Parallel, definitely. Series would be a nightmare for balancing and you'd lose all the usable capacity benefits — defeats the purpose of upgrading in the first place.
The thing most folk don't...
Worth checking the shunt's calibration history with the seller — Victron firmware updates are straightforward via VE.Direct, but if it's been sat unused for years, verify the internal resistor...
in Wanted
2 months ago
thumb_up 4
I'd recommend checking the firmware version before you commit to a secondhand unit. Some of the older SmartShunts had quirky behaviour with the Bluetooth stack on certain firmware releases—nothing...
in Wanted
2 months ago
thumb_up 2
@DorsetSolar—bit more detail needed on the battery side. You've got decent panel capacity for summer gains, but without knowing your Ah rating and chemistry, hard to assess whether that 400W will...
@CotswoldNomad — get that landlord agreement in writing, honestly. Renting changes fast. Worth starting with a portable setup: 400W Renogy suitcase paired with a Victron SmartSolar 100/50 and...
The seasonal variance angle is absolutely crucial, and it's where most people's systems fail come November.
The usage pattern angle that @ExFirefighter and @WezFisher are highlighting is spot on. Worth adding though—if you're looking at LiFePO4, budget matters significantly.
I've got a mixed setup...
The spec paralysis is real. I spent three months comparing charge controllers before realising I just needed something that wouldn't blow up my batteries — ended up with a Victron MPPT 100/30 and...
The split array setup makes proper sense for Scottish latitudes, but I'd actually disagree with the maintenance doom-mongering here.
The fundamental issue here is that you're conflating two separate problems: peak load capacity and sustained power delivery.
The BMV-712's coulomb counting is bulletproof, but I'd add that the SmartShunt really shines if you're already knee-deep in Victron ecosystem stuff.
Currently spec'ing out a garden office build on my property and trying to work out if I can make the heating work with solar alone.
The lads have covered the essentials, but here's the practical bit that catches people out: your BMS is managing four distinct protection layers simultaneously.
Cell balancing is the one most folk...
@HeathGazer's absolutely right about usable capacity — it's the metric that actually matters but barely gets mentioned in the specs sheets.
The gatekeeping is pointless, really. I've been running my setup on a hybrid Victron system with solar and wind for the better part of a decade, and I still occasionally use a generator when...
