Solar Charge cobntroller dc load

[Shoney]

Hello all,

On my solar charge controller, there is the DC load. What exactly is this for? Would I wire my fuse box into this, or directly into the battery itself?

Thanks again,

 

[Freelander]

On the controller I use (Renergy MPPT) it also has a place for DC Load it has 2 terminal on the bottom, I was told to not use it and ignore it,

 

[Trebor English]

My controller can be programmed to turn it on and off based on battery voltage.  I use it to turn off my light when the voltage is low to let me know to turn off everything I don't really need.  The max current capacity of the switch is limited.

 

[highdesertranger]

when I bought my first true solar controller I was also told not to use the load terminals by the owner of the solar company I bought it from. mind you this was about 12 years ago and a lot has changed with solar since then. he told me to wire all the loads straight to the battery through a fuse panel of course.

highdesertranger

 

[wayne49]

I don't use it.

It may have some utility, or they wouldn't bother with adding the feature, but it probably has limited utility and only in a subset of solar power applications.

Switching a small draw light bulb dependent on programmable voltage points appears to be the function.

I keep an eye on the system voltage after sunset. Prefer seeing the numbers over a light.

 

[hugemoth]

The cheap Chinese charge controllers are designed to control night lighting. If.you want to turn on a light at dusk and turn it off at dawn, or when the battery voltage drops to a set point, the load terminals are used. They can be used for any load that doesn't exceed manufacturers limits, often 10 amps. A relay can be added for larger loads.

 

[DLTooley]

I have the smallest Victron, the 75/15, 15 amp
max on charge and load.

The Victron reports load usage via Bluetooth to a smartphone. I really have no guesswork in my usage and I manage my loads to get the most out of my day time power. That info is valuable.

That said, I have had issues, including with the load. I’m not sure if those issues are mine or the product’s responsibility. I have ordered a replacement for my now known good current mounting location. It’s also possible that I got hacked as I never changed the default code on this internet of things device.

I’ll send the first back on the five year warranty, but I’m not sure how I’ll write up the uncertain cause.