Victron ESS for DIY solar off grid

[@calebgultig8895]

Great video explaining the details, could you help with a setup for a system that can adjust the SoC level depending on the weather forecast?

[@TheOffGridShop]

If you subscribe to our website. We have been working on a software with nodered ro try and do this.

[@Przedzik]

great video:) Just one question for scheduled charging Can I set it up for nighttime but will only start if the battery is below the set point of charge? I don't want it to start if the battery has enough charge to last to the next sunshine Regards

[@TheOffGridShop]

Thank you and good question. The way I do that is to set a maximum % to reach to turn off the schedule charge. So if battery is 60% and you have made charge set to 45% the schedule will run and not charge battery unless it dips below the 45% in that time? Does that sense?

[@Przedzik]

@@TheOffGridShop Yes make sense :) and this is tested and work this way ? So if I set charge time every night between 1am and 7am and SOC to 20% schedule will run but not start charge until she drop below 20 ? And grid power won’t be used at all ? Or charger will start and try kept battery from loosing more anergy and just gently top it up with I don’t won’t to happens.

[@TheOffGridShop]

@@Przedzik That's it. Maybe think about it like this. If it was set to 20% and at 11pm you had drained it to 5% and cheap energy is at 1am and you have set the charge to keep it at 20% between 1am and 7am. It will charge to 20% and stop until 7am and then will discharge until the sun comes out.

[@J.J.FDEZ1984]

Hi!!great explanation.I have just install a two-multiplus2 Paralell system connected to the grid, but I have a problem.The system take power from the battery for exporting as quantity of energy as the comsupsion.I mean, imagine that there isn't solar power and the loads are 2kw.The system take 2kw to loads and 2kw more for exporting.The problem solves if I disconnect the AC-IN of the slave Multiplus2.If the solar power is avalible, the system takes energy from the grid for powering the loads.Ex. 1kw of PV power charging battery, loads 100w, from the grid 100w. Definetly there is a problem related to the metering system. Any idea??thanks!!!

[@TheOffGridShop]

Is it the exact same load? So if your drawing 1500 watts is the it the same number for both?

[@J.J.FDEZ1984]

@@TheOffGridShop Hi again!not exact but for example if loads are 1500w, the exporting is changing around 1500...Thanks for answer!!

[@workbench1]

Cool video. I have a similar setup and I'd like to send my excess power back to the grid (spin the meter backward) - I live in the US what setting do I use on the ESS to achieve this?

[@TheOffGridShop]

Thank you. In your settings there is a setting that says feed excess DC back to the grid. How old is your inverter charger? You might want a firmware update.

[@workbench1]

@@TheOffGridShop Firmware is up to date - There isn't a setting for the US - is there a work around? AC coupling back to the grid or another device between my off grid and the public utility (grid)?

[@jamesmoore2007]

wondering the same thing

[@JoJoRocks5]

What's the difference between the inverter smart & mulitiplus in How loud are they

[@TheOffGridShop]

The Smart inveter on the Victron website is just an inverter. So you can't charge your batteries with it and requires a separate charger. The multipluss you can put a generator or shore power and it will top up your batteries and also supply the loads while doing so.

[@TheOffGridShop]

As for noise they both are the same when charging or discharging larger loads and when it's hot. Of a night under minimal loads very quiet.

[@intelmacs]

For your scheduling issue, why can you use a smart contactor to switch the inverter in and out of circuit? Set a charge period on the GX and then use the contactor to dictate the discharge period by disconnecting the AC input when not wanting to discharge

[@TheOffGridShop]

I know what your saying. Attempting to do it without adding more infrastructure.

[@MrDavidcarp]

Brilliant 👏🏿👍🏿

[@TheOffGridShop]

Thank you

[@paulchester2152]

Great video, very helpful to a Victron newbie 👍

[@TheOffGridShop]

Glad it was helpful!

[@offgridd]

Nice tutorial and fun to see that all the time I spent in exploring and setting up my mp2 5k with 3phase ethernet meter enables me to follow you 😃 When updating to the newest firmware I see that switching devices (secand last tab from the right when configuring basic settings of the mp2) is not allowed to combine itvwith the assistant. What's your thought about this? Yesterday I prepared the cabling from my 12 panels coming from the roof (original 12s connected to a sma 3k) in a 3p4s combination that will feed a smartsolar 250/100 Here the distributed voltage setting comes in. Since I will be using a dumb battery (12xEVE280k with Batrium Core1/K9 as an emergency disconnect) and the comms between Batrium and Victron are not officially supported, I want to be shure that the smartsolar will not kill my batteries and that the mp2 will feed back into the grid when the batteries are full. Will distributed voltage and current be necessary or can I just do settings on both devices which will craple the charging ability of the mp2?

[@TheOffGridShop]

Thank you. You can use DVCC. Or yes just set the same settings in Both devices and that will be fine. You might require to turn on expert mode in the MPPT. And we'll done for doing it all yourself.

[@fanechtech1778]

I have done this, I scheduled to charge from 9pm to 12am. Yet I still get grid charging and supplying my load during the day

[@TheOffGridShop]

How much PV do you have? And do you only have one Scheduled charge in place or multiple?

[@gavinnoname1424]

Nice video, Did you solve your scheduling issues? I am not a Victron user (yet), but from my research that I doing, i have a feeling that NodeRed running on the GX device will provide you the flexibility you are looking for. I am already a big user of NodeRed within my HomeAutomation, and it's powerful.

[@TheOffGridShop]

Thanks for your suggestion, we'll look in to it :)

[@SailingCatamaranElement]

I am currently on a sailboat tied to a dock for the next 9 months here in Thailand. As I keep hearing the words "customers"...Do you perform consults regarding ESS Setup? While Victron does not recommend using ESS for marine applications, being tied to the dock with 1300W of solar, an 85A Victron Solar Controller and 3000W multiplus with Colour GX, gives me all the pieces to offset my portable air-conditioning costs during the day...IF I was to have ESS setup and running properly... Just received my 1200Ah Lithium Battery cells and am top balancing and preparing for install when my BMS units arrive from locked down China...so once my batteries are throughly tested, would really like to connect for a fee, as support here is limited when you do not buy batteries from suppliers here....

[@TheOffGridShop]

Hi, I would like to help you and die to the floods we have had in our town right now I can't. It's do able what you want to do. Jump on Facebook and look for Victron users group. Someone there could help you. I have some videos of this coming out once I get back on my feet and back on dryland. Thank you for the support and let us know how you go. Mike

[@olegsmalovanijs2218]

No ESS Assistant found. What the problem? How to set up?

[@TheOffGridShop]

That is likely there is no ess found in the inverter. You will require to update your inverter firmware. If you system is online you cab do that via. the VRM. look at your device list.

[@cliffmate]

@@TheOffGridShop I have the same issue - no ESS assistant. I've updated the firmware but still none (multiplus II). I've also tried to add the assistant via VEConfig but can't seem to get it onto the inverter either. Using via a cerbo GX to connect to the network. Thoughts?

[@mrutubeuk]

@@cliffmate Did you resolve this? (What model do you have)

[@kawi_queen]

⁠@@cliffmateI have the same problem all online updated and no ess Multiplus 24/3000/70

[@DaleMarriott1337]

how are you monitoring 2 pv input are you using a wired AC sensor on each? Mine is connected via EM24 but its dropping the solar pv constantly so I'm thinking going for a AC ct clamp hardwired but dont know how to set it up or if i need 2 of them

[@TheOffGridShop]

No. One is using a metre and one is an Mppt and you can also monitor them over LAN if it's compatible with sunspec. If you have a pv inverter on the input and one on the output you can see them serperatly. If they are on the same side they will.be shown as 1.

[@DaleMarriott1337]

@@TheOffGridShop AC sensor is the way I think for me because that EM24 is screwed. hopefully that fixes it.

[@TheOffGridShop]

@@DaleMarriott1337 what brand of inverter is it?

[@DaleMarriott1337]

@@TheOffGridShop for solar enphase micro inverters

[@TheOffGridShop]

@@DaleMarriott1337 you should be able to find the enphase from your local network. And not require any metres as long as both systems are connected to the same network?

[@joblack3991]

Beatiful but I don't want to spend my money buying PV Inverters to feed-in power the grid. Sorry! I'm for OFF-Grid power plant, nevertheless the grid can be used in emergency state to protect the battery avoiding it goes at fully discharged conditions. Bye

[@TheOffGridShop]

I feel its a good way to help the bigger picture. I sell my excess solar to my mum. I couldn't do that off grid. And that stops here buying from the big guys.

[@joblack3991]

​@@TheOffGridShop Thank you for your answer. Maybe my point of view is that my mind is not open yet to the very high possibility to implement a solar system very flexible thanks to Victron Energy products.