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--- electrical:solar:pwm_tweaking [2023/11/19 16:18]
frater_secessus [PWM's achilles heel]
+++ electrical:solar:pwm_tweaking [2025/03/18 12:35] (current)
frater_secessus [PWM's achilles heel] sag
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ===== PWM's achilles heel =====
-During charging with a PWM controller **the solar panel will be running at the voltage of the battery bank**.((or close enough for the purposes of this discussion.  Specifically, the panel will be ~Vbatt when the controller is pulsing ON.  Vpanel will be closer to Voc when the pulse is OFF because the panel is Open Circuit (unloaded) at that time.))  Unfortunately, this is almost never the voltage at which the panel makes its rated power (Vmp).  The panel will make less and less power when battery voltage is low.
+During charging with a PWM controller **the solar panel will be running at the voltage of the battery bank**.((or close enough for the purposes of this discussion.  Specifically, the panel will be Vbatt + wiring sag when the controller is pulsing ON.  Vpanel will be closer to local Voc when the pulse is OFF because the panel is Open Circuit (unloaded) at that time.))  Unfortunately, this is almost never the voltage at which the panel makes its rated power (Vmp).  The panel will make less and less power when battery voltage is low.
 This affects charging in all three [[electrical:12v:charging|charging stages]] but it is devastating in [[electrical:12v:charging#bulk_stage|Bulk]].  Let's do some math to see why.((temperature derating is not considered))

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