Combination Converter / Solar Controller?
I don't think I've ever seen one. Think about it - i believe with some minor modification converter manufacturers could add a DC input to the converter and use the charging circuit as a solar charge c...
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Depending on the solar setup, it might be possible to get a converter to work (at least to some extent) by feeding the solar panel voltage right into the high voltage capacitors at the switching regulator input. The solar panels would have to supply somewhere between maybe 100 and 200+ volts, depending on the design of the switching power supply of the converter. There would presumably be some additional design work and switching needed to prevent the solar panels and AC line power from being connected together improperly.
For a more typical lower voltage solar installation, there would not be much shared circuitry at all, and that which is shared (the control electronics mostly) is not the costly bits (the transformers and big capacitors and power semiconductors). Microcontrollers are quite inexpensive these days.
For a more typical lower voltage solar installation, there would not be much shared circuitry at all, and that which is shared (the control electronics mostly) is not the costly bits (the transformers and big capacitors and power semiconductors). Microcontrollers are quite inexpensive these days.
