Design of a solar charge controller for DC load output

Abstract

One of several ways to provide power to off grid locations is through stored electrical energy devices such as batteries. This paper presents the design of an economical solar charge controller to be used in a stand-alone solar home system for providing power and increase lifespan of the battery. The designed system uses a direct current DC/DC converter and a microcontroller which implements the Perturb and Observe, algorithm of the maximum power point tracker (MPPT). The prototype is tested with 100 W photovoltaic panel and a 12 Volt lead acid battery.