Load terminals on solar controllers

[popeye the sailorman]

Hi all.
I'm asking about the load terminals on the solar controllers, I assume that they output power.
Is it necessary to connect these if all I want to do is charge my service battery.
Thanking you in advance.

 

[wonkywinch]

Hi all.
I'm asking about the load terminals on the solar controllers, I assume that they output power.
Is it necessary to connect these if all I want to do is charge my service battery.
Thanking you in advance.

Not usually. What make/model? The Victron MPPT controller on my boat has never had anything connected to the load terminals, works perfectly.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Not usually. What make/model? The Victron MPPT controller on my boat has never had anything connected to the load terminals, works perfectly.

Mine’s some unbranded muck off Amazon, and likewise. It charges the battery, there’s nothing connected on the load terminals.

 

[peteK]

Not needed to be connected,sometimes people connect to these and cause issues when connecting straight to battery would be better.

 

[noelex]

There is no need to connect anything to the load terminals. The controller will work fine.

However, they can be useful as they can be programmed in various ways with some useful features such as turning on only during night time. (Anchor or security light), turning on only when the battery voltage is above a certain level ( to protect the battery or divert power).

The energy consumption of these terminals is also recorded and displayed on the Victron Bluetooth app, which can be useful.

The exact features available for the load terminals depend on the controller, and it should also be noted that the maximum current will be limited.

 

[popeye the sailorman]

There is no need to connect anything to the load terminals. The controller will work fine.

However, they can be useful as they can be programmed in various ways with some useful features such as turning on only during night time. (Anchor or security light), turning on only when the battery voltage is above a certain level ( to protect the battery or divert power).

The energy consumption of these terminals is also recorded and displayed on the Victron Bluetooth app, which can be useful.

The exact features available for the load terminals depend on the controller, and it should also be noted that the maximum current will be limited.

Firstly thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply.
The panel size is only 55w and the controller is a Victron mppt 75/15. Probably overkill for the panel size but I might add more in the future.
I think I will leave the load terminals unused now I know it will still function correctly.
Noelex thank you for the explanation.

 

[andsarkit]

Victron MPPT controllers are excellent. RTFM especially section 3.8 and 5.2.2 for further information on the load output. The smart version will allow you view data on your phone and make changes but the basic model needs an extra data lead plugged into a laptop. It will work fine with the default settings in a simple basic setup.

 

[wonkywinch]

MPPT solar charger manual

For more info.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

The Victron MPPTs can be set to automatically turn on the output at dusk and off again at dawn, which is perfect for an anchor light. As it obviously needs to be disabled when underway at night, wire it as the supply to the anchor light switch. The switch can be left permanently switched on but will only actually come on at night - or switched off permanently for night sailing.

Look for the streetlight function in the user manual link from @wonkywinch