A charge controller installs between the solar panel array and a battery bank description below there is a simple way to figure out the size its rating.
Cable size between solar panel to charge controller.
What size charge controller for a 100 watt solar panel.
From the solar panel specification sheet vmp 36 7v and imp 6 94a rounded off to next higher number i e 37v and 7a.
The 5 pairs will be wired in parallel where the current adds to give you 5 sets times 5 amps per set equals 25 amps.
Or 200w 300w or 400 watt solar power system.
You do this 5 times.
We then go ahead and calculate the 110 125 of the maximum controller rating to get a range of 1584w to 1800w.
If multiple panels are combined in parallel then a three to eight awg combiner wire set is generally needed to safely transfer the power to a charge controller or gti.
We get calculated that we need a copper wire of 0 128 diameter in inches and a recommended maximum current of 29a defined by choosing solar system voltage.
Let the distance between the solar panel and the battery is 30 feet and the expected loss is 2.
Enter the 25 as the maximum amps your wires need to carry.
A typical recommendation is to limit the solar array to 110 125 of the maximum controller rating.
By using the above values in the online calculator by renogy the cable size is 12 awg.
The exception b is when the charge controller is of the type that can operate a 12 or 24 volt battery bank even when the pv array is operating at higher voltages such as 48 vdc and.
You have a 60a mppt charge controller and a nominal 24vdc battery.
Or more than that.
26 45 amps x 1 25 33 amps and would be too much for the controller.
Step 3 this is the distance in feet from your solar panels to the charge controller and battery bank location.
If you have 3 solar panels rated at 6 amps each mounted 30 feet from the charge controller then you would move down the chart to 18 amps 3 panels 6 amps and across to 32 5 closest to 30 and then up the chart to 4.
That means we have 1440w of power.
For example five 100 watt panels in parallel would be 5 29 x 5 26 45 amps.