Morningstar Charge Controllers

More Information about Morningstar Charge Controllers

Quality and innovation define Morningstar. Their intensive manufacturing processes, which meet international safety standards and UL-listed certifications, allow them to produce what they consider as "the world's solar charge controller." This "controller" can be set to manage the energy output from a solar power system to any kind of user, from a small-scale solar system powering a single home to a huge solar array for something like a military base.

Morningstar Corporation specializes in solar charge controllers and inverters, offering products equipped with advanced technology features such as lighting control and diversion control, which are beneficial for automated production applications. These features can be configured using DIP switches on certain models, allowing for tailored system setups. Additionally, Morningstar provides battery chargers designed to integrate seamlessly with their solar charge controllers, ensuring efficient and reliable solar battery charging solutions.

FAQs

Does Morningstar charge controllers' advanced technology include lighting control and diversion control for automated production applications?

Morningstar's TriStar charge controllers incorporate advanced technology that enables them to perform functions such as lighting control and diversion regulation, making them suitable for various applications, including automated production systems.

Solar Charge Controller Basics 

Most industrial solar setups consist of solar panels, which capture sunlight and convert it into energy. They only convert that energy during the day, so if power is needed at night or when the sun is blocked by clouds, batteries need to be used. The batteries provide power during night time and when the sun is blocked.

How is it determined when power is being provided by the solar panels or the batteries? What happens when the batteries need to be charged, but the electrical load also requires power? This is where a charge controller comes into play. The charge controller is designed to manage the power that comes from the solar panels and distribute that power to the different loads that need it. Depending on the complexity of the charge controller, it may perform other functions, but its most basic function is to manage and direct power where it is needed in the system.  

For example, there are two solar panels wired in series, providing 24 volts of DC power. The electrical load in this case is a small PLC, a radio and a ethernet switch used for communication. This is a common remote SCADA setup in many different industrial scenarios and it is important to keep this site running day and night. In order for this to happen, batteries must be used to provide power at night and when the sun is blocked by clouds. The size of the batteries will depend on the load and how long emergency standby power is required. The batteries need to stay charged and the electrical components in the cabinet must not run out of power.  The charge controller has the ability to monitor the amount of charge in the batteries and keep them charged while also providing power to the electrical load. During the day the charge controller might be sending all of the power from the solar panels to the electrical load and none to the batteries, or it may be sending some directly to the electrical load and some to the batteries to charge. It all depends on the needs of the system. At night, the charge controller will detect no power coming from the panels and redirect the battery power to the electrical load to keep the components running as expected.