Off-grid led street lighting system with multiple panel-storage matching

An apparatus comprising:

• a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) unit configured to perform maximum power point tracking for multiple photovoltaic panels;
• a storage device configured to be charged by the photovoltaic panels, the storage device having a charging profile defining a maximum amount of energy or power sinkable by the storage device at a given time;
• and
• a charge controller configured to control charging of the storage device by the photovoltaic panels;
• wherein the charging profile is substantially matched to an output profile of the photovoltaic panels that defines energy or power generated by the photovoltaic panels over time and that is based on multiple peak amounts of energy or power generated by different photovoltaic panels at different times, the charging profile substantially matched to the output profile such that a maximum level of the output profile is approximately equal to the maximum amount of energy or power sinkable by the storage device.

A method comprising:

• performing maximum power point tracking for multiple photovoltaic panels, the photovoltaic panels having a combined output profile that defines energy or power generated by the photovoltaic panels over time, each photovoltaic panel generating a peak amount of energy or power at a different time;
• and
• charging a storage device using the photovoltaic panels, the storage device having a charging profile defining a maximum amount of energy or power sinkable by the storage device at a given time;
• wherein the output profile and the charging profile are substantially matched such that a maximum level of the output profile is approximately equal to the maximum amount of energy or power sinkable by the storage device.