Fine tuning the Victron 100/50 MPPT smart solar charge controller. No voltage spike or alarms now!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ม.ค. 2023
- The whole main house system:
Chins 12.8v 300ah LiFePO4 battery:amzn.to/3M22V7g
Victron 100/50 MPPT smart solar charge controller:amzn.to/3GRcypg
Victron 12v 30amp smart charger:amzn.to/37u3BDd
Reliable 12v3000watt pure sine wave inverter:amzn.to/3wdgGta
Epever 40amp charge controller:amzn.to/38hDgsv
Newpowa 12v 100watt monocrystalline solar panels:amzn.to/3yqM2z5
Aili battery monitor:amzn.to/3sqwqYF
50 amp breakers:amzn.to/3kTCiFt
Bus bars:amzn.to/3ynZPXd
Battery cables:amzn.to/3vLPMIU
Solar panel isolator switch:amzn.to/3QoZN8i
Solar panel isolator switch breaker box:amzn.to/3ZkdTMn
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There was no need to reduce to 14.1. Just sync both chargers @ 14.2 and the chargers will not create a "Boost Absorption Spike". Both chargers should have the same settings. Once synced - the chargers will go from bulk to absorption to float in unison.
For linking you just select a controller on the app, doesn’t matter which one, the ikon in the top corner lets you create a network. Give it a name, then go to the second controller, same ikon and you will see the created network then select join. That’s it 👍 your settings in the app must be matched which it sound like they are. Great video as always.
Mahalo for that brother! Going to do it right now while sun is still on the array. Aloha! 🤙
Yeah, I concur... I do have cables connecting them both to the Cerbo... but I am almost certain (been months now) that I had then networked before I had the cerbo.
Just did exactly what you said. Working perfectly! Many thanks 🤙
When they sync you will get an extra section on your watts display screen showing "total network power" which shows the combined power of both charge controllers.
Just added my 100/50 victron to my system…add it to the network….easy.
Beautiful. And thanks for the experience tip!
Love the sun!
Having fun with you guys and learning something new everyday. So much more to explore with the Victron , but it already makes everything pretty easy now. Aloha! 🤙
Ahhhhhh that explains why I have had issues with my EPEver since fitting my new compressor fridge in my RV - the fix too - thanks for your post
Aloha!🤙
Just moved to your area 1 month ago… Gonna be here for 3 months…Been a subscriber for a while… Loving Oahu, HI!
Hey welcome, or welcome back to the islands! Enjoy the time you stay, and mahalo for being part of the gang here! Aloha! 🤙
Love your setup. Keep the videos coming :), Joe
Mahalo! My pleasure, having fun with you guys! Aloha! 🤙
I have two Enduro Power 300ah batteries set up with a Multiplus Inverter by Victron with 100/50 charge controllers from Victron running two arrays of 640 watts. I contacted Harrison at Victron and he sent me the info to set up the battery charging specs. The absorption voltages recommended are 14.4V for absorption Voltage and 13.6 for float Voltage. These are specific to the batteries you use and can be gotten from the manufacturer. Don't just guess at this stuff, it may work fine for a time but it the long run could degrade the life of the batteries. Those specs are also used for setting the limits in the Inverter/charger. He has also helped me understand numbers of other questions of tying the Inverter into the existing power panel in the RV. Highly recommend Enduro batteries and Harrison's customer support is great.
Thanks for the content. I recently added a Victron Smart Shunt and battery sense and then used a Ve.direct cable to a PC to monitor the shunt. Using both Victron Smart Controller and a Morningstar on the same 12v 800Ah AGM. One thing for sure in my years of small solar systems is that NO inverter ever reads an accurate voltage due to it's load or even standby load. However I had also seen those temperature circuit switches fail under minor loads so I moved to ANL and real circuit breakers. On my 12v system, I rarely see a voltage difference of more than .05-.10 delta now between the smart shunt, battery sense, and Victron controller. The same voltage reading shows up on the Morningstar since I am connected on the same terminals for voltage sense. With that being said, the more branches in your system, the more the voltage variance will be on the various components. Having both Victrons on the same VE network (wired or BT) they will share both the battery sense readings as well the temperature when that is of concern. One nagging question I have for your reviewers is when I purposely draw my battery down in the morning using a heater to say oh 93%, the shunt will fairly rapidly reset to 100% even when the controllers are charging throughout the day!! I was expecting the SOC to gradually increment up % by %......still needs tweaking I guess. Stay safe everyone.
Mahalo for sharing that great information about your system! Smartshunt is on my list to get. Over time, and with the help of adding Victrons in the mix everything is getting dialed in nicely. Aloha! 🤙
The view of your propety is beautiful. Plus the camera you use and my 4K TV helps. Very nice.
Mahalo! 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 Shaka, I was stationed in Hawaii in the 80s, leaned a lot of hawaiian culture in my 4 years in Wahiwa. Great tour of duty.
Configure ve direct and the two solar charge controllers will communicate with each other via bluetooth. This is one of the major benefits of having a smart solar vs bluesolar charge controller
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Going into absorption that early in the day is awesome, almost would have me thinking of a dump load into a water heater element.
Only down side to having great sun is no rain lately. Catchment tank getting too low! Aloha! 🤙
Thanks very much for sharing all of your experience!
I just found out today that my 150-35 (24v system) I had set to smart lithium (via the rotary dial) puts the absorption duration setting on "fixed absorption". It tells you right in the "fixed absorption" setting that you can overcharge your batteries. At the "fixed absorption" setting it never went into float even though the current draw got down to .2 amps (9 watts). That was because with the "fixed absorption" setting it stays in absorption for the amount of time set in the maximum absorption time setting which defaults to 2 hours. You can change the maximum absorption time but the default is 2 hours. With the "fixed absorption" it appears that my batteries are going to charge to 100% and the battery BMS is going to shut the charging down which is not what I want. BTW, my Chins book says to set MPPT float to 27.6 but Victron smart setting uses 27. I'm sticking with 27.
Per the manual, once the current drops under 2 amps ( based on tail current setting) it should switch to float mode. But with "Fixed absorption" it turns off tail current so I assume it just goes into float after two hours of absorption, or what ever you set the maximum absorption time to.
Once I went into expert mode and set the absorption setting to "adaptive" and the tail current to 2 amps (the tail current being what tells the MPPT to switch to float, once current drops below the tail current setting) the MPPT immediately went into float mode. I don't know why Victron made the "smart lithium setting" default to the "fixed absorption" setting. Not so smart in my opinion.
So now I'm at 28.4 bulk/absorption, once under 2 amps it switches to 27 float. I'll see how that goes.
I set my 40A Epever to the parameters you recommended in one of your previous videos. After watching this, I guess I'm going to change the absorption voltage to 14.1
14.1 been working good for me...no alarms on anything 🤙
That working real nice now. some loads coming on and off can cause a voltage spike. just some fine tunning for that. some times I get a spike when microwave shuts off when it is quite windy and sunny . does nothing more than HV battery warring on inverter . wen you add to system making it larger fine tunning is common and not a problem. each system is different and just setting to your needs. I have 2 Morningstar charge controllers programed the same but my PV strings are not the same. bought at different years, and the wind gen has it settings with a dump load for extra power. then I also have the DC to DC charger to dump 24V into 12V string. it has settings as well. 😀
Just got them networked together, and wow, so cool! Loving these Victrons so much. Making everything so easy! Guess I will order the smart shunt from them soon and go Victron all the way. Watching them today they pull exactly the same off each string in ideal conditions, which as far as sun lately , its been amazing. Although no rain now which is really needed here. Water tank waaaay to low! I just want the perfect amount of sun and rain! All systems in float by noon is nice....but now need rain. Always something yeah?! Aloha! 🤙
add a victron smart shunt to your setup and that will control the smart solar controllers. 100% worth doing
I believe you, and its on my list to get! Loving the Victron equipment. Mahalo! 🤙
Get thevictron bmv712. Then you have a relay function also and can use it for dump loads ( water heating) when, if, the batteries are full.. and so much better range for the bluetooth..
@@BeeBeorn 100%. way better bluetooth which helps wiht the ve.networking. The shunt on it's own has quite poor bluetooth
I think I may go to 14.1 I've been using 14 for a long time now, but I have noticed When it's cooler in the morning With this wonderful weather we've got Lately., The sun will break from a cloud And the panels are cold..And I'm close to 85% / 90 state of charge. The amps will shoot up so fast. It goes into absorption to soon. 😂14.1 Might be the ticket. Another great video brah, Aloha and thanks 😊. Oh and Love the ZZ Top look😂
14.1 working well on the main house. 14.2 on other systems is fine, albeit not running 24/7. Mahalo as always brother! 🤙
Component variations (even temperature affects them) & poor calibration means each device reading voltages can vary even if the voltage they see is the same when no current is flowing. Then current flow combined with different cable lengths, connections, breakers/fuses & current sensors mean voltage differences will occur along the different paths to different components (larger current=larger difference). The differences may by just millivolts but has some effects.
Great information, and pretty much my experience watching these components . Aloha! 🤙
I was having a similar problem with my renogy charge controller and xantrex inverter.
My controller defaults to 14.4 v and sometimes the inverter would occasionally downpower and restart.
I reduced the body charge voltage to 14.2 volts and everything works fine.
I think the inverter just doesn't like the higher voltage.
I just bought the victron 150-70. I hope its a good controller. Should be here in the mail tomorrow. Any advice you have with the controller let me know please. Thanks for the videos I have learned alot
A piece of 2 in. Thin wall Pvc pipe and and a 2in.pvc flat test cap makes a good mount for your battery shunt Guage. A screw though the cap holds it to the wall.
Oh I like that idea a lot! I think I have some too! Mahalo! 🤙
I want to know if you put two panels in series to the 75/15? I'm debating it cuz those panels run about 70V mpp. but Voc is 80V. Don't want to have to go up to 100/20 when I don't have to.
I think networking them and then adding like a voltige sense on the battery or if you have the mony a bmv or smartshunt for voltage detection this will be accurate.
Just networked them, working perfectly! Smart shunt on the list! Aloha! 🤙
This may be obvious and/or a dumb question on my part. Other than the 12V inverter - Why not put the batteries in series instead of parallel and bump it up to nominal 24V? Those charge controllers auto detect the voltage of your battery bank and subsequently pull more watts from the panels in that configuration. I'm sure this may have been asked but I didn't see it in the comments below.
Aloha Joe! You know, I really like that idea quite a bit. So much so, I am going to look at 24V inverter. Should just be able to swap out with the 12v inverter and be gtg. Mahalo for that suggestion!🤙
Awesome set up, Ive got my office running on full solar. Ive got a question, I noticed you have fuses placed at various points, which I don't (I made a video if mine of you'd like to see what I'm working with), Do you you recommend fusing at every connection?
fuse or breaker every string of solar with disconnect to each charge controller that on the PV side and do same on battery side. fuse at each battery string. with disconnect switch. now each load inverter ,lights ETC each one have it own fuse or breaker. now if you have meters fuse them as well to protect wiring and or meter. seems like a lot but one step at a time. you don't want one load problem to take out the whole system . hope this helps.
Hi dear friend, which settings do you recommend for mppt100/50 and 2x 220ah agm deep cycle batts, thanks
I've got my small system networked together as well. Got a question about your smart charger setup on your "big" system. Do you turn anything off when you run the generator and the smart charger or do you let the solar and smart charger work at the same time? Thanks and have a great sunny day.
Just got mine networked shortly after posting this video. Love it! If I ever need the smart charger, I try to do it during the day to get max amps off array at same time.I never turn anything off. System runs 24/7. Truth is, I hardly ever need that charger anymore, but happy for when I do to have those 30 amps pumping in. ALoha! 🤙
That's a rather odd situation. A high voltage trip on the DC side when the inductive start on the inverter trips it off for a moment? The trip can definitely backfeed and push the DC voltage up for a moment, but still that doesn't sound like something that should happen with 600Ah worth of batteries connected. Even though the batteries are "full" which does allow more room for the voltage to get pushed up, it still shouldn't be able to spike the voltage that high.
Makes me think that maybe some of the wiring somewhere might be undersized. And one of the other commenters mentioned the possibility of a BMS trip... yah, definitely that is a possibility too, the BMS would probably trip at 3.65V and 14.8V / 4 = 3.70V. But that means the DC side actually spiked too high so it isn't the BMS's fault.
Another possibility is that the capacitor built into the inverter is just not big enough to buffer the spike. A bigger inverter might solve that problem... both the tripping in the first place, and also the buffering on the DC side (so any voltage spikes are a lot smaller).
As I dont get phone coverage where I live, can you run the Victron on an MT50 display...thanks
Super video brother jer in montana still gettin sun off the snow that amazing me
Sometimes when I lived in the rockies, those shorter days could be not so bad with the snow reflection and cold panels. They really cranked in those conditions...of course I wasnt as far north as the big sky country! Love it up there too! Aloha! 🤙
I'm using 4 agm 260amphrs in parallel and series to give me 24v system, i have set my capacity at 520 but my bmv is jumping to 100% can you give me some advice Paul
Great video, I'm having a heck of a time with setting up my Victron 100/20 for 5 lead acids in parallel. Total of 632 amp hrs. I'm not sure what to set the charge rates to.
flooded lead acid ? gel lead acid or AGM lead acid ? voltage depends.
current can be kept all the way cranked up. 20A (if your panels deliver that) does no harm to any battery... even 100A would be fine.
AGM of that capacity could accept even 210A. that is ALOT of panels.
For better longevity on your LifePo4 batteries set absorption to 13.8V and float to 13.4V, absorb time to 5hrs, tail current 1.0amp, rebulk 1.0 V per Off Grid Garage on TH-cam testing.
Mahalo for that info.! I will try that. 🤙
Have a couple of similar Reliable inverters 1500w and 3500w both 24v, with AmperTime batteries, would like to know if it's the BMS's or the inverters, causing the tripping? I'm still getting few parts' and then will be setting up, very soon I hope, lol. Thanks for the video!
My inverter seems to be what trips. Mahalo for being part of the conversation! aloha 🤙
just stumbled on the vid - what is the reasoning for splitting your pv power over 2 100/50 controllers? I am running same controller @ around 1200 watts - (voltage about 75, current 18 amps) over panelled but well within spec of the controller. definitely runs a little hot without active cooling, but a 5w fan blowing over it keeps its barely warm to the touch.
Is it just an east/west thing, or are you just trying to keep everything running light?
A little combination of running a little light, and having some redundancy of equipment was my reasoning. I actually plan to increase the size of they array on this system, and reconfigure more in line with how you're running. Aloha!🤙
Do you have a bench power supply where you can set an exact voltage? I suspect your battery "voltage spike" is because the battery isn't cell balanced like it should be. I have seen this with Chins and now with a pair of Timeusb that just arrived. I fully charge the battery, then I put my bench supply on it and try to charge to 14.6v - the maximum per spec on a 4 cell LiFePO4. Timeusb spec says 14.2 to 14.6 is full. One of my new batteries shut off at 14.04v and the other at 14.11v. This behavior would cause a solar charge controller to spike the voltage.
I set the bench supply at just below where the battery shuts off. At that setting the supply will deliver a few 10s of milliamps and the internal balancing of the battery will gradually drop the high cell(s) that causes it to shut off while the low cell(s) gradually charge up. When I notice the bench supply current is less than 50ma all the time, I'll bump the voltage up by 0.02v and let it work some more. If the current from supply drops to 0.00amps and doesn't go up when I increase the voltage, the batttery BMS has disconnected. I disconnect the supply, and that lets the BMS reset and when I reconnect the supply it will take some current again (and I drop the voltage by 0.01v to hopefully avoid another disconnect).
I can take several days, but my Chins can now be charged to 14.6v without disconnecting and the two Timeusb are already capable of about 0.15v higher than originally received.
It's a pain, and I don't charge higher than 14.2v during normal use, but I can't have the battery disconnecting and causing those voltage spikes similar to what you've observed. And now they don't. My Chins are bluetooth capable, and the cells are balanced when full to less than 0.05v difference from highest to lowest.
i do not have a bench power supply, but have thought of getting one to do as you mentioned. yet another thing on my list of what to get! Aloha! 🤙
I charge mine to 14.4 with a Victron MPPT 250/100. No issues with a quality inverter! (Magnum CSW2012) sounds like your inverter doesn’t like the higher voltages.
I believe you are absolutely right. The inverter switches off momentarily. Aloha! 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808I am trying to figure this out as well. There should be a lug on the left-hand side of each controller to connect them to the equipment ground. These should be connected to a busbar or terminal with the ground of each controller. You can then connect the busbar to the battery negative and each positive from the controllers through a fuse to the battery positive. I would swap the thermal switches for an isolation switch and fuses to limit voltage drops. They both need the same reference voltage.
@@ProjectsinParadise808 I just learned from other videos you can get a voltage sense to read the voltage at the battery ignoring the connections from the battery to the output of the controller. I am still not 100% sure about the significance of the equipment ground on the side. Once you add the MPPT's to the V.E network they will both use the voltage from the sensor once added. A smart shunt is an option but much more expensive.
@@sparkletornado5890 I'm in the UK so the Victron battery smart sense is great for me. I have a LFP battery without temperature protection. The smart sense stops changing below a set temperature which is adjustable in the settings. Also creates charge voltage compensation for lead acid batteries. It's a great little device but with LFP in a warm climate it's not a lot of use 👍
I missed something. What is cutting out? I picked up on that your refrigerator restarted. I missed what caused that. Isn't the fridge a load on the inverter and the inverter pulling power from the batteries? Are the batteries cutting out from something on their internal BMS?
Was inverter tripping off for one second, but enough to disconnect . Quickly resolved itself, but had to drop the voltage slightly to keep it from happening anymore. Aloha! 🤙
Just out of curiosity . . . was it your Charge Controllers alarming or your Inverter? What is the max voltage limit on the inverter? I had an inverter that worked fine from when I had lead acid batteries, but when I went to lithium batteries the max voltage setting on the inverter was too low, so I got a bigger, better, faster inverter, with a higher upper voltage limit, and now I go to 14.6v before absorption and no alarms.
Yes my inverter alarms at 15v. My charge controller are set at 14.2v, and that keeps everything okay now. Once in a great while , I;ll momentarily spike high voltage and get a chirp, but everything keeps going fine. Aloha!🤙
If you place fans under them to get to it's ambient temperature you'll also get better performance.
Great advice..it do get a tad warm back in there! Aloha! 🤙
I have 900ah of chins lifepo4 how long have you be using your batteries are you happy with them.
Almost two years now on 600ah worth of Chins ...working perfectly! Aloha 🤙
Looks to me like 14.2v was tripping the BMS, hence the spike when there was nowhere for power to go.
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My two 240w panels is only giving me 180w and it should be giving me up to 480w what's going on?. I have the same victron mppt 100 50. Any idea?
Change from parallel to series and see the difference.
This may be a stupid question. My I ask why you are multiplying your volts/watts and not your amps to the batteries?
I wonder if syncing the two VE charge Controllers will make any noticeable improvement. My thought is that two heads are better than one because it's my understanding that each VE has a brain or microprocessor memory logic integrated circuit and that syncing the two modules eliminates the ability of one to process logic. I think it is commonly referred to as a master and slave. So, if the master quits thinking then the slave won't function. Two birds with one stone me thinx.
Well I have just a few hours of networked use on it ,but heres what happened that I like. As soon as I synched them together shortly after uploading this video , one was in absobption, one in float. The second the were networked together, both went into absorbtion, and the watts in was almost identical...give or take a watt or two at any given time. They both held 14.1 v rock steady , which is what I set them both for. I like that now, at a glance of the app and total network values are displayed. So, so far I really like it and will keep wathcing and let you know how it goes. Aloha! 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 I wonder if syncing the two VE controllers together resulted in one shared time code or that prior too syncing, the last controller programmed had a later time code initiation. ( Influencing start end time reference). I think this may tell us that the bulk setting time value will start at the same time and possibly end at the same time. The question could be, now with both controllers synced can you change the bulk charge duration for each battery separately to allow customisation of both the bulk and the absorption time duration of each battery independently to accommodate for potential discrepancies between cell capacity and balance time requirements.
How did you hook your inverter up to a breaker panel
Hardwired it. Some inverters come ready for that option. Aloha!🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 sorry to bother you. I was just wondering if you bond in the ground in the Nutro together and your breaker box. Thank you for the time for replying back.
Battery impedance is different if wires not same lenght
Just wondering if you know why this small change made all the difference? How did you pick a reduction of just 0.1V? thx
I saw something that said 24 V and then you say you have 12 V system? Is it 12 or 24 V?
Also, your battery manufacturer should tell you what the settings are to use in your charge controllers for your battery parameters. Otherwise, you can damage your batteries by over/under charge them.
As far as syncing your charge controllers, you should add a Network on your phone and combine them that way without a cord, as they’re connected with Bluetooth.
I also run a small 24v, and 48v system. Main house still on 12v. And...I just networked the two together! I love it...Aloha! 🤙
Interesting. I doubt that I would have found the problem and its solution.
Through trial and error I figured it out over time. 14.1 is sweet spot on that system. Aloha! 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 I was studying LiFePO4 data sheets today and I now have a clue. Thanks for the video.
LOL. 1kw a day yeild....why even bother? spend all that money to make 30 cents a day
On site energy production. And if that`s all the power he needs then it`s perfect. He lives off-grid in Hawaii. I`ve spent 3500 to power an air conditioner in a hurricane zone but my power stays ON and it`s one of the best things I`ve ever done besides dumping my ex.