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Optimizing Off-Grid Power System for Remote Cabin

Hello Victron community,

I'm currently setting up an off-grid power system for a remote cabin using Victron Energy products, and I'd appreciate some insights and recommendations based on your experiences. Here's a brief overview of the system:

  • Solar Panels
  • Inverter/Charger
  • Battery Bank
  • Loads

I'm particularly interested in:

  1. Optimizing Energy Harvesting: Any tips on maximizing solar energy utilization and minimizing wastage?
  2. Battery Management: What charging and discharging settings have worked well for you to ensure optimal battery lifespan?
  3. Remote Monitoring and Control: How have you set up remote monitoring and control for your off-grid system, and which Victron tools or services do you recommend?

Feel free to share your experiences, lessons learned, and any specific configurations that have proven successful in similar scenarios. Your insights will be immensely valuable!

Thank you, Villa Cipendawa Cipanas

Lithium BatteryEnergy Meter
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1 Answer
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Michelle Konzack answered ·

Optimizing Energy Harvesting:

It depends where are you located.

I would not worry about the summer.

If you use a 24V system and live in a climat like me in Estonis, go with a SmartSolar MPPT 250/100 and use as many solarpanels in series as you can, without hiting the Hardlimit of the MPPT, hence i can get here up to -40°C and some minuted of sunshine can kill your MPPT. So, if you use 5 panel in series, you can choose a panel size of 550-600Wp but be careful, that the Voc of a panel is under 42V.


If you are in a snowy northern country, install the panels in an angle of 70-80° to catch the maximum winter sun and it also mostly prevent, snow is laying on it.


On the other side, you can use a GTI (Ac out coupked from the Inverter) for the Solarpanels, which allow you to use smaller panels, but longer strings (usually 20-24 modules in series) which give you even a much higher output as a 250V MPPT.


I have 3S2P 310Wp modules on a 150/70 and I get in the estonian Decembrr only 250Wh in the middle per day, but my Fronius Primo 8.2-1 (limited to 4kW because i have only one Multiplus-II 24/5000) with 8610Wh of solarmodules give me not only 4,6 times more energy, but nearly 12-15 times more.


I am currently testing the system, because i have to optimise my system to output around 4-5kWh a day in December and January, while the rest comes from my windmills.


My aim is to have 20kWp of solarpower and 10,9kW of windmills, where only the 3,5kW windmill and my Fronius Primo 8.2-1 can be AC out coupled. The rest must be DC coupled.

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