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Author Topic: Why do I need a load connection on a charge controller?  (Read 4409 times)

jingwei3344

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Why do I need a load connection on a charge controller?
« on: September 14, 2015, 03:50:06 AM »
I just got a Renesola charge controller. I connected the controller to the PV system and the battery. I also have a 300W inverter directly connected to the battery bank.
I am wondering why we have a "load" connection on the charge controller. Shouldn't I connect my load directly on the battery?

SoManyWires

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Re: Why do I need a load connection on a charge controller?
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2015, 04:26:26 AM »
I just got a Renesola charge controller. I connected the controller to the PV system and the battery. I also have a 300W inverter directly connected to the battery bank.
I am wondering why we have a "load" connection on the charge controller. Shouldn't I connect my load directly on the battery?

not an expert though without researching further, here is what i think to understand of it at this point.
only if trying to power DC devices, and it is able to deal with any voltage or amperage changes, such as a passive radiant electric heating element.
otherwise it does need to be converted to AC using an inverter.

the load connection would make sense to be used as a connection point rather than connecting other DC devices directly to the battery.
the charge controller can keep better track of how to condition the batteries without sending possible damaging voltage and amperage spikes directed towards anything that happened to be bypassing the charge controllers load connection.

mscoffman

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Re: Why do I need a load connection on a charge controller?
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2015, 08:58:15 PM »
The charge controller in a PV system sits between the PV array and the battery.
It wants to know whether there is charge coming out of the battery going to
the load so that it can turn off excess power completely if there is no load current.
The PV charge controller needs to do "charge termination" to the battery
if it becomes full, but it will supply the load directly if the load continues
draw power while the battery full. Your 300W inverter should connect to the
load lines of the charge controller ~ probably.

This is different from a wind generator system where the charge controller
can direct current to a "dummy load resistor bank" to keep the wind generator
from unloading during high wind conditions. "This can be useful during
other mechanical power spin down conditions."

:S:MarkSCoffman