Solar and wind are two popular clean energy sources that are gaining traction with the world working into uses environmental-friendly energy sources. And, of course, many devices are set to improve the services people get.
For this article, we focus on solar charge controllers. Generally, it is a device that connects the solar panel to the battery, ensuring that your device isn’t overcharged, which can lead to more problems.
Solar charge controllers significantly limit the solar power that goes to your battery keeping your devices safe. Since solar and wind focus on clean energy, can wind turbines use solar charge controllers?
We focus on this question as we try to define the possible relationship between solar charge controllers and wind turbines. Check it out!
Can I Use a Solar Charge Controller for A Wind Turbine?
Using solar and wind energy is the sure bet to a greener life that doesn’t use fossil fuels. But how connected are the two sources when charging your batteries?
Having a charge controller when using solar or wind is vital. Of course, many assume the two can use the same charge controller, which isn’t the case.
Can I use a solar charge controller for a wind turbine? No!
We have solar and wind charge controllers that protect batteries from overcharging and permanent damage. However, the way the two controllers work is different.
The wind charge controllers must eliminate the excess load, but for solar charge controllers, this issue isn’t a problem for them.
Whether you are using wind or solar sources, having a charge controller in your system is crucial. The device works between the battery and the energy sources. But you must realize that you can’t use a solar charge controller for a wind turbine.
There are a few differences between a wind controller and solar charge controllers that make it impossible to use the two interchangeably, including:
The Variation Between Solar and Wind Charge Controllers
The primary function of a charge controller is to protect the device’s battery, whether using wind or solar sources. It works on disconnecting your battery automatically after it entirely blocks the flow of charge to prevent battery damage.
It also ensures that your fully-charged battery won’t recharge the sources after they are complete, ensuring that the charge flow back is impossible.
However, despite the two controllers doing the same job, using solar charge controllers for wind turbines is impossible. The reason is the difference in how the two deliver their electricity.
With that, the two require different things from their charge controllers. Wind charge controllers require different things compared to solar charge controllers.
A solar charge controller mainly focuses on disconnecting the electricity from your battery after it is full. The controller joins the float mode, ensuring no more charge flows into the battery, and the latter can’t recharge the solar panel.
If you start using the battery, the charge controller will terminate the float mode and recharge the battery again.
A wind charge controller protects both the battery and the wind turbine. It works by sensing the battery’s voltage.
After the battery is full, the electricity will divert instead of powering off, which protects your battery and keeps control of the wind turbine. With that, it prevents the wind turbine from spinning and losing control.
How Can You Use a Charge Controller for Wind Turbines And Solar Panels?
The definition above explains why you can’t use a solar charge controller for a wind turbine. After all, the solar charge controller doesn’t account for the wind turbine like the wind charge controllers.
So, is there a way to get a controller that works for both sides?
It is possible, but you must invest in hybrid charge controllers. This controller is set to account for the needs of solar panels and wind turbines.
It is a good and reliable investment, especially for people who use the two sources. Having a hybrid controller would mean you can use them interchangeably when one source is more powerful.
Is Wind Turbine Charge Controller the Same as Solar?
Wind and solar sources are popular sources of clean energy; by definition, charge controllers do the same job. Thus, the question of whether these controllers are similar is quite popular.
Plus, the clean energy industry is relatively new, and there are many details people are learning about it. So, is a wind turbine charge controller the same as solar?
No! Wind turbine charge controllers and solar charge controllers are different.
The main difference is how they work and protect the batteries. Solar charge controllers disconnect the solar panel from your battery, popularly known as opening the circuit.
For wind charge controllers, the work on diverting the power when the battery is full to something popular as the dump load. The latter means that all the excess energy is dissipated into the air instead of letting it back into the wind turbines so that they can stay safe.
What Would Happen If You Used a Solar Charge Controller for A Wind Turbine?
The explanations above have focused on why you mustn’t use the solar charge controller for a wind turbine. Research shows that you mustn’t use solar controllers on wind turbines due to the difference in how they do their job.
But what would happen if you ignored the warning and used solar charge controllers for wind turbines? What are the risks?
The wind turbines need a charge controller with a dump load feature to keep off excess electricity from the turbines. The normal dump loads are devices like filament light bulbs, radiators and fans.
If you use solar charge controllers with wind turbines, things will work the same after connecting. But, after a full battery and disconnection of the battery, there won’t be a dump load hence no resistance.
With that, the turbine’s spin would be as fast as the wind drives, destroying the motor. But, if you use the solar charge controllers on the solar panels, things aren’t bad.
In that case, solar charge controllers in wind turbines are bad and would damage the motor. So, please don’t use them.
