question

og156 avatar image
og156 asked

VRM not getting information in remote console. VRM bug?

Greetings!

I have a mostly Victron set up but a non-Victron inverter in a completely off-grid configuration and so to make the system work correctly I need to get the AC load measured coming out of the inverter into the VRM from ET112 so that DVCC can manage the power correctly.

I have read and reread all the documentation multiple times. The ET112 has been installed by a licensed electrician in the configuration described in the documentation (3rd config as per 2.1.1)

In the remote console the ET112 is clearly connected and working as the information in the device list is clearly all there and correct.

If I set the role of the ET112 to Grid Meter, the VRM shows the AC load and AC input as identical values. Obviously this is not how this should be set up - this isn't a grid meter.

If I set the role of the ET112 to PV Inverter, the VRM adds a PV Inverter box and doesn't display any information in the box. Obviously this is not how this should be set up - this isn't a PV inverter.

If I set the role of the ET112 to Generator, the VRM removes the PV inverter box and goes back to displaying identical information in the AC Input and AC Loads box. Obviously this is not how this should be set up - this isn't a generator.

If I set the role of the ET112 to AC Meter, the VRM shows no information in the AC Loads box or the AC Input box. Now to my mind this IS how this should be set up, - this IS an AC loads meter. Clearly though, this isn't working the way it is intended to.


The problem I'm trying to solve here is I want to limit the amps going to the battery during charging but I want to supply the loads at the same time. Currently DVCC is set to 90 amps which is a little high - my batteries are full by 10AM. If I set it to 30 Amps which is better, and I turn on the washing machine the panels only supply some of the power and the rest comes from the battery. I assume this is because the VRM doesn't know what the loads are and thus can't adjust the output from the charge controllers accordingly. The only way I can do this at present is manually, which is very annoying - hence the addition of the AC Load detection.


My questions are:

1.. Is there anyone who has installed an ET112 as an AC load meter with a non-Victron inverter or otherwise and been able to get information to be correctly displayed in the VRM? (not the remote console - the correct information is clearly getting that far)

2.. If so, will this information be what I need to actually manage the power output from the charge controllers via DVCC such that I can limit the amps going to the battery and also supply the AC loads? (If this isn't possible, Victron isn't as good as I thought it was.)


It seems to me that this is actually a bug in VRM software as the remote console has all the information it needs but it's not being implemented by VRM.


Please note I don't need a link to the documentation and I already know that the ET112 isn't a Victron device or supported by Victron.

VRMremote consoleDVCCvrm bug
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2 Answers
Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image
Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) answered ·

Hi @OG156

It is a known limitation (FAQ #10) that trying to substitute a non-victron inverter with an energy meter does not work well.

The solution to getting all the features of a Victron system working well together is to use a Victron inverter.

There are some other previous posts about this here and here with more information.

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og156 avatar image
og156 answered ·

OK is it possible to spoof the inverter information somehow?


Being forced to shell out thousands on hardware to fix something that could be easily fixed with a few lines of code seems.. deliberate.

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

VRM and Venus OS are both free to use, but they are not free for Victron to develop.

People buying Victron products is how Victron pays our developers.

It is deliberate that Victron developers stay focused on Victron products.


Victron maintains a lot of open source code, and supports open tooling (like Node RED & Raspberry Pi) because we think it's cool that people can connect all sorts of weird custom modifications and things to their Victron systems, but it really doesn't help long term sustainability for Victron to pay our developers to troubleshoot, test, provide free hosting, compute, database records and maintain support for non-Victron battery inverters.

Perhaps look into building and hosting your own Grafana dashboard, that provides a lot more flexibility, and we have done a lot of work to help make that as easy as possible -

Getting started here - https://github.com/victronenergy/venus-grafana

And a Victron users example here - https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/88115/my-grafana-dashboard-free-to-use.html

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og156 avatar image og156 Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

Thanks,

While I understand the need to run a corporation, I also don't have the AU $6000 it would take to replace my current inverter with a Victron that is capable of the same output. Do I need 12kva? Only sometimes, but I still need it occasionally.


I'm not suggesting Victron support my inverter at all, I'm suggesting Victron doesn't deliberately hobble their system when it doesn't detect their own. 

Simple fix:
 if (isInverterPresent) {
            useInverterACLoad();
        } else {
            useExternalACLoad();
        }

See?

I'm just disappointed in the implementation of a software block such as this. And herein is the problem Victron has created for itself - I will now be completely turning away from the Victron front end because the software is coded in such a way as to force me to.


I'm not angry, just disappointed. The shine has really come off my opinion of Victron over this.

This really isn't about support, it's just protectionism.

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nickdb avatar image nickdb ♦♦ commented ·

I would ask you why you haven''t got hold of the competitive 3rd party manufacturer on their community and asked why they haven't invested in a platform like VRM?

I think we all know the answer to that question.

That using a victron management platform requires a full victron ecosystem, is no surprise, as stated, this is documented.

Victron invest an enormous amount of time and money on developing and maintaining not just this community, but the venus OS and VRM as well.

It is no surprise that low-cost alternatives do not, and expecting a manufacturer to spend their own time and money to enable competitive products to benefit from their intellectual property is completely illogical.

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og156 avatar image og156 nickdb ♦♦ commented ·

This has nothing to do with the inverter.

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