You connect solar panels in series when you want to get a higher voltage.
Do solar panel need to match the controller.
The safest way to figure out if you need a charge controller is to take battery amp hour capacity and divide this by the solar panel max.
Again this is not chock full like unregulated solar can do just full enough to stop pushing them at absorption levels and switch to a float voltage.
The solar power you want to generate the other system components such as a charge controller battery and inverter.
For example if you have a 100 amp hour battery and a 10 watt panel you take 100 and divide it by 6 600ma and you get 166 6.
If a panel puts out 2 watts or less for each 50 battery amp hours you probably don t need a charge controller.
I suspect this 2 misunderstanding is where companies like west marine advise readers that a solar panel with 1 5 of amp hour capacity in current potential does not need a controller.
Solar charge controller functions.
You don t need a charge controller with small 1 to 5 watt panels.
If the quotient is above 200 you don t need a controller.
There are many different types of controllers on the market.
Life used to be so simple.
In a 12v battery system you took a 12v solar module watched carefully that the maximum pv current would not exceed the charge controller maximum current and the system would work.
The function of a charge controller is to regulate the charge going into your battery bank from your solar panel array and prevent overcharging and reverse current flow at night.
How does the charge controller work.
Solar panels typically put out a voltage that is too high for batteries to use.
There are two main types of connecting solar panels in series or in parallel.
In some rare cases a solar panel can be connected directly to a battery without a controller.
This can be achieved if the nominal voltage of the panel is lower than 17 18v and if the solar panel is a lot smaller than the charging battery e g.
Do i always need a solar charge controller.
The charge process is performed in a smart or intelligent way.
Anything beyond that and you do.
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.
This means if your battery is full it stops the charging and if your battery is reaching an unhealthy.
Matching solar modules to mppt charge controllers.
If the number is less than 200 than you need a controller.
A 10w panel charging a 100ah battery.
First between the charge controller and battery bank second between the charge controller and solar panels and third would be between the battery bank and inverter to determine the fuse size needed between the charge controller and battery bank you simply match the amperage rating on the charge controller.
It does this by using a transistor to shunt the pv charging circuit.
Different types of solar charge controllers.