What are the most important solar charge controller features

08/05/2021
PowMr, Solar Charge Controller

What are the most important solar charge controller features?

  • Low voltage disconnect (LVD) – sometimes referred to as “load control” is a feature that instructs the solar charge controller to disconnect the battery’s energy flow to electrical loads when the battery voltage decreases to a low voltage setpoint. This protects the battery from over-discharging and compromising the battery life. 
  • Load reconnect voltage (LRV) – the battery voltage setpoint where the controller reconnects loads to receive electricity from batteries. For 12-volt batteries, the LRV is usually at least 1 volt higher than the LVD.
  • Lighting control to turn lights on or off at a specific period(s) during the night and day.
  • Meters to display battery voltage, charging stages, system amperage and temperature. Advanced meters are interactive as opposed to “read only”, allowing you to program and adjust settings associated with charging stage setpoints, low voltage disconnect, and lighting controls. 
  • Self-diagnostics to indicate/alert installation or operational errors and faults such as short circuit, high temperature, and low battery
  • Low noise to meet US Federal Communications Commission Class B specifications.