CHARGE CONTROLLERS

Charge controllers or voltage regulators protect batteries from becoming overcharged, which can shorten their lives as well as the lives of some loads powered by them.  Electronic circuitry in the regulator measures battery voltage, which rises as the battery state-of-charge (SOC) increases.  At some voltage (which is different for different types of batteries and at different temperatures), the regulator will limit the charging of the battery. Regulators for photovoltaic, wind and water power systems perform the same function as voltage regulators in automobiles, but they do it in different ways, so automotive regulators are not suitable for use in remote power systems.  Advanced features included in some charge controllers are low voltage disconnect (LVD) meters, lighting controls, adjustable settings for different battery types, auto equalization , fusing, temperature compensation and reverse polarity protection.  Some regulators charge using pulse width modulation (PWM) while others use simple on /off schemes.

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