Solar question regarding controllers

Obiru

I’ve got the Renogy 200 Watt Eclipse Monocrystalline Solar Suitcase with a 20amp controller. My question is do I need a better controller or is the one that comes with this unit good enough?

ScottG

I'm not familiar with the specifics of all the different controllers out there, but I would expect the unit provided by Renogy with the kit will work just fine. 20 amps is certainly more than ample for your 200 watt panels.

Sharon_is_SAM

We use the Renogy Wanderer PWM controller with our 200 watts of suitcases and it is fine.

Obiru

Sharon_is_SAM said:

We use the Renogy Wanderer PWM controller with our 200 watts of suitcases and it is fine.

Why didn’t you get the Renogy with controller?  That’s what I want to know.  Is the one that comes with it satisfactory.

Sharon_is_SAM

It is better to have the controller close to the battery (less voltage loss), so we opted to purchase a separate controller - at the time the Wanderer (30 amp) was on sale.  Also, since the original controllers were not weather proof, it did not make sense to have them out in the elements.  I am not familiar with the Renogy Voyager Charge Controller.  I would also tell you to make sure you have room for the large, heavy 200 watt suitcase.  We purchased two 100 watt suitcases.  It gives us the option of using 1 or 2 and they are easy to pack and store.

Obiru

ScottG said:

I'm not familiar with the specifics of all the different controllers out there, but I would expect the unit provided by Renogy with the kit will work just fine. 20 amps is certainly more than ample for your 200 watt panels.

Thanks Scott.

mreric

well if you have the money, a MPPT controller over the PWM controller will always be better.     try it out first and see if it works well for you.   if it does not work well then you can move over to a MPPT controller

Obiru

mreric said:

well if you have the money a MPPT controller over the PWM controller will always be better.     try it out first and see if it works well for you.   if it does not then you can move over to a MPPT controller

Thanks Mreric. So far no complaints.

pthomas745

I have an MPPT and several PWM's, and for such a 100 watt small system like mine there doesn't appear to be much difference.   The MPPT does look nicer, however. The 7 year old PWM I have, blistered by the sun, works just fine.

ScottG

Obiru said:

Sharon_is_SAM said:

We use the Renogy Wanderer PWM controller with our 200 watts of suitcases and it is fine.

Why didn’t you get the Renogy with controller?  That’s what I want to know.  Is the one that comes with it satisfactory.

I did get a Renogy 100W suitcase with the attached PWM controller. Mine is only 10 amp, and I think it is a different model from what they ship now, but it has worked adequately for my needs going on four years. I did eventually remove the controller from the suitcase and relocated it to the tub near the battery, but this was not strictly necessary.

I agree with mreric--try the system out as is and get a feel for it. Solar is a dish best consumed in small bites--with experience you'll get a sense of what modification (if any) you wish to make. Just remember that getting those panels in full sun will have a much bigger effect on function than what model of controller you use or where you put it!