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--- electrical:solar:pwm_tweaking [2018/04/18 16:50]
frater_secessus [Tweaking a PWM controller for maximum power]
+++ electrical:solar:pwm_tweaking [2021/06/26 11:46]
frater_secessus [the controller's achilles heel]
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
-===== the controller's achilles heel =====
+===== PWM's achilles heel =====
 During charging with a PWM controller **the solar panel will be running at the voltage of the battery bank**.  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.
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 .1v x 5.6A = 67.76W <-- power at 50% state of charge;  bulk charging
-This last number shows how far off PWM output can fall when battery voltage is at its lowest.((The last number is also the source of the "30% boost!!!" claims some MPPT makers make.  Yes, at that point MPPT at 94.69w (after 5% MPPT efficiency penalty) is 40.2% more than PWM's 67.76w but that is when the disparity is the widest.  Most of the time the MPPT charging advantage is lower, perhaps 15%.))  It's also when the battery needs the most current to get out of that deep cycle trough.
+This last number shows how far off PWM output can fall when battery voltage (Vbatt) is at its lowest.((The last number is also the source of the "30% boost!!!" claims some MPPT makers make.  Yes, at that point MPPT at 94.69w (after 5% MPPT efficiency penalty) is 40.2% more than PWM's 67.76w but that is when the disparity is the widest.  Most of the time the MPPT charging advantage is lower, perhaps 15%.))  It's also when the battery needs the most current to get out of that deep cycle trough.
 ===== the plan =====
@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 Since the panels make more power at higher voltages((up to Vmp)) cranking up Vabs and Vfloat to higher-but-still-sane levels will result in more power being harvested.
+Using the above panel as an example, Vabs of 14.7v will yield 3.5% more power than a Vabs of 14.1v.  Vfloat of 13.8v will yield 4.5% more power than a Vfloat of 13.2v. \\
+Note:  consult the battery manufacturer's recommendations for the actual maximum voltages.  Controller presets often are set too low by the factory since they don't know what battery you will use it with. Better safe than sorry, say their lawyers.
+DO invest in the $10 temperature probe option.
 ==== battery: maintain a higher state of charge ====
@@ Line 54: / Line 59: @@
   * keeping your bank as charged as possible will let the panels produce the most power for conditions
-In other words, the lower your battery voltage gets the worse the system works.  There are two courses of action to take that will help reduce this effect.
+In other words, the lower your battery voltage gets the worse the pwm charging works.  There are two courses of action to take that will help reduce this effect.
   - **Cycle less deeply** - Instead of cycling to 50% state of charge (12.2v) consider cycling to only 75% SoC (12.4v).
-  - [[electrical:12v:alt_and_solar|combine]] your solar charging with even small amounts of [[electrical:12v:alternator|alternator]] or [[electrical:shore_power|shore power]] charging.  Either one of these will help get the bank "out of the mud", particularly if they are added early in the morning.
+  - [[electrical:12v:alt_and_solar|combine]] your solar charging with even small amounts of [[electrical:12v:alternator|alternator]] or [[electrical:shore_power|shore power]] charging.  Either one of these will help get the bank "out of the mud", particularly if they are added early in the morning.  An isolator generally costs less than upgrading to mppt.

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