I have a MPPT Blue Sky charge contollor hooked up to a 250 watt panel and it gets so hot I can hardly touch it.
Is this normal?
Is this normal?
Overheatng Charge Controller
- Thread starter Blane
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Very common with BS controllers. Many of them use the aluminum face plate as a heat sink...
What wattage/amps is the controller rated for? You might be exceeding the switching transistor's current limit.
And a question for the group. If these controllers get so hot (presumably this is a loss of energy that could otherwise go into charging the batteries) does that negate the benefits of MPP tracking?
And a question for the group. If these controllers get so hot (presumably this is a loss of energy that could otherwise go into charging the batteries) does that negate the benefits of MPP tracking?
The controller is rates for 20 amps @ 34 volts and the highest output I have seen is 12 amps. it cannot be good for the unit.
I disconnect it each time I leave the boat which defeats the purpose.
Also to the other comment, heat is energy and this controller is wasting a lot.
This is a Blue Sky controller
Do all controllers have this problem?
I disconnect it each time I leave the boat which defeats the purpose.
Also to the other comment, heat is energy and this controller is wasting a lot.
This is a Blue Sky controller
Do all controllers have this problem?
I would be contacting BSE and confer with technical support....
you can do a bit more trouble shooting by covering half of the solar panel for most of the day and see if the controller still gets as hot...
and...
does it ever change charging modes?
does it shut off at night?
how is the battery(s)?.... are any of them hotter that the others?
if a battery is faulty, the controller may be running wide open to push juice into a battery that has an internal short....
is the controller mounted where air can circulate freely around the back side of it as well?
it shouldnt be completely enclosed and confined, so that air can get in to it and let the heat rise off the back of it...
until you get it resolved, you may be able to blanket the solar panel a bit when you leave the boat so you can still charge the batts, without over amping the panel.... just some ideas....
EDIT... as i was reading your post again, I had another thought.... your 250w panel has a theoretical output of 20amps, your charge controller is an mppt rated for 20watts maximum.... it has been my understanding that a MPPT controller can actually get the maximum output from a panel under the right conditions.... if this is what is happening, then you may be maxing out the limit of the controller..... heat would predictably follow with possible destruction....
I have two other panels totaling 220 watts using a non mppt controller and it does not even get warm. I'm thinking there must be something about mppt controllers that produce heat. The Manuel say it might get warm but this is too hot to touch. Also the connections to the controller are poorly made. They are to small to connect a #8 or even #10 wire. It is a Blue Sky. I had to spice my # 8 running from the panel to # 12 so I could make the connection. Poor design!!
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