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gkathan avatar image
gkathan asked

[inverter upgrade] in my van

hi,

I plan to upgrade my inverter setup in my T3 van:


* current setup is a 200Ah offgridtec lipo4 battery with a büttner (now domestic) 1500 SI inverter and victron IP65 charger

* target setup is to replace the inverter and charger with a victron multiplus II/12v/2000

some questions I have:

1) is the multiplus II capable of acting as a transfer switch - i.e. is it possible to run on battery and by plugging in a 220v landline Power that the multiplus automatically Transfers seamless to land power? and back to battery when land line disconnected ?

2) if 1) is possible ... how about the Bluetooth capability which I am used from eg the mppt solar charger ? seems multiplus II does not have this integrated ... do I need some additional hardware for this ? or not possible at all ?

3) or is it better to use the victron phoenix 2000 instead of multiplus and keep the charging part in my IP65 ? any recommendation ?

thank and cheeerz from vienna


Multiplus-II
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3 Answers
KämpingVan Conversions OÜ avatar image
KämpingVan Conversions OÜ answered ·

Hi,

Answers to your questions:

1) Yes, the Multiplus has and will switch automatically between drawing from batteries and 220V landline Power.

2) You will need a V.E BUS Smart Dongle (it also needs a VE Bus cable and 12V power to work) to achieve Bluetooth connectivity with the Multiplus. Just be aware that it is quite limited, as you will not be able to change much settings(unlike Smartsolar etc). You will just be able to see the status of the Multi, the power usage and also you can switch it off/on.

3) If you have the budget, go with the Multiplus. You will get more charging power(70A vs i think 25A is the max for the IP65 chargers). Also I think the install will be cleaner, less components, fewer cables and connection points that could fault etc.



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kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·

I'd suggest an alternative. Multiplus and GX such as the Ekrano. This will integrate charging across the MPPT and multiplus, as well as providing remote monitoring via internet and integrated control. Will also accept input from a USB GPS antenna. You will need an internet connection for full functionality. If you want to skip the screen, the Cerbo-S is a good alternative.

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gkathan avatar image gkathan commented ·

thanx for your reply - can you elaborate a bit more on the cerbo-S option (no need for UI as I integrate my stuff in a homeassistant instance running on my van)

* what do you mean with integration of mppt ?
* will have 2 mppts in the van (1 already for my mobile solar panel), and next week a second mppt for 2 panels on my roof
* do you mean the 2 mppt outputs first go through the cerbo-S befor going into battery ?


thanx


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kevgermany avatar image kevgermany ♦♦ gkathan commented ·
MPPTs only go between panels and batteries. But you use a Victron VE.Direct Comms cable between each MPPT and the Cerbo. Same with the multiplus. Cerbo then controls all chargers through these cables to limit output to the current you set in the Cerbo.

Just check the specs/data sheets to see if there are enough VE.Direct ports on the kit. Might need to use VE Bus instead of VE.Direct on the multiplus, I can't remember. If you're short of ports, there's also a VE.Direct to USB adapter, this can plug into the Cerbo USB port, or a usb hub which goes into the Cerbo.


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gkathan avatar image
gkathan answered ·

another question in this thread:

* referring to my setup again (2 victron smart mppt, planned multiplus, 200Ah lipo4)

* are the mppt supposed to power direct into the battery or are they going into the multiplus first ?


thanx


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kevgermany avatar image kevgermany ♦♦ commented ·
Best way is to install busbars on positive, one negative. Mppt connections to busbars. Battery connections to busbars. Multiplus DC connections to busbars.

If you get a compatible battery/BMS, the battery can have a data cable to the Cerbo. This then allows the battery to control charging. Very clever.


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