Solar Charge Controller Settings (Best Guide) in 2023

It is important to have an understanding of solar charge controller settings and the importance of selecting the best voltage and charge for your solar battery.

In this article we will discuss: What is a solar charge controller and how to set it correctly.

We will also discuss the voltage settings for different types of solar batteries, including AGM batteries, lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries.

By the end of this article, you will have a thorough understanding of how to setup your solar charge controller correctly.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about solar charge controller settings.

What is Solar Charge Controller

A solar charge controller sends short pulses of energy to your battery to help you maximise the amount of energy you can store from your solar panels.

A typical MPPT solar charge controller can produce up to 42 volts of output. Higher current ratings require additional batteries.

Choosing the right solar charge controller is an important decision. A cheap model can fry your batteries.

You may have heard that a solar charger has different settings, but do you know what they are?

There are a few things you should know before you buy one. One is the profile setting.

The profile setting allows you to set the optimum power output parameters, voltage and current of your solar array.

The settings are different for each type of solar battery, including lead acid, AGM, gel, LIPO and lithium iron phosphate.

If you’re not sure what each of these settings means, contact the battery manufacturer.

There are two types of solar charge controller: PWM controllers and MPPT controllers.

Both of them control and distribute the output current and the output voltage in the system.

PWM uses pulse modulation. MPPT uses maximum power point tracking techniques.

These are similar applications, but MPPT can increase the current to track the maximum power of a solar panel.

If you need more power, you should choose to use MPPT.

PV systems can also use MPPT to store excess energy for peak use or for sale to the grid.

How to set Solar Charge Controller Charge

If you want to know how to adjust the charge of your solar charge controller, you need to understand how your solar battery works.

If the battery is fully charged, it will not hold more solar energy than its chemical content.

Similarly, charging at a high rate can cause heat and gassing.

The electrolyte inside the battery will expand and form bubbles, while hydrogen gas produced by a chemical reaction is explosive.

Overcharging a battery will accelerate ageing and reduce its capacity.

Parameters Understanding of Setting a Solar Charge Controller

System Voltage

System voltage is also called nominal operating voltage and refers to the DC operating voltage (battery bank voltage) of the solar power system.

Generally, the system voltage is 12V, 24V or 48V. The system voltage value can be 110V and 220V for medium or large charge controllers.

Maximum Charging Current

The maximum charging current refers to the maximum output current of solar panels or solar array.

Charge Controller Capacity

this refers the maximum amps the charge controller can handle, usually this is how we rated a solar controller like 10A,20A,30A,40A,50A,60A,80A or 100A.

Battery Overcharging Protection Voltage

Battery overcharging protection voltage is also called fully-charged cut off voltage or overvoltage cut off voltage. The voltage value should be set according to the battery type. The voltage value range is between 14.1V to 14.5V for 12V system, 28.2V to 29V for 24V system and 56.4V to 58V for 48V system. The typical value is 14.4V, 28.8V and 57.6V.

Battery Over discharging Protection Voltage

Battery over discharging protection voltage is also called undervoltage cut off voltage. The voltage value should be set according to the battery type. The voltage value range is between 10.8V to 11.4V for 12V system, 21.6V to 22.8V for 24V system and 43.2V to 45.6V for 48V system. The typical value are respectively 11.1V, 22.2V and 44.4V.

Battery Floating Charging Voltage

Float voltage is the voltage at which a battery is maintained after being fully charged to maintain that capacity by compensating for self-discharge of the battery. Generally, the battery floating charging voltage is 13.7V for 12V system, 27.4V for 24V system and 54.8V for 48V system.

Solar Charge Controller voltage Setting

A solar charge controller can handle a variety of battery voltages, from as low as 12 volts to as high as 72 volts. But the most expensive models can handle up to 72 volts, which is necessary if you plan on storing your energy for extended periods of time. While solar panels can be connected in parallel to provide maximum output voltage, a basic charge controller may only accommodate a maximum input voltage of 12 or 24 volts.

To use a solar charge controller, you need to set the voltage and current parameters. You can do this by adjusting the voltage setting of the charge controller. The voltage setting determines how fast your solar cells can recharge. You can change these settings Via PC software, or on your charge controller. It is recommended that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to get the most from your solar energy system. Otherwise, your system will not be able to achieve its full potential.

Solar Charge Controller Setting Steps:

wiring the solar charge controller to the battery bank and panels properly.
The controller screen will light up if the power is detected
Hold the Menu button for seconds to entering setting menu
You will see the charge current (PV to Battery)
Long Press the Menu Button to entering Batter Type Selection
Controller will auto detect the battery voltage
Setting the float Charge Voltage,absorption charge voltage, low voltage cutoff value, low voltage recovery value according to the battery user manual.
set discharge value for DC load (if have)
the charge controller will start the charge process instally.

solar charge controller settings for agm battery

In order to maximize your solar charging efficiency, you must know how to adjust the settings of your solar charge controller. The profile setting determines the maximum voltage and current that your solar charge controller will output. Different batteries require different charging parameters. For example, lead-acid batteries have different optimum charging parameters than lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. Therefore, the manufacturer of your battery should tell you how to configure your solar charge controller to maximize the charging efficiency.

AGM batteries are different from lead-acid batteries because they use a fibre-boron-silicate glass separator instead of a liquid electrolyte. The result is a spill-proof battery. The same holds true for solar panels. With the right charge controller, your solar panel can jump-start your vehicle when it is running low on power. It is also compatible with all types of vehicles.

solar controller settings for lifepo4 battery

The optimum solar charge controller settings for a Lifepo4 battery will depend on the type of battery you have and the type of solar system you have installed. For example, if you are installing a 12V system, your solar charge controller settings will be different from those for an AA or AAA battery. LiFePO4 batteries do not need voltage compensation or temperature compensation. In general, however, they require different charging parameters.

To get the most out of your LifePo4 battery, you should use an MPPT solar charge controller with a “user” or “custom configuration” mode. These charge controllers will not boost the voltage of the battery, but rather regulate the voltage from a high panel to a low voltage. These settings are best suited for heavy-duty applications. Lastly, you should be sure to install a charge controller with low-voltage protection.

solar controller settings for lead acid battery

Lead acid batteries for solar power system use to be a classic configuration, once you set the lead acid battery type, most charge controller will charge it with original setted parameters for lead acid batteries. in most cases, plug and play.