BRAVO 40 - 40 Amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller

The BRAVO 40 is the 40 amp step up from the BRAVO 30, and the sizing is the honest reason to choose it. Rich Solar recommends 600W of array at 12V here against 500W on the 30, and 40 amps genuinely absorbs about 575W at bulk voltage, so unlike the 30 this controller is matched to the array it is sold with rather than clipping the top of it. About twenty-four dollars separates the two in our store.

Why this controller

• 40 amps of charge current on a 12V or 24V bank, with system voltage detected automatically.
• 600W of array at 12V or 1200W at 24V, both of which sit close to what 40 amps can actually take at the relevant bus voltage.
• PV open-circuit input rated to 100V DC.
• Eight battery presets across lead-acid and lithium: crystal, GEL, AGM, wet and calcium on one side, LCO, LiFePO4 and LTO on the other.
• Reverse-discharge and over-voltage protection, conformal coating on the board, and charging data stored on the unit.
• Rich Solar publishes above 99.5 percent MPPT tracking efficiency and up to 98 percent conversion efficiency. Both are peak figures under favourable conditions.
• Certified to UL1741.
• The manufacturer's title claims this was awarded the number one solar controller of 2025. No awarding body, publication or basis appears anywhere on the page, so read it as advertising rather than an independent result.

Worth knowing before you order

• Rich Solar's published feature list and specification table for this model mention neither Bluetooth nor a display, while the cheaper BRAVO 30 lists both as built in. If wireless monitoring matters to you, either buy the BRAVO 30 or confirm with Rich Solar what this unit supports before ordering. We are not going to assume a feature the manufacturer does not print.
• This unit uses a common NEGATIVE connection, which suits the usual negative-chassis vehicle wiring. Note that the sealed BRAVO Waterproof PWM controllers are the opposite, common positive, so do not carry assumptions between the two ranges.
• The protection rating is split: IP43 for the circuit board, IP22 for the connection area. IP22 protects against fingers and dripping water and nothing more, so this belongs inside a vehicle or a dry compartment.
• No MPPT voltage tracking window is published for this model, although the BRAVO 30 page gives 15 to 72V. If you are planning a high-voltage string rather than parallel panels, ask before ordering rather than assuming the 100V open-circuit figure is the whole story.
• No operating temperature range is published for this model either.
• Body measures 7.7 by 5.5 by 2.9 inches and weighs 2.58 lb.
• A California Proposition 65 warning applies to this product.

Warranty

• Rich Solar's published warranty on charge controllers runs two years and is prorated: full coverage in the first year, 50 percent in the second.
• Claims are handled by Rich Solar directly. Register the product and keep your invoice.