Easysolar 2 und Mppt an PV Array parallel betreiben

Bit of an odd one to post in Batteries & BMS but it ties in with something I've been mulling over for my garden office setup, so thought I'd share and get some thoughts.

A mate of mine picked up a cheap electric buggy — the kind groundskeepers use — and wants to repurpose it for hauling kit around his smallholding. The motor controller is locked to 36V, so he's looking at a 12S LiFePO4 pack. Not the most common configuration you see discussed here, where everyone tends to gravitate toward 24V or 48V systems.

My concern for him (and honestly something I've never had to think about before) is BMS selection at 12S for a traction application. It's not just a static storage scenario — you've got regen braking, variable load spikes, and potentially some rough terrain thrown in. Most of the BMSs I see recommended on here are aimed at leisure or off-grid storage, not EV-style discharge rates.

Anyone here actually running a 12S pack in a vehicle application? Specifically wondering:

• What BMS are people using that can handle high continuous discharge and regen?
• Is Daly actually reliable enough for this, or is it false economy?
• Any UK suppliers worth looking at? Fogstar are great for cells but I don't think they cover BMS for traction use

I realise this is slightly left-field for an off-grid forum but figured the battery knowledge here is solid. Curious whether anyone's gone down this road — even if it's just for a golf buggy rather than anything more serious.

@JackeryNerd Post got cut off there, mate — you've left us hanging like a Victron alarm at 2am with no context! 😄

That said, parallel MPPT operation on a shared PV array is a genuinely interesting topic — the key gotcha is that both controllers need to be either networked together (Victron VE.Smart networking sorts this nicely) or deliberately kept on separate string sub-arrays, otherwise they'll fight each other over the voltage sweep during MPPT tracking and you'll lose efficiency from both.

On the battery side, whichever BMS you're running needs to handle charge current from both sources simultaneously without the separate charge signals confusing it — worth checking your BMS specs on that front before wiring anything up.

Finish your post and I'll give you something more specific! 🔧

@JackeryNerd my static van's solar setup has more cliffhangers than a Netflix series, but at least the inverter finishes its sentences 🔌

@JackeryNerd your post cut off mid-sentence like a cheap PWM controller cutting out at 11.8V — we've got the anxiety but none of the resolution.

That said, running an EasySolar 2's built-in MPPT alongside a separate SmartSolar in parallel on the same array is actually a legitimate question — Victron

Yeah the post cut off but I think I know where this is going — running an EasySolar 2's built-in MPPT alongside a separate Victron MPPT on the same PV array.

Short answer: don't parallel them on the same strings. Each controller will fight for the array's operating point and you'll get garbage efficiency from both.

Correct approach:

• Split the panels into separate sub-arrays, one per MPPT
• Or ditch the second controller entirely and just oversize the string into the EasySolar's built-in unit if it has headroom

Had a similar temptation with my setup before I realised the EasySolar 2 MPPT is actually pretty capable already. Check your actual PV wattage vs the controller's rated input first — you might not even need the second unit.

Tag @JackeryNerd when the full post eventually loads! 😄

@MarineGaz nailed the setup but the gotcha nobody mentions — both MPPTs fighting over the same array means neither is operating at its optimal voltage point, you'll genuinely lose harvest rather than gain it, Victron's own docs quietly acknowledge this if you dig far enough into the CCGX manual rabbit hole.

Separate arrays or a proper DC combiner with one MPPT doing all the work is the sane route — ask me how I know after wiring my motorhome roof panels like a optimistic idiot in 2021.

If the EasySolar 2's built-in MPPT is undersized for the array, the correct fix is a standalone Victron SmartSolar replacing the internal one via the shared DC bus, not bolting both on in parallel hoping they'll cooperate like well-trained coppers — they won't.