Table of Contents
What is a Solar Charge Controller?
The Charge Controller takes the power made by the solar panels and
Also, we have interactive solar wiring diagrams that are
Finally, for this blog post you’re reading right now, we have a calculator that will help you choose a charge controller. I HIGHLY recommend reading this post to truly learn how a charge controller works, but if all you need is the calculator, here that is:
How does the Charge Controller Work?
Solar panels typically put out a voltage that is too high for batteries to use. If you have your solar panels wired in series

MPPT vs PWM CHARGE CONTROLLERS
There are two main types of charge controllers. They are MPPT and PWM. This blog post is a crash course in solar design and getting into the specifics of the differences is out of the scope of this blog post. Here’s what you need to know regarding MPPT vs PWM charge controllers MPPT is the newer, more efficient technology. From here on out, any time I talk about charge controllers, I will only be talking about MPPT charge controllers as I want to guide you to build a high-end, expandable solar setup.
HOW TO MATCH SOLAR PANELS TO A CHARGE CONTROLLER
One of my favorite series of charge controllers is the Victron BlueSolar MPPT Charge Controller. If you’ll notice, there are MANY different sizes of charge controllers:
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75 | 10
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75 | 15
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 15
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 20
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 30
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 50
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150 | 35
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150 | 45
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150 | 60
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150 | 70
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150 | 85
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150 | 100
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 250 | 85
- Victron SmartSolar MPPT 250 | 100
WHAT DO THOSE NUMBERS MEAN?!?
*MATH ALERT*
Let’s say, for example, you have 4 x

EACH 100w solar panel has an Open-Circuit Voltage (Voc) of 21.6 volts. and an Optimum Operating Current of 6.72 Amps. Those are the only two numbers we are concerned about for now. I generally recommend just wiring all of your solar panels in series for simplicity and efficiency sake. Which means: Those 4 x 100 watt solar panels get wired together like this:

Since they are wired in series, the voltages get ADDED together for a total of 86.4 volts. (Open-Circuit Voltage (Voc) of 21.6 x 4 panels) The amps on the “upstream” side of the 100w solar panels
So, the 86.4 volts is under the safe threshold of the 100 max volts of the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 30 solar controller.
100 is the first number. What about the 2nd number, 30?
The 30 in the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 30 is the MAX resulting amps AFTER the solar controller has worked
- We have 4×100 watts of solar panels totaling 400 watts of solar.
- Assume batteries are 12.6v
- Amps = Watts / Volts
This means, that at 400 watts and 12.6v we can expect up to 31.74 amps coming out of the solar controller.

400 watts / 12.6 volts (Battery) = 31.74 amps coming out of the charge controller.
Now, we are talking about that Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 30, we have to compare that 2nd number, 30.
31.74 amps is a bit over the 30 amp threshold. BUT…
Solar panels rarely put out their full wattage. AND…
In the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 30 manual, they say their controller is good for solar arrays up to 440 watts:

AND… If you happen to go ‘over’ on your Amperage, it’s not that big of a deal in terms of damage. It’ll just be lost power that the controller won’t convert.
So, basically, the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 30 is pretty perfect for those 4 x 100 solar panels.
But what if you like playing it safe? What if you want some wiggle room? Great! Size up to the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100 | 50. Sure, it’s a little more money, but if it’s worth your
Now, Why would you want wiggle room or safety margin? Let’s talk about temperature
Solar Controller vs Temperature
DID YOU KNOW… As temperatures drop, solar panels actually put out MORE power.
Totally honest though, the math gets messy, SO I made a calculator that you can input all of the values for your setup so YOU can see how temperature affects your solar panel setup AS WELL AS will give you a recommendation on what solar controller you need taking solar panel temperature into account.
There’s a video below the calculator you can check out if you need additional instructions on how to use it:
Now that you know what kind of charge controller is compatible with your solar panels, it’s time to learn how to choose an inverter for your DIY Camper setup. Check that out here:
https://www.explorist.life/how-to-choose-an-inverter-for-your-diy-camper/
Everything that you are learning here is put to use in our FREE Interactive Solar Wiring Diagrams. If you haven’t yet, check them out as they are a complete solution for a camper van electrical system. Check them out here: https://www.explorist.life/solarwiringdiagrams/
Remember, this is just one part of a full camper van electrical educational series. To see all of the individual guides, click here: https://www.explorist.life/diy-campervan-solar
Finally, If you found this guide helpful, It’d truly mean the world to us if you’d share it with somebody who can use it, pin it to pinterest for later reference, or share it to a facebook group when somebody has a question about this subject. Click the bubble in the lower right corner to subscribe to be notified of future updates and as always, leave any questions you’ve got in the comments below.
Andrew Fletcher
Monday 20th of February 2023
Hi Nate,
This series is the most helpful I've found--thanks so much. For our camper I'm going with 300Ah fed by 3 200W Renogy flexible monocrystaline panels. Your calculator it's suggesting the 150/60, but since my maxes are 86V and 54A, could I go with the 100/50? I know I'd be wasting 4A if it ever generated that much, but 150 with that volt max seems like overkill and the 100/50 controller is half as expensive. Thoughts?
Thanks again! Andrew
Mike smart
Wednesday 23rd of November 2022
What size controler do I need to use 3000wat solar or 4000 for home use
Doug F
Thursday 6th of October 2022
Nate, first off thanks for all your hard work. I have learned a lot from watching you work. I have a truck camper with a curved roof, 9 degrees on the sides and 11 degrees on the front. That’s 18 degrees difference between the two sides. I plan on two 100W solar panels on the front slope and one each 200W panels on the side slopes. (Future expansion to two panels on each side and a third one on the front.) How much is the slope of the roof going to affect the power and should I get a separate solar controller for each side and the front? Thanks, Doug
Shanice
Wednesday 7th of September 2022
Hi Nate! I currently am setting up a system (all Rich Solar) with two 200W panels wired in series and two 100W panels wired in series. Each set then wired in parallel to the MPPT charger. I am having trouble sizing the correct MPPT charger for this system. Could you point me in the correct direction? Thanks!
Peter H
Saturday 6th of August 2022
Hi Nate, really useful and helpful info , but I’m still struggling, I currently have a 100 watt panel on my motorhome but would like to add an additional 320watt panel how do I work out what solar controller to fit ? And can they still be in parallel?