When is a charge controller NOT necessary?
You don't need a charge controller when you don't have batteries. When you don't need to store energy, you don't need batteries. Charge controllers are only for charging batteries. You may need a voltage controller when you don't have batteries. If you want constant voltage for anything, you need a voltage converter. The voltage from a solar panel varies with the intensity of the sun light and the current drawn by connected loads. If the fan or pump is larger than 100 watts or so, you might have difficulty with getting it started. However the solar panel should not have a problem working into a short circuit. However, if there is not enough voltage to get the motor moving, it will sit there stalled with enough current flowing to potentially overheat it. You may want something to prevent the motor from remaining connected if the speed is too slow.

You can size a solar panel to a fan or centrifugal pump motor and let the speed of the fan or pump vary as the sunlight varies. You can not do that with a fridge. Even if you are willing to let the fridge temperature increase overnight, you need constant voltage because the motor and refrigerator compressor will not perform well with changing voltage.