MPPT v PWM

Charge Controllers

Apollo Solar, Inc.

23 F. J. Clarke Circle
Bethel, CT 06801
(203) 790-6400
www.ApolloSolar.com

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 PV Charge Controller History
The MPPT Charge Controller is the 3rd Generation
of PV charging technology.

1. RELAYS: The first PV battery chargers used relays to connect the

PV array directly to the battery and then disconnect it when the
battery was full. This method reduces the life of the battery and
throws away much of the PV energy. They have been replaced.
2. PWM: The 2nd generation was PWM (Pulse Width Modulation).
PWM also connects the PV array directly to the battery, but it turns
on and off quickly so the battery is usually not damaged. PWM also
throws away much of the PV energy. PWM is still used on small
systems below 500 watts where wasted PV energy is not critical.
3. MPPT: Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controllers are
based on a DC to DC converter. They include software which
adjusts to the optimal voltage and current of the PV array as it
changes during the day. 100% of the PV energy is harvested. The
output to the battery automatically adjusts to precisely what the
specific battery needs for optimum charging and longest battery life.

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 Off-Grid Basics – The Charge Controller
FUNCTION OF THE MPPT
CHARGE CONTROLLER

The Apollo Solar MPPT The job of the Charge Controller:

Charge Controller steps
PV ARRAY

the voltage down for the

battery, while boosting
the current.
1. Harvest as much energy as possible from
the PV array using Maximum Power Point
AC TO
LOADS Tracking (MPPT)
64V TO
180V DC 2. Provide the Battery with a full charge as
soon as possible every day
INVERTER
CONTROLLER
CHARGE

3. Protect the battery from over-charge

4. Optimize the efficiency of the entire
48V TO
process (including wiring from the array)
58V DC
5. Report the Battery State-of-Charge and
other system parameters for remote
BATTERY maintenance
BANK

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 Off-Grid Basics – The Charge Controller
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN MPPT
CHARGE CONTROLLER
A day in the life of an MPPT
APOLLO T80 ENERGY HARVEST
Showing MPPT Voltage IN converted to Current OUT
Charge Controller:
120 60

100 50
PV INPUT VOLTAGE

80

60 Voltage In from PV
40

30
1. The MPPT (Maximum Power Point
40

20
Current Out to Battery 20

10
Tracking) Charge Controller adjusts to the
0
6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
Time of Day
13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
0
optimal voltage and current of the PV
64V to 180V array as it changes thru the day.
DC FROM
The Charge Controller is a DC
to DC converter which acts like
PV ARRAY
a car transmission, matching
2. Higher voltage in the wires from the PV
the changing output of the PV array allows for lower current which cuts
array to the changing needs of
losses by the square of that current.
CONTROLLER

the battery below.

CHARGE

APOLLO SOLAR

60
BATTERY CHARGING STAGES AND SET POINTS
B
3. As a 4kW example, a 100 volt DC input at
BATTERY VOLTAGE

ABSORB VOLTAGE
SET POINT
56

52
FLOAT VOLTAGE
DSET POINT 40 Amps is converted to 50 volts output to
48

40
44 charge the battery with 80 Amps.
CHARGING CURRENT

80 A MAX CHARGE CURRENT

4. The battery charging curve is followed

70
60 SET POINT
50
40
30
48V to 58V
DC TO
20
10
0
ABSORB MODE
using the Bulk, Absorb and Float stages.
BULK CHARGE MODE FLOAT MODE
START

(CONSTANT CURRENT) (CONSTANT (CONSTANT

BATTERY (Approx 80% of energy is replaced
in the bulk mode.)
VOLTAGE)
Adjustable
CURRENT)

Time
C

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 Maximum Power Point Tracking
Fact 1: To get the full power from any PV module, the load must be set at
a specific current (the Imp) and specific voltage (the Vmp). The Current x
the Voltage is the Maximum Power Point of that PV module.

Maximum
Power
Point

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 Maximum Power Point Tracking
Fact 2: The Maximum Power Point changes rapidly as the temperature of
the module changes and as the irradiance or amount of sunlight changes.

PV output
PV output current goes
voltage goes up as
down as irradiance
temperature increases.
increases.
The combination
of irradiance and
temperature
changes cause
the Max Power
Point to vary
greatly during
the day.

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 Maximum Power Point Tracking
1. To get the most out of a PV array, the Maximum Power Point must
be found, saved and then re-calculated often or “tracked” all day.
(Hence the name MPPT for Tracking.)
2. The Apollo Solar MPPT charge controllers re-calculate the
maximum power point 500 times every second, then average the
findings and lock onto a new point every 1.25 seconds.
(Competitors do this every 3 minutes or more.)
3. The result is that the Apollo Solar MPPT charge controllers harvest
all the energy available from the PV array in conditions from bright
sun to cloud cover or changing shade conditions at any
temperature.

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 PWM v MPPT Operating Voltage
PWM regulators connect the PV array directly across the battery, forcing the PV
voltage to be at the battery voltage thus limiting the power possible from the PV array.

PV MODULE POWER & I-V CURVE

3) 57 Watts from
MPPT controller
(42% increase
over PWM)

2) 40 Watts
from PWM
Controller

1) 12 Volt
Battery limits
voltage of PV
module
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Technical Benefits of MPPT over PWM
1. Added energy harvest because all of the PV array voltage range is used, not
just a narrow voltage slightly above the battery voltage. No power is thrown
away using MPPT if the load or battery can us it.
2. Added energy harvest because the PV array is used at the maximum power
point at all temperatures.
3. MPPT has added energy harvest because the PV array can be used early in
the morning, late in the day and during cloudy days, even when the voltage or
current is very low.
4. The PWM chargers produce zero power if the PV array does have sufficient
sunshine. This has been measured at > 25% difference in favor of MPPT.
5. With MPPT, the higher voltage and lower current in the wiring from the PV
array has lower losses and can use thinner gauge wire which is lower cost.
6. Since the energy harvest is greatest when the PV temperature is low and
when the batteries are deeply discharged, MPPT produces more energy in
the morning when it is needed most to extend battery life.

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 Reduced Wire Gauge - Large Cost Saving
Example: 4kW PV Array 50 meters from the Charge Controller.
PV ARRAY

Using MPPT Controller:

4kW = 25 Amps at 160 volts
4kW
Using 16mm2 wire, the resistance for 100m is .1077 ohms.
The power loss is I2R = 25 * 25 * .1077 = 67.31 watts which is
METERS

1.68% loss and is considered a good installation.

50

Using PWM Controller:

4kW = 71.4 Amps at 56 volts
Using 16mm2 wire, the resistance for 100m is .1077 ohms.
CONTROLLER

The power loss is I2R = 71.4 * 71.4 * .1077 = 549 watts which is
CHARGE

13.73% loss which is a very poor installation.

The wire size must be at least 95mm2 at .0181 ohms for 100m.
50V TO 80 The power loss would be 71.4 * 71.4 * .0181 = 92.27 watts which is
58V DC AMPS
2.31% loss and is considered an acceptable installation.
BATTERY Costs: For 100m, 95mm2 wire = $6100, 16mm2 wire = $1030.
BANK
Savings: Each MPPT controller saves $5070 with 100m of wire.
At 15 meters the cost of wire pays for the MPPT charge controller.

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 Wire Loss and the T80HV
The higher PV voltage into the T80HV easily overcomes the loss in the PV wires.

POWER LOSS IN WIRES AND T80HV AT 80A, 48V The difference in the cost
1000
of the wire can often pay
T80HV LOSS at 80Amps for the T80HV.
800 WIRE LOSS at .2 ohms
POWER LOSS IN WATTS .

WIRE LOSS at .1 ohm

WIRE $ / 100ft
600 WIRE LOSS at .05 ohm SIZE OHMS PER USE-2
AWG 100ft APRIL 2012
14 0.25250 $ 45.00
400 12 0.15880 $ 80.17
10 0.09989 $ 120.15
8 0.06282 $ 164.40
200 6 0.03951 $ 248.64
4 0.02485 $ 376.16
3 0.01970 $ 435.91
0 2 0.01563 $ 610.94
60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 1 0.01239 $ 825.48
1/0 0.00983 $ 1,030.97
INPUT VOLTAGE
2/0 0.00779 $ 1,295.95
3/0 0.00618 $ 1,619.45
Ideally, we keep both the loss in the Wire and the 4/0 0.00490 $ 1,849.41
The price of copper wire was
T80HV below 200 watts, so the wire should have less
quoted by Encore Wire Corp
than 0.1 ohms and the input voltage is about 160 volts. in April 2012.

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 Cost Benefits of MPPT over PWM
1. The additional power captured by using MPPT charge controllers allows the
PV array size to be reduced by up to 30%. Hugh savings.
2. MPPT allows higher voltage in the wires from the PV array meaning lower
current which cuts losses by the square of that current. The wire size can be
reduced – large saving in cost of copper and labor.
3. Since good MPPT charge controllers protect and extend the life of the
batteries by making sure they are charged well early each day, large long-
term savings are realized by extending the battery life.
4. MPPT controllers allow the use of higher voltage and lower cost PV modules
made for the large grid tie market. Many of the “12 volt” modules for off grid
battery charging have been discontinued. Freedom from supply limitations is
a major technical, logistical and cost benefit of MPPT.
The MPPT charge controllers do cost more than the PWM units. That higher
cost is more than paid for by the reduction in PV modules, and/or lower wiring
costs. The extended life of the batteries is a long term benefit.

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 MPPT vs PWM Energy Harvest
 DC to DC Converter allows all the PV voltage to be converted into useful
current into the battery.
 MPPT algorithm finds and tracks the peak product of PV voltage and
current as it changes.
 PWM chargers do not have DC to DC converters so can not use the
excess voltage or track the peak.
PV VOLTAGE SUN
WITH MPPT OR PWM

MPPT current (in

red) is greater all
day than the PWM MPPT
current (in green). CURRENT
INTO BATT PWM
CURRENT
INTO BATT

6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00
 Optimum Energy Harvest
 Unbeatable Apollo Solar MPPT algorithm
 Captures all the energy from the PV array across full
range of temperature and irradiance
APOLLO T80 ENERGY HARVEST
Showing MPPT Voltage IN converted to Current OUT

120 60

100 50
PV INPUT VOLTAGE

80 40

60 Voltage In from PV 30

40 Current Out to Battery 20

20 10

0 0
6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00
Time of Day

Actual data captured in SD card and displayed in Excel

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