Patent ID: 8164299

Claim:
A maximum power point tracking charge controller for photovoltaic systems, comprising a maximum power point tracking charge controller for electrical connection to a photovoltaic array including one or more photovoltaic modules and to a battery bank to control charging of the battery bank with electricity produced by the photovoltaic array, said charge controller having a maximum power point tracking algorithm for tracking the maximum power point voltage of the photovoltaic array at which the photovoltaic array produces maximum power, said charge controller having a multi-phase buck converter for receiving voltage input from the photovoltaic array and for supplying voltage output from said buck converter to charge the battery bank, said buck converter converting the voltage input to a voltage output that matches the voltage required by the battery bank for charging, said buck converter storing electrical energy when the voltage input is greater than the voltage required by the battery bank for charging, said buck converter comprising multiple buck converter phase configurations phase shifted from one another, each of said buck converter phase configurations having a phase inductor and first and second switches, said phase inductors being combined on a single core to form a coupled inductor.