Solar Charge controler

[OllyHughes]

Hello, would some kind soul take a look at their solar charge controler and tell me what the reading for PV voltage is please. I have a feeling my controler is not very well, the PV voltage is reading 10v and the battery %age reads 60%, and i know the batteries are fully charged. Thanks

 

[Richard n Ann]

Ours is usually 19v. 10v is definitely too low if the sun is shining, but it could be the solar panel itself rather than the controller.

 

[Reallyretired]

Mine usually 21v. Put a multimeter on it to check whether it's the panel or the controller misreading.

 

[autorouter]

Solar panels need to be at least 5V higher than the battery voltage, so they are usually at least 18V. A faulty controller might be pulling the voltage down. If you disconnect one or both solar panel wires and measure with a multimeter that will tell you if the panels are OK or not.

Also remember if the battery is full, the controller will generate very little power. Unlike a solar array on a house, which always operates at full power and feeds any excess into the grid.