How to Turn Off Solar Charge Controller?

If the solar charge controller is not working properly or has a malfunction, you will need to do a reboot or reset of your solar charge controller, all controllers can be operated in this way to work properly again.

To turn off the solar charge controller, we have compiled several methods that can be implemented.

There are two types of solar controllers, MPPT controllers and PWM controllers. However, all of the shutdown procedures listed below are applicable.

Solar controllers are often shut down because they need to be reset or because they need to be replaced with an upgrade version of the current solar controller.

The solar controller will not be damaged if you follow the correct steps.

If it just needs to be rebooted, don’t worry. The solar controller’s pre-set charging parameters are stored in the solar controller’s chip, and the data is not lost, so you can continue operating after the reboot.

3 Ways to Turn Off the Solar Charge Controller

There are several ways to turn off the solar charge controller and get it working again.

Turn off the solar charge controller with the switch

Almost all appliances and electronic devices come with an on/off switch to turn them on or off or to restart them. But when it comes to solar charge controllers, not many come with this feature or don’t need it.

However, there are some solar controllers that come with a switch that you can simply flip or press to turn the controller on or off, for example, the ZHCSolar 10A MPPT Charge Controller comes with an on/off switch.

One thing that always needs to be noted is that when performing the shutdown action, you need to make sure that there is no solar input at that time, preferably in the dark or at night. This will ensure the safety of people and equipment.

Switching off the solar charge controller via the circuit breaker

To ensure the normal operation of the solar system and the safety of personnel and equipment, it is important to use the solar controller’s fuse system correctly; you can install fuse boxes and circuit breakers on the charge and discharge lines.

You can turn off the solar controller by directly disconnecting the circuit breaker. As mentioned above, directly disconnecting the solar controller will not damage it and its charging parameters will still be available.

As with the previous safety reminder, make sure there is no power coming from the solar panels before disconnecting to avoid damaging the solar controller.

The solar charge controller shuts down by disconnecting both the PV and battery power.

There is another way to shut down the solar charge controller, but it is not an active way, but a passive way, which means that the solar system is no longer running, the solar panels are no longer generating power, and the battery connected to the solar charge controller has no power in it. The solar controller will then automatically shut down.