Thank you so much for your detailed response. I knew about the charge controller stepping down PV voltage to battery voltage but I had no idea that the current was maintained :( Do you by any chance think getting a MPPT would improve the charging rate because currently, my 12v/200Ah battery is...
I have a 50A Firestar PWM drawing solar energy from a 550W PV panel and charging a 12v 200Ah gel battery. I'm experiencing a terrible charging rate. On a clear day, the charge controller is only charging the battery at 12-13V and no more than 9A but when I check the PV voltage with a multimeter...