Solar Charge Controller

A solar charge controller is used to keep the battery from overcharging by regulating the voltage and current coming from the solar panel to the battery. It is programmed at 15-A/200-W unit and uses MPPT (maximum power point tracking) to accelerate solar charging of the battery up to 30% per day. MPPT checks the output of the solar panel compares it to the battery voltage and adjusts it to the best voltage in order to get maximum current in to the battery. The solar charge controller uses a 25-A circuit breaker to protect it against overcurrent and has a baseline of continuous power consumption of 35 mA. The 12-V DC power is accessible via a female cigarette lighter socket that is implanted in a sidewall of the hard case, and is protected against overcurrent by the internal circuitry of the solar charge controller.