s living comfort and may also affect the surrounding animals.

(3) Application with limitations: PWM charge controller is only suitable for small, simple structure of solar energy system, however, for higher voltage solar panels or multiple panels connected in series, we can choose MPPT charge controller.

(4) Susceptible to temperature: When the temperature exceeds or falls below the optimal temperature (45~75℃) of the PWM charge controller, the charging efficiency will be greatly reduced.

4. Do you need a PWM charge controller?

Yes. Most people have a battery bank installed in their solar system, when the power generated by the solar panel is not used up it will be sent to the battery bank for storage, at this time, if the battery bank is overcharged then it may shorten the life of the battery. To avoid this, you can choose to install a charge controller. For whether or not to choose a PWM charge controller, you should not only consider its advantages and disadvantages in terms of efficiency, durability, and reliability, but also combine it with the cost of the solar system.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a PWM charge controller is a device that ensures that the solar panel charges the battery bank at a higher efficiency and prevents the battery bank from being damaged due to overcharging.