I'm new to solar setups and didn't expect issues with my first project. Currently, I am using a 120W solar panel and a 100Ah AGM battery with a Victron 12V 30A PWM charge controller and a Victron Phoenix 500VA inverter. While everything works fine with a small load, connecting my 130W laptop charger sends the charge controller into "LO" mode, which seems to indicate it's overloaded. Is there a way to resolve this without returning the inverter? Maybe swapping for a 12V 40A charge controller, or is there a simple solution to limit the current? If I connect the inverter directly to the battery, it powers up fine, so I think the inverter is okay. Any advice? Thanks!
1 Answer
The "LO" indicator usually means the voltage at the battery terminal is too low, especially under heavy load. If your cables are thin, try using thicker ones to prevent voltage drops. It might help to know your battery voltage when that warning pops up!
I was wondering about that too! If the PWM unit cuts off too quickly, you might miss the voltage drop. But starting at 12.9V seems fine, maybe double-check if everything is set up correctly.