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Hello Victron Community,
I am looking for permanent install, propane generator recommendations. I have two Victron Multiplus invertors running in parallel operation at my house. And I want to supplement the solar power with a generator.
I would like the ability to manually initiate the generator, via blue tooth or wireless. I would also like the ability for the Multiplus to automatically turn on the generator.
Do you have any recommendations for a high quality unit?
Thank you!
-Nick
Can't recommend a brand, I heard even Honda's go bad in a few years. So best you can afford?..
Whatever you chose, make sure it has ATS + AVR.
AVR will regulate the voltage, also keep a close eye on the frequency (had an issue with mine in past, so inspect at least weekly).
ATS will allow you to power it on via your victron system. Depending on what you have, you can use the GX, the BMV or even the inverter with programmable relay function, based on SoC for example.
But having an ATS is key. Then even if it doesn't have external input, you can use a cheap sonoff or something to provide the signal.
Most "whole home" generators in the US produce 120/240 volts and run off of natural gas or propane. They usually have a way to start and stop with a contact closure (or a pair of pulses (start on one stop on the other). A Venus GX control system can provide the necessary generator control via one of it's relays.
You say your Multis are in parallel. Is it not split phase?
How big a generator you get will depend on your needs. If your battery bank and solar array can supply the house peak loads and run for an extended period, you might be able to get by with a smallish generator. That is, enough to replenish the battery bank over time.
One of the shortcomings of the Multiplus is that it only has one AC input and there is no way to tell the GX device if that input is fed from the grid or generator. So whey you switch from grid to generator, you may need to reset at least the input current limit.
Quartros have two AC inputs and make switching between grid and generator totally automatic.
I've been hoping Victron would provide a mechanism via a digital input to tell the system if it's grid or generator. This could be fed from an external transfer switch. Then the Multi could behave like a Quatro.
In case this info helps another with the split/ parallel setup, I ran one generator phase to one set of multiplus' that were parallel. And ran the second generator phase to the other set of multiplus', and the generators charged the batteries. All good.
I do have four multi plus in parallel/ split phase configuration. Can I generator charge through a single multiplus while using power from the four multiplus units? Or do I need to charge through multiple multi plus units to be able to charge batteries and draw 110/120v out of the units at the same time? I don't use grid power, so only the generator would be connected to the ac input. Thanks!
You can configure the split phase PAIRS to not "switch as group" so that one pair can be charging from grid and passing through AC to the output while the other pair inverts to feed the loads. However, the Multis in parallel must function exactly the same at all times.
