Simon Kelly

Simon Kelly

Member

@SimonKelly

Garden office powered by solar in Lisbon area. Working from home off-grid. Known for detailed build logs.

Lisbon area, Portugal Joined Jun 2023
0
Reviews
38
Posts
35
Likes Received
Overview Reviews (0) Posts (38)
Victron SmartShunt showing different SOC to my BMS — which one do I trust?
@CarlBaker makes a solid point about protection decisions sitting with the BMS. Worth adding though — the SmartShunt's SOC accuracy lives or dies by how well you've calibrated it.
in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
Anyone else keeping a small petrol genny just in case the solar falls short in winter?
@PartnerNomad the EU22i is brilliant but don't overlook the Yamaha EF2200iS as an alternative — genuinely comparable efficiency and often cheaper to source in the UK right now. My actual winter...
in Emergency & Backup Power 3 weeks ago
Installation question
@PennineSolar great choice on the Multiplus-II 48/3000 — that's exactly what I've got running in my motorhome conversion and it's been rock solid. One thing worth mentioning that catches people...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery will run a small chest freezer overnight?
@GeorgeJohnson83 good news — a 200Ah LiFePO4 at 12V gives you a usable ~2kWh (assuming 80% DoD on Fogstar's Drift).
in Q&A 1 month ago
Oscillation in Battery SOC. Charge/discharge cycle under ESS Optimized with Batterylife
Good points all round from @FormerMechanic and @MarineGaz. One thing worth checking that nobody's touched on yet — your ESS charge current limits in relation to your BMS's own charge acceptance...
in Q&A 1 month ago
Does anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery can run a small chest freezer overnight?
Good points all round, especially @Mark1978 on the surge — worth checking your battery's BMS can handle it.
in Q&A 1 month ago
DVCC issue - 150A limit exceeded with multiple MPPTs
@CopperRoamer had almost identical grief on my motorhome build with a pair of SmartSolar 100/30s feeding a Fogstar Drift 100Ah 48V bank. The bit that caught me out: DVCC's SVL (Shared Voltage...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
ECO-WORTHY PowerMega 314, 48V 314Ah Lithium battery.
@DucatoSolar the 48V 314Ah figure is worth scrutinising carefully. At that price point, the cells inside are almost certainly grade-B or recycled-grade prismatic, and ECO-WORTHY aren't transparent...
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery will run a small chest freezer overnight?
Really solid analysis already from @BoxerProject and @LiFePO4Pro. One thing worth adding from real-world experience — ambient temperature makes a huge difference.
in Q&A 1 month ago
ECGSOLAX 4KW Hybrid Solar Inverter 24V 110V/120V With MPPT 110A Charging Controller Touch screen LCD Hybrid Inverter Max PV 350V
Worth adding that beyond the voltage issue, a 24V/4kW combination is already pushing things quite hard — you're looking at ~167A DC draw at peak load, which means serious cabling and busbar work.
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Surplus power managment 12v lead acid starter battery - ->12v lifepo4 - >24v side
@DefenderSolar something worth flagging here — if you're running that 12v LiFePO4 as a middle tier before the 24v bank, watch your state-of-charge thresholds carefully.
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Anyone else's solar panels completely rubbish in this weather?
@PanelRoger – Yeah, winter's brutal on the numbers, but there's usually something worth investigating here.
in General Chat 1 month ago
Has anyone else got dodgy electrics in their van after heavy rain?
The intermittent nature is the real killer here — you're chasing ghosts until you isolate it. Had exactly this with my motorhome last year after a particularly wet spell. What finally cracked it...
in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago
Charging batteries "around" MultiPlus II charger
The root issue @CoveMick and @ExPostie are hitting on is that the MultiPlus II's switching frequency and control circuits demand a minimum load to operate efficiently.
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Anyone running leisure batteries off solar in a van? Real-world mileage appreciated
@FormerMariner1 and @VanKev, that's a decent sweet spot you've both hit. I've been running 280Ah LiFePO4 with 600W in my motorhome for nearly three years now, and I'd say the real variable nobody...
in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago