Solar Charge Regulators

With a battery storage system you will need a regulator. This is a device that limits the charge to a battery system to prevent overcharging and is essential to keep your batteries in top condition. Some regulators even have a monitoring and logging system which will show you exactly how much power has been harvested and what charge level the batteries are at. Try to get one that has at least metering for voltage and current, so that you can be kept informed of your system's performance. The more expensive regulators use pulse width modulation techniques which improve battery efficiency. Sometimes a regulator will have an output to feed low voltage appliances and even have the ability to turn lights on at dusk. The absolute best type of solar regulators have maximum power point tracking (MPPT) which adapts to the voltage coming from your panels to give the optimum power transfer at varying light levels.