Running into the exact same headache with my static van — 48v Victron setup and panels that just don't quite tickle the SmartSolar's minimum input threshold properly.
Anyone else noticed the Victron docs are a bit cagey about what happens in that grey zone between nominal and the actual minimum operating voltage? My Renogy panels in series should clear 60v on a crisp morning but on a overcast February day in Luton I'm basically watching tumbleweeds roll past the charge controller.
A few options I've been mulling over:
- Add a fourth panel in series — obvious solution but I've got about as much roof space as a postage stamp
- Switch to a boost converter before the MPPT — feels bodgy and loses efficiency, but people do it
- Swap the panel config — anyone tried mixing a smaller panel in series just to bump the string voltage up without massively increasing wattage?
The brutal irony is that three panels on a bright day produce plenty of power, the SmartSolar just sits there sulking because the voltage isn't high enough to unlock the party.
Curious whether anyone's solved this creatively — particularly on a caravan roof where every centimetre is already doing three jobs simultaneously. 🏕️
