If any of you would prefer a made in USA option, I should mention that my company makes MPPT solar charge controllers that are a perfect fit for our vans and other small to medium off grid-systems. These are made right here in the USA under two brands: http://www.genasun.com http://www.blueskyenergyinc.com The Blue Sky Energy controllers have a lot of features, like the ability to take a remote display or to keep a starting battery topped off while charging a house bank. The Genasun controllers are more compact and simple and great for smaller installations (140W or less). I use my Westy as a mobile test lab for new products, but I'm currently running a Blue Sky Energy SB1524 with 2x 100W glass panels (installed by the PO), and a 180Ah LFP battery bank. This setup provides plenty of power for a Truckfridge TF65, lights, laptop, stereo, etc. As others have mentioned, you can get away with a PWM controller if your panel and battery voltages are matched (15-18Vmp for a 12V battery), but MPPT will deliver typical gains of ~10-30%. When using panels that have a higher voltage relative to the battery, MPPT is mandatory. With the explosion of grid-tie solar, it's harder to find 12V panels (which use 36 cells), but larger, higher-voltage panels have become absurdly cheap. A 60- or 72-cell panel putting out ~220-350W at ~30-40V can be had for under $0.70/W, will fit on a pop-top, and coupled with an MPPT controller, will give you more juice than you'll know what to do with. Lightweight semi-flexible panels seem to have come of age, and are also a good option. Questions, just ask. Happy charging, Alex |
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