Do I Need A Regulator For Solar Panel

A solar charge controller is designed to receive power from a solar panel or array of panels and use it to charge a battery or bank of batteries.

Do i need a regulator for solar panel. Solar panel keyed two pin connector battery keyed two pin connector and 12v output 3 in. If you don t need to understand the why s scroll to the end for a simple flow chart. Every solar panel needs a regulator to make sure we don t overcharge the battery when it s full and to give it everything the solar has got when the battery is low. A charge controller or charge regulator is basically a voltage and or current regulator to keep batteries from overcharging.

But what do we use solar panels for and why do we need to regulate their voltage. If we were to look at the job description of any solar regulator the first item and in some cases the only function is to prevent the battery bank from being over charged. You will probably have heard of the two types pwm and mppt pulse width modulation or maximum power point tracking. This means that a 1 5a panel is the largest you should use without a regulator on a 100 amp hour battery.

Although solar power similar to what we use today has been around for sixty years it wasn t until the early aughts that home and recreational use of solar panels became popular. It s no secret that solar voltage regulators are almost a requirement when using solar panels and energy systems. A solar charge controller frequently called regulator is similar to a regular battery charger i e. As a general rule panels that produce less than 1 5 of a battery s rated capacity in amp hours don t require regulation.

So at a really basic level the regulator is just a switch. Regulators should generally be used any time you have two or more large panels connected to your batteries. The regulator provides overcharge protection at 14 volts and discharge protection at 10 5 volts. It regulates the current flowing from the solar panel into the battery bank to avoid overcharging the batteries.

Most 12 volt panels put out about 16 to 20 volts so if there is no regulation the batteries will be damaged from overcharging. It regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panels going to the battery. This involves varying charge stages voltages and current depending on the type of battery and other factors.