©2000 Xantrex Technology Inc.
Charge Controller
The charge controller is a critical component in any solar, wind or hydro
power generation system. The charge controller protects the batteries from
over-discharge and over-charge conditions.
Load Controller
A load controller is generally designed to remove a load or loads from the
system when an over-discharge or over-load situation occurs.
Diversion Charge Controller
A diversion charge controller is designed to monitor battery voltage and, at
the BULK voltage level, divert the power coming out of the source (solar, wind, or
hydro generator) to a load which will utilize the excess power. Usually a water
heater or some other type of heating element is used for this purpose.
Systems utilizing solar arrays do not have a requirement for diversion loads
since a solar module can be open circuited without damage. However, even
with a solar-based system, it may be desirable to use excess power to
operate DC loads.
When a wind or hydro-generator is operating, a diversion load prevents
generator damage if a load is suddenly removed, as the generator may over-spin.
The diversion load also diverts excess power away from the batteries
preventing over-charge damage.
7.0 DIVERSION LOADS
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