I'm in the UK and I'm planning to set up a solar energy system in my shed. I want to charge a 12V lead-acid battery and I'd love to find a solution that can dump excess solar energy into a resistive load, like a heater. I know there are diverters for mains electricity, such as immersion heaters, but is there something similar available specifically for a 12V system?
2 Answers
Yes, you can definitely find charge controllers that work for 12V systems! There are options available that allow you to divert energy from the battery when it's fully charged. These controllers can redirect the excess solar power to a resistive load, such as a heater. Check out the C-Series PWM Charge Controller from Xantrex for a solid option. It’s been around for decades and can be configured for various setups!
You might want to consider using a battery over discharge protection board. If you're working with a small system, there are affordable adjustable boards that can manage up to around 10A, which translates to about 120W for heating purposes. However, automating this process isn't always worth it since the savings from a small setup are minimal. It might be easier just to turn it on and off manually. Also, just a heads-up, a 120W heater won't do much to warm up a shed in winter, it’s like having a medium-sized dog in there!