Drake,
The Morningstar relay driver doesn't output voltage; it can sink current
or measure voltage. Normally the outputs are wired to the same source
that powers the relay driver - it is the power source that is putting
out voltage. It shouldn't be a problem to run a 12-volt relay from a
separate 12-volt source (or 12 volts derived from the 48-volt source) as
long as the ground of the separate source is common with the relay
driver ground. Simply add a 48V to 12V converter to the project and you
can operate one to four 12-volt relays, or a mix with some being 12 and
others being 48 volts.
Kent Osterberg
Blue Mountain Solar
On 7/21/2026 6:35 AM, Drake Chamberlin via RE-wrenches wrote:
Hello,
The Morningstar relay driver is a great device. It can measure 48VDC
nominal and operate relays based on the measured voltage. The problem
is that, if it is measuring 48VDC nominal, it outputs the same.
Is there anything besides a charge controller that can measure 48 VDC
nominal and put out a small 12VDC current? The 12VDC output of an
Outback or Midnite charge control is perfect.
If a relay driver, with several channels, could do this, it would be a
very useful device. Does anything like this exist?
Thanks,
Drake
/Drake Chamberlin/
/Athens Electric LLC/
/Ohio Electrical Contractor’s License 44810/
/NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional/
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