SunGuard 4.5A Solar Charge Controller
SunGuard 4.5A Solar Charge Controller
Find out more about the Sun Guard 4.5A solar charge controller for small solar power systems
solar | shoppingA
Solar charge controller (aka solar charge
regulator) is a device which manages the current flowing into and out of the
battery bank of a
solar power system.
The
SunGuard range of solar charge controllers are manufactured by
MorningStar Corporation of the USA who sell some of the world's leading solar controllers and
inverters. The unit itself is manufactured in Singapore.
SunGuard 4.5 Amp Solar Charge Controller
The
SunGuard 4.5A Solar Charge Controller is the most technologically advanced, economical, small solar charge controller available on the market. It is fully weatherproof and rated for inputs of up to 4.5 Amps from 12V solar panels making it ideal for
solar power systems rated at up to
60 Watts.
Prices start from around US$30 in the USA and £20 in the United Kingdom from a wide range of RE system suppliers.
Installing the SunGuard Solar Controller
Installing a
SunGuard Solar Charge Controller in a PV solar system is very simple. On the front of the unit the four wire input/outputs are labelled very clearly. One each for the positive and negative inputs from the
solar panel(s), and one each for the positive and negative outputs to the battery / battery bank.
To protect against overloading the charge controller a
5 Amp Fuse
should be connected in the positive lead from the solar panel.
When using a
solar charge controller such as this it is not necessary to use a
blocking diode to prevent batteries draining through the solar panel at night. The SunGuard 4.5A Charge Controller has integrated reverse current protection (<10mA reverse current leakage).
SunGuard 4.5A Specifications
Rated Solar Input: 4.5 Amps constant (5.5 Amps for no more than 5 minutes).
System Voltage: 12 Volts.
Charging Mechanism: Series
PWM (pulse width modulation)
with temperature compensation.
Regulation Voltage: 14.1 Volts (
not adjustable).
Max. Solar Voltage: 30 Volts.
Reverse Current Leakage: <10mA.
Weight: 90 grams.
Dimensions: 2.5 x 2 x 1.5 inches.
Wire size: 16
AWG (2mm
2).
Operating Temperature: -40 to 85 degrees Celcius.
- The SunGuard 4.5 Amp solar charge controller is full encapsulated in an outdoor rated
ABS plastic case, and all circuitry is protected from the elements by
epoxy potting. Any water which gets into the case will simply drain out and will not affect the electronic components.
- Just
6 mA are consumed by the SunGuard 4.5A controller.
- All specifications are rated for
25% overloads.
- The controller compensates for ambient temperature - for example, at 0 degrees Celcius the
regulation voltage is increased to 14.8V.
The full
SunGuard 4.5A Solar Charge Controller specification sheet (PDF) can be downloaded here.
The
SunGuard 4.5A operator's manual (also PDF) can be downloaded here.
Buy a SunGuard 4.5A Charge Controller in the UK
NEW
- We have limited supplies of the
SunGuard Solar Controller available in the
REUK Shop at just
£19.99 plus £1.95 postage. We also have other
solar charge controllers in stock.
A wide range of
MorningStar Solar Regulators are also available in the UK from
Midsummer Energy (
midsummerenergy.co.uk). Click here to view their
MorningStar Solar Regulators web page.
Midsummer offer the
SunGuard 4.5A solar regulator at
£26 with a £4 delivery charge.
Also available are the
SunSaver 6A and 10A models (with or without automatic low voltage disconnect) from £40-£59, and the
ProStar
15A and 30A models which are priced at £95 and £125 respectively.
Article Last Modified: 15:20, 21st Jul 2008Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
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