Charge Controllers

In technical terms, charge controllers are regulators; which determines the rate at which electric currents are added drawn from electric batteries. Basically this just means that the charge controller determines how much power the battery receives so that no electricity is lost or wasted. By controlling the charge that the batteries receive the product then becomes much safer from users. It also ensures that the batter sees a long life span and provides sufficient power to the user. Controllers can either be a stand-alone item or integrated within a battery pack, which is part of the battery product itself. Which one of the two the controllers you get strictly depends on the manufacturer and which one the battery requires to run.

Stand-alone charge controllers are sold separately from the battery and are often used with solar batteries or use solar power themselves to run. The series charge controllers make sure the flow of electricity stops when the battery is full, thus saving power that would have other wise been wasted. On the other hand, a shunt charge controller stores the excess power for use at a later time. Each battery has a voltage level they can sustain before causing the battery to suffer damage or die. Most charge controllers stop the charge completely when the see the battery coming very close to approaching the level at which it might sustain damage. Technologically higher, more sophisticated batteries however, adjust the charging rate of the battery allowing the battery to charge at it’s maximum capacity without going over. These charge controllers are called MPPT controllers, or maximum point power trackers. Common applications for stand-alone charge controllers are for RVs or home storage systems. Even smaller applications include small packs like laptops, audio players, phones, and more.

Charge controllers are one of the most efficient solar power products out there, ensuring that not even power provided by the sun is wasted or over used. Charge controllers come in a variety of powers, sizes, and colors. Always research to find out what kind of controller will meet the needs of your battery best. Charge controllers often come in a size that is built to fit on larger, deep-cycle batteries; but there are also smaller ones as well. There is a large variety of charge controllers, each one designed and ready to accommodate the needs of any users battery!