I'm working with a Goal Zero Nomad 50 solar panel, a budget MPPT solar charge controller, a UGreen 65W power delivery charger that accepts 12-24V input, and a UGreen power bank with a 65W USB-C input. I'm wondering if this setup can work together. Specifically, can I connect the solar panel directly to the UGreen charger without needing to hook it up to the power bank? Also, will the solar charge controller be safe if the power bank isn't connected?
1 Answer
Your MPPT charge controller really needs to be connected to a battery to work properly. If you want to use your solar setup to power the USB-C charger, you might need to add a small 12V battery into the mix to stabilize the output. I doubt a simple DC7909 to USB-C adapter will work as you intend; these adapters typically require the input to be higher than the output, and your power bank could end up overloading.
I actually made a DC7909 to lighter socket adapter for my USB-C charger, but I haven’t tried it out yet. Should I be worried about damaging anything?