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Midnite Rosie plus Victron 450/100, an unholy union

Brucey

Brucey

Velcro Man
Joined
Feb 11, 2023
Messages
9,654
Location
Upstate NY
Creating this thread to document an upgrade in my system from a Victron 48/1200 and Delta 2 Max to a Midnite Rosie.

Will be retaining a Victron 450/100 connected to two strings, ten Hyundai 300W and ten Aptos 370W bifacials, both laying directly on the ground.
 
Batteries are:

2*24V 100Ah Ecoworthy "mini"LFP
2*24V 100Ah DJLB LFP
2*48V 50Ah Ecoworthy pizza box
14kWh REPT280 with jk non inverter 200A/2A BMS
4*12V 100Ah Redodo minis

Updated March 23 2025:
5kWh GokWh rack mount
5kWh ecoworthy rack mount
 
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User manual specs a 300A battery breaker and 4/0 cable, I'm dropping a bit below that to be able to use a midnite mnedc 250A panel mount breaker I already have. I don't anticipate going anywhere near the Rosies surge capabilities as my major loads are all propane. Will use a 300A megafuse in the distributor connection.

Timing wise I should have the MNGP2 control panel first with the Rosie following. This uses canbus to communicate with Rosie and it's matching SCCs, the dual tracker 200A Barcelona and the 90A and 120A single tracker Hawkes Bay.
 
If you've received your Rosie, start testing right away. I bought my Rosie this past December and didn't test it until about a month ago, only to find it was defective and had to send it in for repairs. Thank goodness I still have my luxpower 12k unit to fall back on in the mean time.
 
koppted said:
If you've received your Rosie, start testing right away. I bought my Rosie this past December and didn't test it until about a month ago, only to find it was defective and had to send it in for repairs. Thank goodness I still have my luxpower 12k unit to fall back on in the mean time.
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Thanks, I will be hooking it up right away, initially just 120V and a 15A breaker with input current limited to 15A to test the charger, but goal is eventually hook this up next to my main panel and install a sliding interlock, turn off 200A main grid breaker and connect ac out of Rosie to 60A 2 pole in main breaker box. This will let me get my 180 ft well and 2T central air on the Rosie.
 
Brucey said:
MNGP2 received. 300A/58V megafuse coming today. Rosie hopefully on Tuesday. Trying to figure out cheapest way to run 6/3 about 75 ft (60A rating).

View attachment 226508
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What do you have along those 75 ft?

MC can do that with indoor conditions. SER can do it with all but buried

You might be allowed to derate, protect both ends of the wire with appropriate breaker, and go smaller than 60A, since it is not a grid tie inverter output and the current will be determined by the load.

With only motor load you can maybe further upsize the breaker vs wire size.

Depends on how you feel about cutting corners to be cheeky.
 
zanydroid said:
What do you have along those 75 ft?

MC can do that with indoor conditions. SER can do it with all but buried

You might be allowed to derate, protect both ends of the wire with appropriate breaker, and go smaller than 60A, since it is not a grid tie inverter output and the current will be determined by the load.

With only motor load you can maybe further upsize the breaker vs wire size.

Depends on how you feel about cutting corners to be cheeky.
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It's indoors, basically going from one corner of the unfinished basement with main panel to the other where Rosie and batteries will be. Can run it along the joists. The Rosie seems to have significant surge potential so I don't want to limit it with any corner cutting on the wiring side. There is a potential to expand to a second Rosie at some point, I believe the epanel for the dual units specifies 100A, but that's prob far in the future.
 
Brucey said:
It's indoors, basically going from one corner of the unfinished basement with main panel to the other where Rosie and batteries will be. Can run it along the joists. The Rosie seems to have significant surge potential so I don't want to limit it with any corner cutting on the wiring side. There is a potential to expand to a second Rosie at some point, I believe the epanel for the dual units specifies 100A, but that's prob far in the future.
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I would probably do aluminum SER. With the biggest size you are willing to bore holes for through framing. I decided #2 was my comfort zone. It is good to 90A at 75C

Upsizing the breakers is code legal if the loads being served are motor. If you have a combination it gets dicey. The breaker will not instant trip for short surges above the limit

6/3 copper MC is over $4/foot online right now. LOL. I believe that is 65A at 75C

#2 AL SER is back in stock at my local Lowe’s for $1.40 or so
 
zanydroid said:
I would probably do aluminum SER. With the biggest size you are willing to bore holes for through framing. I decided #2 was my comfort zone. It is good to 90A at 75C

Upsizing the breakers is code legal if the loads being served are motor. If you have a combination it gets dicey. The breaker will not instant trip for short surges above the limit

6/3 copper MC is over $4/foot online right now. LOL. I believe that is 65A at 75C

#2 AL SER is back in stock at my local Lowe’s for $1.40 or so
Click to expand...
Thanks that is a whole lot cheaper, I'm guessing I would have to transition from the Al to copper on the Rosie side where it takes 6awg? I'll just attach to bottom of the exposed joists, way too many to drill through.
 
Brucey said:
Thanks that is a whole lot cheaper, I'm guessing I would have to transition from the Al to copper on the Rosie side where it takes 6awg? I'll just attach to bottom of the exposed joists, way too many to drill through.
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Yes you will have to transition. If you might stack Rosie’s you can do it by preinstalling a small combiner subpanel. 60A breaker for your Rosie and going out a 90A backfeed main into the SER. Then the second future Rosie can go into another 60A breaker. And you can also use this subpanel to feed loads next to your Rosie, which is probably convenient

Price it out against Polaris style connectors. I believe you would be paying $70ish for 3x Polaris style connectors of this size
 
zanydroid said:
Yes you will have to transition. If you might stack Rosie’s you can do it by preinstalling a small combiner subpanel. 60A breaker for your Rosie and going out a 90A backfeed main into the SER. Then the second future Rosie can go into another 60A breaker. And you can also use this subpanel to feed loads next to your Rosie, which is probably convenient

Price it out against Polaris style connectors. I believe you would be paying $70ish for 3x Polaris style connectors of this size
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The sub panel idea sounds good. There will be another breaker for a 240/30A or 50A outdoor outlet to allow for power to some external loads like compressors/welders etc. Maybe one of those RV pedestal type units with duplex 120, 120/30 and 240/30 outlets.
 
Brucey said:
The sub panel idea sounds good. There will be another breaker for a 240/30A or 50A outdoor outlet to allow for power to some external loads like compressors/welders etc. Maybe one of those RV pedestal type units with duplex 120, 120/30 and 240/30 outlets.
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I think it would be easiest to use a standard 12 or 20 space subpanel because of the flexibility. It depends on how many extra busbar spaces those pedestals offer. You could also feed the pedestal off the subpanel.

If this is getting inspected a 200A or 225A would make it easier to pass (but it should pass at 125A for two Rosies backfeeding into it)
 
zanydroid said:
I think it would be easiest to use a standard 12 or 20 space subpanel because of the flexibility. It depends on how many extra busbar spaces those pedestals offer. You could also feed the pedestal off the subpanel.

If this is getting inspected a 200A or 225A would make it easier to pass (but it should pass at 125A for two Rosies backfeeding into it)
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Thanks, yes will feed the pedestal from the subpanel. So a 100A breaker in the SER?
 
So I can get 2-2-2-4 for $1.59 a foot and then 1-1-1-3 for $2.09, might as well go with the larger to be easily within 100A rating?

nassaunationalcable.com

1-1-1-3 ALUMINUM SER CABLE

1-1-1-3 Aluminum SER Cable: 115 Amps at 90°C, 600V, NEC-approved. Ideal for branch circuits and panel feeders. Order today.
nassaunationalcable.com nassaunationalcable.com
 
Brucey said:
So I can get 2-2-2-4 for $1.59 a foot and then 1-1-1-3 for $2.09, might as well go with the larger to be easily within 100A rating?

nassaunationalcable.com

1-1-1-3 ALUMINUM SER CABLE

1-1-1-3 Aluminum SER Cable: 115 Amps at 90°C, 600V, NEC-approved. Ideal for branch circuits and panel feeders. Order today.
nassaunationalcable.com nassaunationalcable.com
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Sure, go big is fine esp if you know you don’t have to muscle it up into or through a weird place. All the other costs are basically identical regardless of your choice between 1 and 2

I went down from 1 to 2 bc I had to pull a 70’ bundle into the attic and through what turned out to be a super crowded top plate on one side.
 
42OhmsPA said:
Good price on 125A QO sub panel in this link.
Post in thread 'QO vs Homeline' https://diysolarforum.com/threads/qo-vs-homeline.83446/post-1084178
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Thanks. So do I use something like this for the feed from the main panel? Or does the 1-1-1-3 connect directly to the sub panel, and just have a 100A breaker at the main panel?

www.homedepot.com

Square D QO 100 Amp 22k AIR QOM1 Frame Size Main Breaker for QO or Homeline 125 or 100 Amp Load Centers QOM100VHCP - The Home Depot

Enjoy the QO 100 amp 2-Pole Main Breaker 82259, 240-volt accepts aluminum or copper #12 - 2/0 AWG feeder wire from The Home Depot
www.homedepot.com
 
Brucey said:
Thanks. So do I use something like this for the feed from the main panel? Or does the 1-1-1-3 connect directly to the sub panel, and just have a 100A breaker at the main panel?

www.homedepot.com

Square D QO 100 Amp 22k AIR QOM1 Frame Size Main Breaker for QO or Homeline 125 or 100 Amp Load Centers QOM100VHCP - The Home Depot

Enjoy the QO 100 amp 2-Pole Main Breaker 82259, 240-volt accepts aluminum or copper #12 - 2/0 AWG feeder wire from The Home Depot
www.homedepot.com
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For 100A there are three ways.

You can use main lug (no breaker) and rely on the breaker at the main and feeding from the Rosie to protect the wire.

You can use a branch breaker (ie backfed). This takes two busbar spaces.

You can use a main breaker (what you linked) in a main lug convertible panel.

Sometimes main breakers are cheaper/almost free if you buy them in a pre installed package with a convertible panel.
 
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