I'm curious if I could risk damaging my setup with too much solar input. I installed a bunch of panels since they've become really affordable, but my area doesn't get a ton of sun, especially in winter. I have six 100-watt panels, and my 30 amp MPPT charge controller has managed to pull about 20 amps at most. I'm using four 12.8-volt LiFePO4 batteries in parallel. Can a really sunny day potentially harm my charge controller?
3 Answers
The main thing to worry about is the voltage coming from your solar panels. Check the maximum input voltage for your MPPT charge controller and compare it with the open circuit voltage (VOC) of your panels. It's crucial that the VOC doesn’t exceed what your controller can handle. Your panels don’t just push electricity; they provide power, and the controller uses what it needs. Installing proper DC circuit breakers or fuses between your panels and controller can prevent any mishaps. And remember, panels can produce more output on cold, sunny days than hot ones due to thermal reasons.
You’re right to focus on voltage. If the voltage gets too high, you could damage your charge controller or even start a fire. Your controller will only draw the amps it needs, so over-current isn’t usually a concern. Just make sure your wiring can handle the peak amps you expect to draw.
It sounds like you’ve got a solid setup with six 100-watt panels! Just be cautious about maxing out the voltage for your controller and ensure it doesn’t exceed the charging current of your batteries. If it's all functioning well, I'd say keep on using it!