Electronic – Understanding Buck Converters and Solar Panels

buckcurrentpower electronicssolar energyvoltage-regulator

I have a solar panel rated at 5V 80mA and want to increase the output current significantly higher to around 500mA and decrease the voltage to either 3V or minimum of 2.7V, how can I go about this?

I understand physics, but I need to know can a buck converter increase current this high from a step down of 2V?

I am trying to power a Module that needs 2.6-3.6V and a minimum of 400mA to turn on. But then I only need an average of 50mAh to stay on during the day.

The solar Panel below:
https://store.sundancesolar.com/5-0v-80ma-solar-cell/

Also I have been thinking about using a Supercapacitor because I only need 500mA for 1 second to startup my module. And then an average less than of 5mAh to keep it on.

Best Answer

You need to understand that input and output power from buck converter are the same, minus converter losses. Say on input you have 10 V and 10 A, with 50% duty cycle you will get on the output 5 V and 20 A. Now you say that you want to go from 5 V to 3 V, which is 60% duty cycle, in which case current goes from 80 mA to 130 mA.

Can you provide a datasheet for that PV panel? And please describe your application, there are many possible ways to get what you need. For example you could avoid buck converter by connecting a 3-V battery directly to the PV panel, in which case you will get surge current capability and voltage you need.