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bradley-thompson avatar image
bradley-thompson asked

VRM not mapping AC loads from Smart Shunt on inverter

Hi All,

I installed my second Smart Shunt to monitor the DC current pull from my (non-Victron) inverter. It appears to be installed correctly and when I turn the inverter on, the Smart Shunt will show a current usage of about 2-3A (this is what I expected to see). However, when I view the Dashboard in VRM, the current draw doesn't map specifically to "AC Loads" and there is no current visible in the "AC Loads" block - it just sends the visual representation to the general system where it disappears. I can see the Smart Shunt in the Remote Console and it is setup as a DC Meter in "Inverter" mode via Victron Connect. I've restarted the GX device (a raspberry pi in my case) to no avail. Is there a setting I'm missing? I obviously would like it to visually map correctly but also, and more importantly, would like to be sure that the MPPTs are being alerted to the additional current draw through DVCC so that they can compensate while charging.

Should also probably mention that I have a second Smart Shunt configured as a DC Meter in "DC System" mode which reads correctly in VRM - I also have "Has DC System" enabled so that is where that shunt is mapping to.

I have a BMV-712 as a traditional battery monitor which reads correctly. Its possible that I misunderstand the DVCC implementation - would the GX instruct the MPPTs to compensate for the total current being drawn according to the BMV or will it specifically only add the current being reported by the DC Meters (and if so, will it account for both of them if they are in different modes)?

EDIT: adding a picture to illustrate what I mean... You can see that the shunt appears to be coded as measuring the inverter based on the first setting field. Also, you can see that I named the shunt "Inverter Shunt" at the top of the device menu. The shunt is showing 0.0 amps which is correct since the inverter is off at the moment.

inverter-shunt.jpg

You can also see that the shunt doesn't appear anywhere on the VRM Dashboard despite other VE.Direct devices showing properly (i.e., the Portable Panel MPPT which currently doesn't have a panel connected to it).

vrm-inverter-shunt.jpg

VRMSmartShuntpower meter
inverter-shunt.jpg (196.1 KiB)
vrm-inverter-shunt.jpg (134.6 KiB)
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3 Answers
Alexandra avatar image
Alexandra answered ·

@Bradley Thompson

The tile for AC loads is populated by information from the VE bus (on a Victron inverter). And some ve direct inverters.

You would need and energy meter like a carlo gavazzi or other supported ac meter to show an AC load on the GX screen.

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bradley-thompson avatar image bradley-thompson commented ·

Got it - so disregarding the VRM Dashboard, will the MPPTs compensate for the inverter draw reported by the shunt via DVCC? I understand that the DC System loads reported by the other shunt are/should be included in the MPPT current output calculation.

Edit: For now I’ve changed its designation to “DC Systems” so it is compiling its data with the other shunt. This appears to be working since the current reported in the DC Systems block increases when the inverter is on. Not ideal but workable until I upgrade my inverter and/or charger.

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kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·

I think you can rename the smart shunt in VRM. The Victron side will only see your inverter as a DC load.

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kevgermany avatar image kevgermany ♦♦ commented ·

This should help

https://youtu.be/2L4nzNwep7g

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bradley-thompson avatar image bradley-thompson kevgermany ♦♦ commented ·
The device is named correctly. It is not reporting under “AC Loads” as I expected it to in Inverter mode as a DC Meter. The name has nothing to do with it.
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stefprez avatar image
stefprez answered ·

I was hoping to do the same thing you are describing @Bradley Thompson. Add a second SmartShunt to my system to monitor the power from a non-Victron inverter/charger in my case. I'd love to be able to populate the "AC Input" and "AC Loads" boxes whether my device is in charging mode or inverting mode respectively. I realize it would be a measure of the DC power going into or coming out of the device, and not the AC power that is going into or coming out of the device, but frankly I care more about the impact it is having on my 12V batteries than how much I'm drawing from shore power, for example. Bummer that it doesn't populate into the UI in any meaningful way. Would be awesome as a feature enhancement for the future!

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bradley-thompson avatar image bradley-thompson commented ·
Yea - small bummer for sure. But it does map to the 12v DC System block if I designated it as such and that’s good enough for now. It does appear to be part of the current calculation for my DVCC / MPPT setup so I can live with that.
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