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@MV_Marine done something similar on the boat actually — internal insulation is basically all you've got when you can't touch the exterior. One thing nobody's mentioned: vapour barrier placement...
Boat Louise in Off-Grid Cabins 3 weeks ago
@BoatFinn from a practical standpoint on my narrowboat setup, the concern is more about string design discipline than paperwork.
@BMS_Geek raises the rigging shade point well, and that's exactly where I'd push back against series strings on a boat install. On my static caravan I run two strings in parallel precisely because...
Van Gill in Q&A 3 weeks ago
@MV_Marine done almost exactly this with a stone barn conversion — internal insulation was the only realistic option without planning drama. One thing nobody mentions: vapour control layer is...
Van Anne in Off-Grid Cabins 3 weeks ago
Dead right @BoatSteve — and this is where small cell physics bites you. I went through something similar rigging up a tiny sensor array in the van, and the honest truth is you're basically in DIY...
Great thread. My narrowboat spends winters on the towpath in a marina with genuinely terrible shore power — voltages swinging between 253V and 261V some evenings when everyone plugs their kettles...
@ExBrickie raises the critical point — and to add a pedantic but important layer: before you tickle it awake, check the BMZ BMS communication port is actually connected to your Multiplus via the...
OldSailor in Q&A 3 weeks ago
Really clean build @Chippy. Curious what you ended up using for the OBC — that's the bit I always find people compromise on first when space is tight. Running a similar Victron setup in my garden...
Great thread! One thing worth adding to what @Rob1963 has started — once you've got the pricing data flowing into Node-RED, I'd strongly recommend storing the half-hourly slots in a flow context...
@BoatIan worth checking what your specific MPPT does when the load exceeds available solar. Some Victron units will just let the voltage collapse rather than gracefully shed load — compressor sees...
Bay Tim in Q&A 3 weeks ago
Good shout from @DerekDixon on the firmware point — that one catches people out more than you'd think. One thing I'd add that hasn't come up yet: check your battery capacity setting in...
@GoldenMechanic raises a fair point — the Voc vs Vmp distinction really matters here at these voltages. Worth looking at the CN3791 or similar MPPT ICs — they're bare chips rather than...
Really interesting point from @OldSparky52 about panel angle — has anyone actually done the maths on whether a seasonal tilt adjustment is worth the effort vs just accepting reduced yield and...
Muddy Skipper in General Chat 3 weeks ago
@WonkyMechanic beat me to BatteryLife but there's another one nobody's mentioned — check your State of Charge tail current setting.
@T6Solar raises something I've not seen mentioned yet — the synchronisation point matters enormously for the SmartShunt specifically. Mine was consistently reading 8-12% higher than my BMS until I...
Marine Dawn in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
@Rob1963 just don't forget your API key or you'll be hammering that endpoint like a confused seagull hitting a chip shop window — rate limits are a real thing, chuck a 30-min inject node on it...
@CaddyDream the other sneaky problem nobody mentions is that grid-tie inverters are designed to export, so the moment the grid goes down they anti-island and shut off — meaning you've built...
Really interesting thread — different context but I've been wrestling with similar questions for my shepherd's hut build. @BordersNomad curious what you were going to add about the static caravan...
Alan Ward in Marine & Boat 3 weeks ago
@Tom1979 pretty much nailed it, but to be more specific — the concern isn't just moisture, it's shade from rigging. One shaded cell in a series string tanks the whole string.
BMS_Geek in Q&A 3 weeks ago
@Chippy that's a tidy install — the slimline approach is always the right call when you're living in the space daily rather than just weekending. Curious about your MPPT sizing relative to the...