Victron Energy Charge Controllers Overview | MPPT

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

VICTRON seems to be falling behind the times I actually feel hobbled with a 250 volt "DC" input limit ( much HIGH and serviceability is impossible due to VICTRON GLUING / MELTING the BLUE Plastic "LID" to the Internals to prevent viewing the internals ( FUSES ) etc IMHO COOP ...

[@DJBrianAZ]

I currently have a 12 volt system with a 230ah lithium battery, a 200 watt Renogy panel suitcase with the included Renogy 20 amp pwm controller. Currently 200 watts seem to be sufficient for my camping needs but want the ability to expand my system later down the road, maybe 400 watts of panels. I was thinking of getting a victron 100/30 or 100/50. If i get one of those would my current 200 watts of panels cause a problem because of lower input into the controller. Is there a minimum on these controllers to be effective. Thanks.

[@unakagearcompany]

If your current panel and charge controller are wired to a central DC bus bar and you add an additional panel with another controller you should be in good shape. Each controller will manage the charging from each panel or set of panels. If you plan to remove the old charger and add that panel to a new string of solar panels it's important to do the math. If you simply want to add a second 200w suitcase panel to the system and wire it in series a 100/30 or 100/50 will do the job nicely.

[@JacksBack-h5f]

Can you ever go to big of an MPPT Besides being overkill would there be a point where it hurts the charging?

[@unakagearcompany]

In most cases it should be fine but when in doubt consult the manual or give us a call. One of the things you should be aware of is there are often limitations with respect to the PV input voltage. For example some chargers require the PV input voltage to be a certain voltage above the battery voltage before the charger will turn on.

[@sboy1955]

Although the 75/15 would more than support my RV, the input terminals will not take any wire larger than 10ga. That is something you need to know. The solar and battery wiring in most RVs is 8ga. 8ga is significantly larger than 10ga so you will need to be prepared to step it down properly.

[@unakagearcompany]

Agree, that's an important note to consider.

[@fat_basturd5345]

10 gauge is the standard size wire to use, if you’re using 8 gauge regularly you’re doing it wrong.

[@deepredstate4414]

why does the 100/50 PV nominal rating @ 700 watts but the higher 150/45 PV nominal rating is lesser at 650 watts???????? I use 3 Panels in parallel so the 100v max PV rating is never exceeded. 320watts @27v each. Then Subtract 20% loss. Currently on sunny AZ days I'm pushing 35A max charge on a 60A MPPT with AWG 6 guage wire. Upgrading for the Lithium charge protocols.

[@unakagearcompany]

Each charger is rated for max Input Voltage and max Input/Output Current. It is important to note that a 100/50 MPPT charger is a 50-amp charger can be used efficiently to charge a battery bank being fed by 600 watts of solar if it is charging a 12v battery bank. Always remember Watts = Volts x Amps. If we have 600 Watts of Solar Panels and we're charging a 12v battery the math is 600w / 12v = 50 amps. So... if we're charging a 24v battery bank we could theoretically double the solar input. 1200w / 24v = 50 amps as long as we're not exceeding the 100v max input voltage. The key to success is to ensure you're feeding your charger(s) with a safe amount of voltage that is matched with a charger that can provide enough current to charge your batteries.

[@deepredstate4414]

@@unakagearcompany I get all that. My question was why the bigger more expensive charger had lesser PV wattage. I get that it is what it is, but i can see a gap in the manufacturers ideal range of chargers. I contacted them and they told me the lesser 100/50 was a better application than the 150/45 unless I was exceeding the 100v input. But thanx for the reply.

[@matthewknight5641]

I have two of the 100. 30's one 100. 50 and one 150.70. all work great and also the 24.24.12 DC to DC charger and it's also great

[@killykilroy]

To bad they don't have these for higher DC voltages. I would like to connect one of these to my 2 string home panels system. To charge my 48 volt batteries connected to a multiplus II. My panels deliver 350/360 volt DC while in use, so i think the open voltage might be even higher. My current solar invertor does not support frequency modulation, so when running the system in islanding the multiplus has no choice but to ramp up the frequency until the solar invertor switches off. (Happens at 53Hz) Now i am investigating to change to a solar invertor that does support frequency modulation. But i rather simplify things by not converting to 240 first and then let the multiplus convert it to 48 DC. Can anyone give some advice?

[@unakagearcompany]

Keep an eye on the horizon. New products are in development to solve these types of configurations.

[@andrewford80]

RS450/200 would work for you

[@milliondollar2981]

Can you reccomend anything that will handel the HOT🔥Desert temp 117, I got ten of the 320w panels on roof, off grid, need something that will take the watts and heat, what is best 12, 24, 48v? ,,thanks

[@unakagearcompany]

Most of the Victron MPPT charger controllers have an operating range of -30c (-22F) to 60c (140F). The chargers are designed to continue working normally up to 40c (104F) but beyond that temperature you will see lower charging output. In temps like you're seeing you'll want to employ a well vented enclosure or even air conditioning to keep the equipment within it's efficient operating range. Voltage selection will be based on a bunch of different factors but you will find that higher voltage systems require smaller charge controllers. Example, an MPPT 100/30 can charge your batteries at 30 amps. We know that Watts = Volts x Amps. If you're charging a 12v battery bank your charge controller is good to handle 360 watts (12 x 30) of incoming solar. If you're charging a 48v battery bank that same charger is good to handle 1,440 watts (48 x 30) of solar. It's slightly more complicated than presented above because you'll also need to dial in your solar array to get the right voltage moving to your charge controller but you'll find that higher voltage systems allow you to use smaller charge controllers.

[@milliondollar2981]

@@unakagearcompany WOW‼️,,,Great, sounds like Victron is the way to go, I am just about to add from 4 to now 10 panels 330w ea, I will take your advise😄 It gets so darn hot 🔥out here, you can't touch anything I will switch over and go with 48volt, sounds like that's the best way to keep from a MeltDown💥 Thank you for rge good advice,I will check your website,,and give you 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@gudrn]

Thanks for sharing. cheers from Brazil

[@unakagearcompany]

Thanks for watching!

[@dave-xe6pc]

Thank you for the video! Very helpful. Question: Victron 100/30 or 150/35? Currently have 400w of solar, 4 x 100, in series, parallel. Will be on a 1 x 12v LifePo4 100aH system. Both will serve the current panel capacity, but would like room to expand in the future whether it be going to a 24v system or expanding the solar panel capacity. Do you know if the PV minimum input voltages are the same between the two units? Thanks

[@unakagearcompany]

For both units the minimum PV voltage to start charging is Battery Voltage + 5V and it must stay at Battery Voltage + 1V to stay on. If you think you want to increase your solar capacity in the future I would go with a larger unit. Obviously this can vary by set up and how you are wiring it but we typically size up from a 100/30 to the Smart Solar 100/50 which has an overall higher charging capability than the 150/35. You may just have to keep more of the string in series to keep your voltage down.

[@mariodasilva8729]

I am inbetween converting from lead acid to LiFePo batteries. Can I use a Victron Smart solar MPPT 100/50 to drive a Victron Orion isolated DC to DC convertor to charge two 12v batteries, one being a 100A Pb Marine battery, and the other a LiFePo 12v 200A battery, that eventually go to 2 separate inverters, one for only lights, and the other for powering fridges?

[@unakagearcompany]

Thanks for reaching out. We wouldn't recommend it. Typically when things get complicated things get unsafe pretty quick. The system architecture described will certainly have problems and will be unsafe. Keep it simple, use the devices as they're designed, and don't mix battery types. Go all Lead Acid or make the jump to LiFePo.

[@andre_ukraine]

I just bought three solar panels, 100W and 18Vx6.5A each to charge my Anker 757 power station. Also I chose Mppt 75 10, the junior model, as Anker accepts only 30V 10A input, I based my estimate on serial connection of the panels, getting no more than 60V and 7A then. But, when trying to charge with Lifepo4 setting and 12 or 24V, the solar controller just showing bulk for a minute or so with 160 to 215W max, after which all goes down to nearly zero charge on the station, and I can't get the reason. Is there any settings that I missed to check?

[@unakagearcompany]

Typically all in one power systems like the Anker 757 do not require an external MPPT charge controller. Please elaborate on how this system is wired up.

[@neomatrix2722]

Hello thank you for sharing currently on the Schneider Electric guy but I've always really want it victron I'm running a 24-volt system my question for victron charge controllers is how was a customer to know how many watts he can attach to the specific charge controller does it have it on the unit say like 12-volt battery you can have X amount of watts and then 24 volt you can have double the amount of watts and so on

[@unakagearcompany]

When sizing a charge controller it is critical to understand that Watts = Volts x Amps. If you have a 24v battery bank and you have a 30 amp charger you can do a little math and come up with the answer. 24 volts x 30 amps = 720 watts. This math tells me that you can use this charger for up to 720 watts of solar if you're charging a 24v battery bank and you can wire your solar panels in such a way that you don't exceed the voltage input on the charger.

[@2hotscottpro]

Four 525 watts,48voc 14a.Which controller to do 4-6 panels?

[@unakagearcompany]

Ultimately to handle that amount of power you will need multiple charge controllers. The Victron SmartSolar MPPT 250/100 Tr VE.Can could handled 3 of those panels in series, but under some situations you may be current limited by the controller. The controller 's max output would be 100 amps, even thought your PV array may be capable of a touch more. The Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150/100 Tr VE.Can could handle 2 of those panels in series and have a touch of extra capacity, so you would need 3 of these charge controllers to handle 6 of those panels. Feel free to email us at [e-mail] if you want to talk about your project in more detail.

[@matthewknight5641]

Man it really depends on how you set up those panels. I'd run 4 in series on that controller but if I had 6 of those panels I'd run 3 in series and the parallel those with the other three. Set three at one direction and the other three at a slightly different direction. Use a anti back flow diode on each of the strings so you don't lose power from the one into the other as the sun travels across the sky

[@2hotscottpro]

@@matthewknight5641 gona use HQST 60a controller 48v that has max watts of 3200 at 48v.But 150v is max so I’ll have to wire like you said.At 12v 900 watts is max and not buying 3-4 controllers lol Now I’ll buy a 4K watt 48v inverter with low frequency.And 2 more bats to make 48v.Thanks

[@Electronzap]

Good info.

[@unakagearcompany]

Glad it was helpful!

[@richardwebb6267]

I bought a 250/100 it lasted exactly 60 days and fried! Never again!

[@unakagearcompany]

Interesting, please tell us more about how it was wired.

[@MrJellybean101]

Hi im looking at getting the victron 100/20 to run a 100w panel and 100ah lifepo4 battery, it will be used mainly to run a compressor fridge when camping. Do you know if you can set the output to cut off at a certain low voltage and turn on again when a certain voltage is reached? I dont want to kill my new battery by running it too low. Thanks

[@unakagearcompany]

Yes, you can set the MPPT load output to start and stop based on a low & high voltage using the Victron Connect app!

[@beefitter]

Very good explanation about the volt/amp rating. I have been looking for clarity on the amps side.

[@unakagearcompany]

Glad this was helpful. If you ever have questions, you can always give us a call. 864-251-5430

[@stefansvanstrom9635]

Hello i bougt wrong panel a 36v 200w panel can i use the 75/15 controller to charge a 12v battery ??

[@unakagearcompany]

Without looking at the exact specifications of your solar panel, this will probably work. That charge controller can take a max input of 75 volts and your 36v is less than that. If you email the specifications of your solar panel to [e-mail] we can provide 100% confirmation.

[@harrywest8100]

So now i have the 100/30 running 400 watts of solar . But i want to go up to 1000 watts of solar panels and two lithium batteries. Is the 100/50 going to be strong enough fot that?

[@unakagearcompany]

It kind of depends on how you are putting the system together. A 100/50 will not be strong enough for 1000W if that is what you were considering but if you wanted to keep the 100/30 for the first 400W and use a 100/50 for the second 600W that should be fine. If you send us your solar panel specifications / configurations to [e-mail] we can make a specific recommendation for you!

[@savageolatunde6731]

Please I have a question. I have been curious for a while now about these charge controller algorithm. I know there is Constant current stage, constant voltage etc. I also know that when there is load on inverter, it draws a large amount of current from the battery. My question is, how does the charge controller differentiate the current drawn by the battery from the one drawn by the load so that it can effectively execute the constant current. Having in mind that the inverter, battery and the charge controller is connected in parallel. On another thought, i believe this is when hybrid inverter is more smarter, because it can know how to separate the current going to the load from the one being drawn by the battery, so that it can charge the battery effectively. To put this in a proper number perspective, a 12v 200A tubular has a charging current rate of 0.1C which is 20A, a mppt charge controller can supply 60A but knows that it can only give the battery 20A. But a 600w load at the same time draws like 50A from the battery. How does the charge controller knows that the current drawn is from the battery or from the load, because the charge controller will make sure that the charge going to the battery doesnt exceed the 20A. This in turn will make the battery undercharge. I need your input sir.

[@unakagearcompany]

Thanks for the question. If the load is coming off a common busbar that is also being charged by the MPPT charger you will see the MPPT do it's best to cover that load at the maximum charge current that you've set it to. In this particular scenario the the MPPT charger is going to send as much wattage as it can to the DC busbar and while that load is drawing current the battery will not see any charge.

[@rookm13]

Load balancing, basically your battery will "see" a 30a load because the charge controller is supplying it with 20a, similar to current draw capacity increase when connecting batteries in parallel. your load might be drawing 50a in total but its shared between the battery and the MPPT so at the end youre still discharging at 30a the MPPT doesnt know whats drawing current, provided that the battery isnt fully charged it will send 20a because the resistance isnt there to limit the rate. impact battery has a diagram showcasing what i mean if you google, how-to-charge-marine-and-rv-batteries-in-parallel i think this channel has links disabled

[@chuck4abuck1]

I am biulding a 12 volt 600 solar array with 3-100 ah lithium batteries which will be better for me Please sir

[@unakagearcompany]

I would recommend going with the Victron Smart Solar 100/50. unakagearco.com/products/victron-smartsolar-mppt-charge-controller-100v-50amp-scc110050210?_pos=1&_sid=531728cc1&_ss=r

[@chuck4abuck1]

@@unakagearcompany thank you so very much!

[@unakagearcompany]

@@chuck4abuck1 You are welcome. If you have any other questions specking out your system email us at [e-mail] and we will get you squared away.

[@chuck4abuck1]

@@unakagearcompany thank you And I subscribed

[@stewslogisticsllc9460]

So I have a 100/15 and a 12v system, how many watts can I put into my charge controller

[@unakagearcompany]

Thanks for the question. It's time for us to do some math. This charger can charge your battery bank at 15 amps. Know that we are charging a 12v battery bank we will simply multiply 12 x 15 to get the number of watts we can actually utilize. 12 x 15 = 180watts. Know this I would recommend you pair this charger with a 200watt solar panel or smaller.

[@hillb13]

If you did go slightly over at let’s say 110volts on the panels to controller, would the controller just filter it down to 100? Or do you risk breaking something? I ask since I’m looking at the 100/30 and my series array will put out 104 volts.

[@unakagearcompany]

@@hillb13 Unfortunately you will break something. You'll need to grab a controller than can handle the higher voltage or rewire your panels in a series parallel configuration to dial back the voltage.

[@leetaves9143]

do you have any that are plug and play they seem complicated without the yfi

[@unakagearcompany]

Hey! Are you referring to the programming? Victron does not offer a pre-programmed device; each charge controller requires you to enter your battery parameters and type. Give us a call and we can help. 864-251-5430

[@leetaves9143]

i don,t have a cell ph. to programmed them is their any other way to programmed thinking of grading@@unakagearcompany

[@TaylanYalniz]

👏👏👏