We are often asked about the difference between a PWM and MPPT controller.

The regulation of the electrical flow between a solar panel and the batteries is ensured by an electronic box, the solar charge controller. This is essential to optimize the charging of the batteries and to avoid overloading your system, with a risk of overheating or even fire. Let's decipher together the differences between the two main technologies that currently coexist on the market, PWM and MPPT. 

• PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is a simple and inexpensive technology, suitable for small systems. PWM works like a switch with two positions, open and closed: the regulation of the load is only done by the time of loading. It offers the advantage of allowing batteries to be connected in parallel. On the other hand, its efficiency is lower than the MPPT solution.
• MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking), a more recent technology, appeared in 1968. An MPPT charge controller achieves an efficiency of up to 95% or even more, because the MPPT box determines the maximum power output of the panel at any given time and then optimizes it according to the electrical resistance of the battery. This technology requires more sophisticated components, a little more expensive, but with the advantages of incomparable efficiency.

The best choice? Your #ROI is a key concern to us. Our design office calculates the right size of your panels in relation to the sunlight conditions and the need for lighting on site, to avoid over- or under-sizing. Logically, for a maximum optimization of energy consumption and your ROI, whether you want to equip a road or a parking lot with solar lights for example, all KAPSEA solar solutions are equipped with MPPT charge controllers. This choice contributes to reducing the overall cost of your solar lights by decreasing the size of their solar panel, and ensuring them a lifespan of over 100,000 hours!