morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

janaka

hi,

...i have the ts-45 controller and I need to know if the solar panels are 24 volts, if the controller can be charging a 12 volt battery bank?
...i want to keep the battery bank at 12 volts because i have a 12 volt water pump to power.
...i couldn't tell from the manual if it would automatically charge 12 volt batters with 24 volt panels --or if possible with a custom pc configuration.
...someone please help me on this one; i would like to get it set up.

thanks,
janaka

Cariboocoot

Re: morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

Welcome to the forum.

There are in fact two Morningstar TriStar 45 charge controllers.
The PWM version: http://www.solar-electric.com/trts12vochco.html
The MPPT version: http://www.solar-electric.com/motr45ampmps.html

The PWM version will not "down convert" higher panel Voltage to lower system Voltage. The MPPT version will.

BB.

Re: morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

And note there are two major categories of "24 volt" solar panels...

There is the "true" 24 volt panel which has Vmp (voltage maximum power) of around 35 to 38 volts for charging a 24 volt lead acid battery with a PWM (or MPPT controller minimum voltage).

And there are "24 volt panels" with Vmp in the ~24 to 30 volt range... This are perfectly good panels--They just cannot be use with a PWM controller on a 24 volt battery bank--The Vmp voltage is too low (particularly when charging the battery on a hot day).

These panels, however when put in series and using a MPPT type charge controller (maximum power point tracking) are very nice and can, many times, be found at very good prices in the >200 watt per panel range.

Of course, even using an MPPT charge controller, you have to meet the charge controller's input range.

Using higher voltage panels (>>18 volts Vmp) on a 12 volt battery bank with a PWM controller can work--But you may lose upwards of 50% of the panel's wattage (depending on how miss-matched the Vmp to Vbatt voltages are).

-Bill

waynefromnscanada

Re: morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

janaka wrote: »

hi,

...i have the ts-45 controller and I need to know if the solar panels are 24 volts, if the controller can be charging a 12 volt battery bank?

The answer is yes, it will charge your batteries with 24 volt panels.
The question is - - at what loss of efficiency.
If your controller is the TS-45, the max amperage available for charging the batteries will be the amperage the panels put out. Period.
If however you have the TS-MPPT-45, this controller will take the extra voltage from your panels, and convert it into extra charging amps, potentially doubling the amps going to charge the batteries.

janaka

Re: morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

thanks much for the response.

...i'm thinking that since i already have the ts-45 pwm controller; and it's best to charge a 24 volt battery bank; that i should see if there is a fairly simple way to get my 12 volts dc from the 24 volts from the batteries hopefully via a simple circuit that would half the battery voltage. (my on-demand water pump runs on 12 volt dc.)
...so...do you know if there is a simple voltage dividing circuit that would provide the 12 volts needed??

thanks in advance,
janaka

Cariboocoot

Re: morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

What you're looking at there is a DC to DC converter like this:http://www.solar-electric.com/12to24or24to.html (Just an example; not necessarily the one you'll need.) Of course any one you get would need to be able to handle the current involved in running the loads.

OceanArcher

Re: morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

To Janaka --

Nearly a year has gone by ... curious minds would like to know how you overcame your 24volt battery field / 12 volt water pump problems ???

zoneblue

Re: morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

Well the simplest and all round easist, and probably cheapest would be to swap the 12v pump for a 24v pump.

Any DC converter would need to be able to handle the starting surge on the pump which could be in the order of 30A.

12v appliances are pesky things.

OceanArcher wrote: »

To Janaka --

Nearly a year has gone by ... curious minds would like to know how you overcame your 24volt battery field / 12 volt water pump problems ???

jonr

Re: morningstar 45 amp charge controller (TS-45) tech question

I have a DC water pump that seems to have very low startup current draw. Runs fine when running direct from solar panels with no DC converter.

ckiser

I have the Morningstar 45amp charge controller and the green and red lights are flashing. I have tried to power it down and clear the fault with holding the bottom down for five seconds. Nothing is working, can someone help me. Because it's not charging my batteries. TY

Vic

Hi  ckiser,  welcome to the Forum.
Unfortunately,   there are TWO different Morningstar 45 A  CCs  --  one MPPT,  and the other PWM.
For the PWM CC,  the manual says,"• High voltage disconnect R - G sequencing"
The manual does NOT specify if the HV disconnect is for PV or battery,   but have seen this indication when the Vbat was too high.   It IS possible,  that  it applies to either bat or PV voltage being too high,   FWIW.Which CC do you have?
Do you have the manual?
FWIW,  Vic

Estragon

When you power it down, first disconnect pv input, then battery input. Power back up by reconnecting battery power first. Only after the controller has booted normally, you can then reconnect pv.

It would help to know which controller model you have.

ckiser

It the TS 45ampand I did the power down panels first batteries second,and power up I did batteries first panels second.

ckiser

Is here a technical phone number I can call

Vic

Just from curiosity,   if you have a MultiMeter,  you could measure the PV input voltage,   and the battery voltage.   If either of these seem excessively high,  or if they exceed the specs for the Charge Controller,  you might learn what is going on.

Have read,   that Morningstar  will answer e-mails to Tech Support.   This may take a day or two for their reply.

FWIW,   Vic

BB.

Here is their contact page:

https://www.morningstarcorp.com/contact/

And their support site:

http://support.morningstarcorp.com/

Good Luck!
-Bill

littleharbor2

I had a pleasant experience with Morningstar recently. I acquired a used TS-45 that was missing the small connecting rod that goes from the reset/equalize switch to the faceplate. also it was missing the 4 small faceplate screws . They gladly rounded up these parts and mailed them to me, no charge. Seems to me that no request, regardless how small, goes unanswered. Yes Morningstar is one of the top, and rightly so, rated RE companies.

Estragon

Did the ts boot normally with only battery power applied?

Was the ts working and then stop, or is this a new installation?

What is your pv configuration (panel sizes and how wired)?

What are the dip switch settings for charging regime?

Have you checked the open circuit voltage at the ts pv input terminals (with the ts turned off)?