BZ Products FAQ's

A few things about the BZ MPPT charge controllers:

1. Make sure you have the positive and negative hooked up to the right terminals as for efficiency reasons they do not have reverse polarity protection and it will fry the controller and void your warranty. Also be sure to connect the batteries to the controller first and then the array. To disconnect the controller reverse the procedure.

2. If you are charging dual battery banks when you switch banks you must disconnect the solar array first, switch banks, and then reconnect the array.

3. The built in battery desufation is not documented in the present manuals for the MPPT series controllers. Please contact BZ for details.

4. Future versions of the MPPT500 and the upcoming MPPT1800 will include a automatic equalization mode which will operate on a 30 day cycle and 3 stage charging. You will be able to disable it via a jumper or switch if necessary.

5a. MPPT 500, 500HV Panel arrays can be wired up to 48V nominal for ordinary panels or use the 60V KANAKA panels to charge Battery banks of 12, 24, or 48 volts.
 MPPT 250HV Panel arrays can be wired up to 48V nominal for ordinary panels or use the 60V KANAKA panels to charge Battery banks of 12 volts.  MPPT 250 Panel arrays can be wired up to 24V nominal for ordinary panels to charge Battery banks of 12 volts.

5b. Some advantages of wiring the array at higher voltages than the battery bank are:
a. Longer runs with smaller guage wire.
b. Increased output.
c. Enough current to at least trickle charge the batteries on fairly overcast days.
d. Longer charging days.

6. BZ is able to sell their MPPT controllers by keeping manufacturing cost low. Also the MPPT500 has fewer bells and whistles than comparable competitors units while maintaining the same conversion efficiency. The MPPT250 has more features than the Solarboost 2000 (LVD, Aux battery charging, and included temperature compensation) temperature compensation is standard and not optional with both the MPPT250 and MPPT500.

7. BZ use's a 2 stage charge algorithm. It dumps the full array amperage to the batteries (bulk) then when it reaches the float voltage it begins tapering the amperage down until the batteries are fully charged and then holds it there (float).

8. The minimum power specification is based on power conversion efficiency, early morning wake up and practical system sizing. Power conversion efficiency drops off with low PV input power. The 500 will wake up with a 15 watt PV input. A 100 watt PV input allows for early morning wake up and reasonable battery charge current with low light conditions. PV systems should be sized to fully charge the battery bank in a reasonable time frame.

9. They are not presently certified but are undergoing a certification process by ETL: Intertek Testing Services http://www.intertek-etlsemko.com/.

BZ Products. INC.
7914 Gravois
St. Louis MO 63123
USA
v  314-644-2490 
email bzp@bzproducts.net
www.bzproducts.net

If you have any other questions feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Jeff Mason