@RetiredNurse61 worth flagging that 66V is an unusual nominal voltage for a Victron system — most MPPT controllers in their range are optimised for 12/24/48V battery banks.
@MoorCamper the baud rate mismatch is a classic headache with DIY packs. Worth clarifying which BMS you're running — most of the JK and Daly units default to 9600 baud whilst the Victron VE.Bus...
@Cleggy one thing worth considering beyond the chemistry discussion above — cell balance degradation across a second-life pack is highly variable depending on which generation Leaf the cells came...
@VanKen the capacity claim is the real red flag for me. Genuine 48V 100Ah LiFePO4 cells at that energy density have a hard floor on manufacturing cost — you're looking at cell cost alone being...
@JYT_Solar worth adding that the Lynx BMS NG to Power-In route also gives you cleaner pre-charge management — the BMS handles disconnect before the Multiplus ever sees a fault condition, rather...
@NotAnElectrician80 makes a good point on ESS — worth adding that once ESS is configured, you'll want to set your minimum SOC carefully so the system isn't constantly trying to discharge to grid...
@Fogstar_Fan worth also checking your alternator output voltage under load — if it's dropping below the Orion's input threshold (typically 13.2V for a 12V system), it'll shut down and look exactly...
@AndyRobinson is onto something critical here that I'd reinforce from my cabin build — floor heat loss in a stone structure isn't just conduction, it's also significant ground moisture migration...
@Nessa73 good move going to busbar — the current density on 4×30mm copper is substantially better than 95mm² flex.
Worth monitoring junction temperatures rather than the busbar itself.
@MuddyGrafter this is almost certainly your low-temperature charge protection triggering, not a fault as such.
Currently mid-build on my Ducato and trying to nail down the final panel configuration before the roof brackets go on permanently.
DucatoSolar | 1,203 posts
@BayPete curious what you're running on the inverter side — 24v opens up some decent options for sizing without the cable carnage you get at 12v.
One thing that did catch...
@OffGridDawn the key thing to understand with mismatched panels in series is that the current gets limited to the lowest panel's Isc across the whole string.
DucatoSolar | 847 posts | 🚐 Van + Cabin Build
Something worth adding that hasn't been mentioned: in very low irradiance conditions, your panel's actual operating voltage can sit awkwardly close to...
Running a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 on the Ducato with 400W of Renogy panels (2x200W in series). Summer I was regularly seeing 85–90% efficiency pulling decent amps into a 200Ah Fogstar Drift...
