[Moved] Difference of perspective on Growatt/MPP All-in-One idle power consumption

[Zwy]

[Moderator Note: This discussion has been moved to its own dedicated topic, from a post where it was distracting from/tangential to OP's post, and derailing the conversation. And also an example of less-than-excellent communication on both our parts. Rather than deleting any content, its been moved to its own topic, in the interest of transparency and in case anyone finds two strangers on the internet mostly talking past each other and disagreeing in a less-than-constructive fashion to be of any value.]

I personally don't know much about all-in-ones, the simplicity is appealing, but the trade-offs have never fit my personal preference. The Victron Easysolar is the only one that has piqued my interest but its not available in the states.

The main thing I would double check when looking at AIO's is the idle power consumption (and also make sure you understand the different ratings--many newbies often misunderstand what rating applies to what function of the AIO).

I've seen you mention this several times about idle consumption and I'll give you what I have found. Under 1.5 amps (it does go between 1.3 to 1.5 amps) on 24V is what my Growatt SPF 3000 LVM has for idle consumption and that is actual in the field usage. Now, let's look at Victron based upon their published specs. The Phoenix 3000w inverter draws 20w No Load Power, it can be set to draw 15w and 10w with AES and Search mode, but let's be fair, as I never set my GW in any Search mode, I never found it necessary.

If we look at Multiplus in 24V, 3000w it shows idle again at 20w. That means we can see a 16w difference between the GW and Victron. That's 384w for an entire 24 hour period if one left it on all day and night, which I have a remote switch to turn it on and off easily and doesn't account for PV input once batteries are fully charged.

Let's quit with the myths about AIO idle consumption. It doesn't matter unless there is one 100w panel supplying a 50Ah battery. And even then with a switch to turn off the inverter while it is not in use would probably work.

 

[Dzl]

I've seen you mention this several times about idle consumption and I'll give you what I have found. Under 1.5 amps (it does go between 1.3 to 1.5 amps) on 24V is what my Growatt SPF 3000 LVM has for idle consumption and that is actual in the field usage.

Thanks for providing one real world data point, its helpful to hear what people see in practice, particularly since Growatt doesn't indicate no-load in their spec sheets (or at least not the ones I've seen), so my perspective is based on (1) MPP AIO's (which do publish no-load data) and (2) What others who own or have tested AIO's have reported (David Poz, saw 70W idle when testing the Growatt 5000ES 48V as one example). I admittedly have less info on Growatt than MPP. I will factor your experience into my impression.

[Late Edit: This conversation prompted me to put together a table of all user reported idle consumption figures for Growatt Inverters that I could find]

Let's quit with the myths about AIO idle consumption.

You may be your taking it a bit more personally than the comment warrants? Or maybe you are interpreting my caution about high idle as rejection of AIO's in general (which is not the intent). If it works for you, it works for you, and it sounds like it does work in your context, and you've developed strategies to minimize the idle consumption.

But, for many use-cases--especially solar limited mobile applications) your 1.3-1.5A * 25.6V = (800-1000Wh/24hr) is a meaningfully high idle consumption for a 3kw inverter. In some use-cases it isn't a major concern (abundant solar, large system) and in other cases it is (mobile, marine, any solar limited application where efficiency really matters--and as a reminder you are posting in a thread in the vehicle mounted systems section). We should be able to discuss pros/cons openly, and without feeling like your choice is being attacked simply because I point out a negative aspect to consider, that may not be important to you but will matter to others, there is no perfect, its just a matter of finding what works for you and your use-case.

Even going with your numbers, and even ignoring the power save functions of alternatives like Victron Phoenix or Multi, your AIO is using between 50% and 100% more power just sitting at idle. For your usage that may not matter much, for mobile applications, where 200W, 400W, maybe 1000W of solar is normal, a high idle consumption is a big deal (even 20W adds up quick if on 24/7, much more so @ 35, 40, even 70 for one MPP model). In his testing of an MPP AIO, Will estimated that ~400W of solar should be budgeted just to safely cover the AIO overhead alone, don't remember which model. I respectfully disagree with your characterization of this as a "myth" and I don't think it even is inherent to AIO's just the two popular budget brands last I checked, it may not apply to higher end offerings (i've never looked, but don't see any reason it should be be).

I don't want to discourage anyone from getting an AIO, I want to encourage people to assess their own personal needs for their own personal systems, and make a decision with as close to full information as possible. There is no one size fits all solution. And also, there is variation between devices, and changes over time, so what I (or anyone) says won't apply in every case.

Also, lets nip this tangential debate in the bud, any back and forth between you and I will just be a distraction in this thread, if you do want to discuss, PM me, I would be happy to discuss and there is always more to learn. But bear in mind my only advice in this thread was and is "The main thing I would double check when looking at AIO's is the idle power consumption"

 

[Zwy]

Thanks for providing one real world data point, its helpful to hear what people see in practice, particularly since Growatt doesn't indicate no-load in their spec sheets (or at least not the ones I've seen), so my perspective is based on (1) MPP AIO's (which do publish no-load data) and (2) What others who own or have tested AIO's have reported (David Poz, saw 70W idle when testing the Growatt 5000ES 48V as one example). I admittedly have less info on Growatt than MPP. I will factor your experience into my impression.

GW does publish this information in their specs, 2w which would be in Search mode. My idle consumption is around 30w because I don't utilize that setting but rather would use a remote to turn the inverter on and off manually.

That's a very distinct aspect and I stated as such in my original post disputing your misguided perspective.

You may be your taking it a bit more personally than the comment warrants?

No, I'm correcting your misinformation with real live results, in other words, facts, which you seem more inclined to use unverified opinions. That's part of what is wrong with society today. Maybe you are some type of AIO snob?

Or maybe you are interpreting my caution about high idle as rejection of AIO's in general (which is not the intent). If it works for you, it works for you, and it sounds like it does work in your context, and you've developed strategies to minimize the idle consumption.

My AIO works very well for the application I use it for.

But, for many use-cases--especially solar limited mobile applications) your 1.3-1.5A * 25.6V = (800-1000Wh/24hr) is a meaningfully high idle consumption for a 3kw inverter.

Victron uses 20w according to marketing materials (which I will touch on later) 20 x 25.6= 512Wh/24hr. GW uses around 30w in real life situation. , 30w x 24=720Wh


2 things, one the PV array is outputting watts during the day and if you turn off either inverter at night if you don't need it on, they both draw nothing. Second, if you need power at night to run various items, then it isn't standby idle consumption but rather efficiency that matters.

However, we are comparing apples to oranges as real life testing on Victron 3Kw inverter is higher than the 20w advertised in marketing materials.

In some use-cases it isn't a major concern (abundant solar, large system) and in other cases it is (mobile, marine, any solar limited application where efficiency really matters--and as a reminder you are posting in a thread in the vehicle mounted systems section).

Mine is mounted on a mobile application, it works just fine.

We should be able to discuss pros/cons openly, and without feeling like your choice is being attacked simply because I point out a negative aspect to consider, that may not be important to you but will matter to others, there is no perfect, its just a matter of finding what works for you and your use-case.

You claim it is a negative aspect, I claim it is a moot point. It shouldn't be a factor unless PV array is only one 50w panel and you don't turn the unit off or adjust settings for sleep mode which would be a problem with any inverter. I reported what I found to be actual real life numbers, you are using speculation, then attempting to compare oranges to apples.

Even going with your numbers, and even ignoring the power save functions of alternatives like Victron Phoenix or Multi, your AIO is using between 50% and 100% more power just sitting at idle.

If you want to compare power save functions then GW marketing specs says 2w while Victron uses 8w real life. https://diysolarforum.com/threads/h...e-just-sitting-there-idling.14669/post-239595

Now, let's get some real Victron numbers as reported in this very forum. https://diysolarforum.com/threads/h...e-just-sitting-there-idling.14669/post-164048

If you search various internet forums, you will find this to be the case with Victron if not in power save mode. It will draw 30w and 8w in power save mode.
GW says 2w in power save mode. https://i1.wp.com/watts247.com/wp-c.../3000LVM-13-Datasheet.png?fit=1602,1530&ssl=1

I can play the marketing vs real life results game too.

For your usage that may not matter much, for mobile applications, where 200W, 400W, maybe 1000W of solar is normal, a high idle consumption is a big deal (even 20W adds up quick if on 24/7, much more so @ 35, 40, even 70 for one MPP model).

You are speculating here, let's stick to facts. And real life numbers point to the fact any pure sine wave inverter will have about the same standby idle consumption. Many modified sine wave will have much lower idle consumption. https://diysolarforum.com/threads/h...e-just-sitting-there-idling.14669/post-164049

In his testing of an MPP AIO, Will estimated that ~400W of solar should be budgeted just to safely cover the AIO overhead alone, don't remember which model.

If you look at the link provided above, the Victron uses the same as my GW in real life and makes this all a moot point.

I respectfully disagree with your characterization of this as a "myth" and I don't think it even is inherent to AIO's just the two popular budget brands last I checked, it may not apply to higher end offerings (i've never looked, but don't see any reason it should be be).

I just showed your information is not true. You can use advertised marketing material or real life facts and reports. I prefer the latter as it is how I use my equipment.

I don't want to discourage anyone from getting an AIO, I want to encourage people to assess their own personal needs for their own personal systems, and make a decision with as close to full information as possible. There is no one size fits all solution. And also, there is variation between devices, and changes over time, so what I (or anyone) says won't apply in every case.

I'm pointing out that idle consumption is not even a consideration.

Also, lets nip this tangential debate in the bud, any back and forth between you and I will just be a distraction in this thread, if you do want to discuss, PM me, I would be happy to discuss and there is always more to learn. But bear in mind my only advice in this thread was and is "The main thing I would double check when looking at AIO's is the idle power consumption"

No, I'm going to discuss right here because you want to hide in PM. That isn't going to happen simply because you made a statement that is false and I will correct you for making it so others can have the correct information.

 

[Dzl]

No, I'm correcting your misinformation with real live results, in other words, facts, which you seem more inclined to use unverified opinions.

You really can't see the silliness of portraying your own reported experience as "facts" and the reported experiences of anyone else as "unverified opinion." To everyone but yourself, you are a random stranger on the internet (as am I), your report is worth no more or no less than than other reports from other owners that you call "unverified opinions." And the assumption/expectation that your report/opinion (single data point) should somehow take precedence over the dozens of other people's reports here and elsewhere, and especially the video reviews showing idle consumption is perplexing. It feels that you are upset at me for stating something that is essentially common knowledge to most people here, and has been for some years.

Buts that's besides the point, because I'm not even disagreeing with your (initial) reported numbers your 33-40w is inline with other reports for that size Growatt. But I (and many others) simply have a different idea of what is high idle consumption. Using your own numbers, the Growatt used between 50% and 100% more than the similarly sized Victron you chose to compare to (that is ignoring both Inverters power save modes, since as you mentioned correctly, those modes are not applicable to many people, and I haven't actually seen

As I said, I'd your system works for you it works for you, I'm not here to tell you otherwise. But the way in which you are responding to perceived critisism is immature. You seem intent on making this into an argument that it didn't have to be, an specifically seeming to want to argue over Victron vs Growatt and seem really emotionally invested in your purchase. To the point that you are letting it overshadow your objectivity and respect for others. I don't want play that game. This whole outburst started over the simple recommendation to:

I would double check when looking at AIO's is the idle power consumption"

I honestly don't see how that triggered this outburst/defensiveness.
I am far from the first and definitely won't be the last person to acknowledge the high idle of MPP and Growatt AIO's (some of Growatts biggest proponents, state this as one of the negatives/cons, while still having a positive overall impression of the Growatt). As to me, my goal is just to help people understand the tradeoffs of various choices, and make their own decisions with fuller information. I don't want to argue and I don't want to tell people wht to think.

I'm happy your Growatt works for you, I'm happy the ~33-40W (1.3-1.5A) idle you are seeing is acceptable to you, it will be for some others too, and it will be unacceptably high for many others. I say it all the time and I mean it, there is no perfect choice, it's all about finding what works for you, and finding tradeoffs that you can live with/fit your needs. And I'm happy for you to share your opinion. But please learn to disagree civilly, respectfully, and constructively, and without the arrogant presumption that when you report your experience it's "real world facts" and when others do it it's "unverified opinion".

I (initially) meant it when I said I was happy to learn of your experience, and would incorporate it into my impression, but the more we talk the harder it is to give weight to your opinion as it really feels you lack objectivity on this topic for whatever reason, and you just seem intent on arguing or proving something, not discussing, not weighing pros/cons, arguing in a not very constructive way. Compared with the other more level headed reports, and videos showing and testing these units (for the most part from other people happy with their purchase), its hard to give your rant much weight. I'm not going to continue engaging here. I like talking abut specs, I like learning from others' experiences, but the way you are approaching this is not constructive (not for you and I, and not for the thread in general).

 

[Dzl]

On a more constructive note, this conversation has prompted me to refresh/revisit my impression of Growatt and MPP AIO's. I still have at best minimal familiarity with them. But I did a bit of digging using the forum search function, and checking a few hands-on reviews, below are all the owner and reviewer idle consumption reports I could unearth (including yours):

Reported Idle Consumption	Who	What
34-39W (1.3A-1.5A @ 24V nominal)	Growatt Owner Link -- Zwy	Growatt SPF 3000 24V
37W	Growatt Owner Link -- Schism	Growatt SPF 3000 24V
55W	Growatt Owner Link -- ACdoctor	Growatt SPF 3000 24V
48W	Growatt Owner Link	Growatt SPF 3000
44-49W	Growatt Owner Link -- Gaze	Growatt SPF 3000
50-65W	Growatt Owner Link -- SKpro	Growatt SPF 3000 48V
50W ("About 50W")	Growatt Owner Link -- acptjbv (1)	Growatt SPF 3000
25-40W ("About 25-40W")	Growatt Owner Link -- acptjb (2)	Growatt SPF 3000
42W (42W from battery, 58W from gird)	Growatt Owner Link -- Exodus	Growatt SPF 3000 24V
54W ("About 1A for a 48v inverter")	Growatt Owner Link -- vbolduc08	Growatt SPF 3000 48V
49W	Growatt Owner Link -- sunshine_eggo (1)	Growatt SPF 3000 24V
54W	Growatt Owner Link -- sunshine_eggo (2)	Growatt SPF 3000 24V
<60W	Growatt SPF 3000 Manual Link (pg 43)	Growatt SPF 3000 48V
"About 4A" (voltage not stated)	Growatt Technical Support Link	Growatt SPF 3000
70W	David Poz (Owner, Reviewer) Link	Growatt SPF 5000 48V
162W ("3A @ 54V")	Growatt Owner Link -- Wild01	Growatt SPF 6000T DVM 48V

Based on the above (excluding the last two entries which are for higher power models):
Highest owner reported idle consumption:
"50-65W"

Lowest owner reported idle consumption:
"25W-40W"

Average idle consumption:
48W

Average (owner reports only, excludes manual and tech support datapoints):
47W

**Where Amps were stated instead of Watts, I use [Amps] * [13V, 26V, 54V] to convert to Watts.

 

[Zwy]

You really can't see the silliness of portraying your own reported experience as "facts" and the reported experiences of anyone else as "unverified opinion."

I'm using reported draws of units that are in use, not marketing specs shown in brochures. And what I found is that for a 3Kw pure sine inverter, they all use around 30w, even Victron in non power save mode and one can find that here and other forums . That makes all this discussion a moot point.

I didn't bring in the GW power save mode as I have not checked it and have no need to. It most likely will fall right inline with Victron.

To everyone but yourself, you are a random stranger on the internet, your report is worth no more or no less than than other reports from other owners that you call "unverified opinions." And the assumption/expectation that your report/opinion (single data point) should somehow take precedence over the dozens of other people's reports here and elsewhere, and especially the video reviews showing idle consumption is perplexing. It feels that you are upset at me for stating something that is essentially common knowledge to most people here, and has been for some years.

Buts that's besides the point, because I'm not even disagreeing with your (initial) reported numbers your 33-40w is inline with other reports for that size Growatt. But I (and many others) simply have a different idea of what is high idle consumption. Using your own numbers, the Growatt used between 50% and 100% more than the similarly sized Victron you chose to compare to (that is ignoring both Inverters power save modes, since as you mentioned correctly, those modes are not applicable to many people, and I haven't actually seen

As I said, I'd your system works for you it works for you, I'm not here to tell you otherwise. But the way in which you are responding to perceived critisism is immature. You seem intent on making this into an argument that it didn't have to be, an specifically seeming to want to argue over Victron vs Growatt and seem really emotionally invested in your purchase. To the point that you are letting it overshadow your objectivity and respect for others. I don't want play that game. This whole outburst started over the simple recommendation to:

I honestly don't see how that triggered this outburst/defensiveness.
I am far from the first and definitely won't be the last person to acknowledge the high idle of MPP and Growatt AIO's (some of Growatts biggest proponents, state this as one of the negatives/cons, while still having a positive overall impression of the Growatt). As to me, my goal is just to help people understand the tradeoffs of various choices, and make their own decisions with fuller information. I don't want to argue and I don't want to tell people wht to think.

I'm happy your Growatt works for you, I'm happy the ~33-40W (1.3-1.5A) idle you are seeing is acceptable to you, it will be for some others too, and it will be unacceptably high for many others. I say it all the time and I mean it, there is no perfect choice, it's all about finding what works for you, and finding tradeoffs that you can live with/fit your needs. And I'm happy for you to share your opinion. But please learn to disagree civilly, respectfully, and constructively, and without the arrogant presumption that when you report your experience it's "real world facts" and when others do it it's "unverified opinion".

I (initially) meant it when I said I was happy to learn of your experience, and would incorporate it into my impression, but the more we talk the harder it is to give weight to your opinion as it really feels you lack objectivity on this topic for whatever reason, and you just seem intent on arguing or proving something, not discussing, not weighing pros/cons, arguing in a not very constructive way. Compared with the other more level headed reports, and videos showing and testing these units (for the most part from other people happy with their purchase), its hard to give your rant much weight. I'm not going to continue engaging here. I like talking abut specs, I like learning from others' experiences, but the way you are approaching this is not constructive (not for you and I, and not for the thread in general).

All the rest of this in nonsense, I'm not the one experiencing emotion about the topic. I researched this subject before a purchase of a GW and saw you incorrectly making the assertion that GW has a high idle consumption compared to other inverters. I'll let others make their decision based upon real life numbers reported and not marketing claims.

 

[Dzl]

I'm using reported draws of units that are in use

So are all the other people reporting their own experiences.
You can see some of them in the table above. Your experience carries no more or less weight than anyone else's. You clearly trust your own experience and value it more than anyone else's, but to everyone else, your experience is a single data point with equal weight to any other.

I researched this subject before a purchase of a GW and saw you incorrectly making the assertion that GW has a high idle consumption

To be clear, the comment you reacted to was not an assertion at all. Maybe you perceived it that way but go back and read the actual comment. slowly. twice.

What you reacted to, and what you quoted originally was:

The main thing I would double check when looking at AIO's is the idle power consumption

I was giving advice to look into it, not asserting anything, and not referring to Growatt in particular. If you go back a bit in my post history you will see earlier that day, I even stated I wasn't sure about Growatt in particular, and mentioned that it may have lower idle than MPP, and planned ot look into it. I think you were/are projecting and reading things that were not actually said. I honestly think this whole exhausting conversation is just based on misunderstanding/misinterpretation and if you take a step back and disengage for a moment you will come to see that.

But beyond this, am I really the first person you've heard refer to cheaper AIOs as having a reputation/track record for high idle consumption? I don't understand why you seem so upset by my comment in particular even if it did say all the things you imagine it to have said. Budget AIOs tending to have high idle consumption has been relatively common knowledge for a couple years, and has been discussed by dozens of others on this forum and elsewhere (many of them happy owners), and discussed in various hands-on reviews, on Will's website, etc. I don't know why this single comment--which again, was just advice to look into the idle draw--seemed to get so far under your skin in particular. But it is exhausting and a waste of both of our time, no real exchange is occurring, nothing is being gained, and there is enough collected data free of commentary in my previous comment or elsewhere for anyone interested to form their own opinions and ignore us.

 

[Zwy]

I look at it this way, you are a staff member and moderator and simply didn't like being questioned about what you posted. I'm not the one posting with emotion. I'm done with this conversation as you can't seem to grasp that.

 

[acdoctor]

So all of this debate has prompted me to check mine. Growatt SPF 3000TL LVM 24v. 55 watts is where I am at. Checked with a current clamp meter and it agreed with the BMS at the same time. 1.32 kw per day IS a substantial number. I will check my old inverter and charge controllers they surely have a idle consumption. Back to the 1.32kw if you were to put 800 watts flat on the roof. During the winter that could be less than 400 watts x as little as 3 hours is 1.2kw.
I think that would be a very important bit of information to consider before purchasing. If you are producing 8kw / day not as big of a deal.
This is my measurements and personal not so professional opinion.

 

[Dzl]

So all of this debate has prompted me to check mine. Growatt SPF 3000TL LVM 24v. 55 watts is where I am at. Checked with a current clamp meter and it agreed with the BMS at the same time. 1.32 kw per day IS a substantial numbers.
...
This is my measurements and personal not so professional opinion.

Thanks for providing your input, I've added your results to the table as well and updated the numbers.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I'll chime in.

Two Growatt 3K units operating in 120/240VAC split phase with no loads attached:

BMS reported:

1.8A @ 27.2V (49W) and 2.0A 27.2V (54W)

Current verified with Klein Tools CL800 clamp ammeter.

That's 2.5kWh/day or 16% of the existing battery capacity.

Tier 1 inverters run 40-60% less.

 

[acdoctor]

So I left my trailer plugged in while away for Thanksgiving just in case solar got behind. I have growatt set to maintain between 20 and 35% charge from grid connections if plugged in. Today while checking bms to see if batteries fully recovered from the previous night I unplugged the grid connections and the SELF CONSUMPTION JUMPED WAY UP. Further testing revealed.
37 Watts while grid connection is connected
55 Watts while grid connection is disconnected
I hope people are still following this

 

[offgriddave]

Hi just thought I throw this in

Victron 48/375VA (700 watt).... 12 watts at idle. ...with everything disconnected my AMES CM1000A AC/DC clamp meter reads .25amp at 47.74volts. This is with the bluetooth connector as well. Box says 9w, but I am sure that's at 95% utilization. I'm only using 30-200w at max.

Beats the hell of of my LV5048 which was 60w idle.
I just want to say... it is absolutely ridiculous that these devices vampire 60w. For the MPP LV5048... that's 60 * 24 = 1440 watt hours of extra solar panels, batteries, connectors, mounts... or 14% of my 10kw battery pack for nothing.

I bought the Victron because it was advertised at 9w, guess I'll settle for 12w. 12w * 24 = 288wh/day. I haven't tried ECO mode.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Hi just thought I throw this in

Victron 48/375VA (700 watt).... 12 watts at idle. ...with everything disconnected my AMES CM1000A AC/DC clamp meter reads .25amp at 47.74volts. This is with the bluetooth connector as well. Box says 9w, but I am sure that's at 95% utilization. I'm only using 30-200w at max.

Idle is idle. It's not related to efficiency or utilization. Efficiency is how much DC power is converted to AC power, and they tend to be most efficient around 30% utilization. It does not include the self-consumption of the equipment. That's a bonus penalty.

Beats the hell of of my LV5048 which was 60w idle.
I just want to say... it is absolutely ridiculous that these devices vampire 60w. For the MPP LV5048... that's 60 * 24 = 1440 watt hours of extra solar panels, batteries, connectors, mounts... or 14% of my 10kw battery pack for nothing.

Circuitry requires power. You can't generate a 60Hz waveform and consume no juice. I agree that the Voltronix made units are excessive, but when you pay a small fraction of the price of Tier 1 hardware, you pay for it in other ways.

I bought the Victron because it was advertised at 9w, guess I'll settle for 12w. 12w * 24 = 288wh/day. I haven't tried ECO mode.

ECO mode is only useful if you have no loads at all. If you need to ANY power loads, ECO is disabled. It also has a threshold. If you have very small loads below the threshold like 8W LED bulbs, they won't be powered at all. For equipment that relies on AC to turn on higher load items, like a fridge compressor, they won't work at all.

 

[offgriddave]

ECO mode is only useful if you have no loads at all. If you need to ANY power loads, ECO is disabled. It also has a threshold. If you have very small loads below the threshold like 8W LED bulbs, they won't be powered at all. For equipment that relies on AC to turn on higher load items, like a fridge compressor, they won't work at all.

Thanks I enjoy your comment. The search for the lowest wattage overhead continues! Looks like I'm in first place with the Victron 48/375VA @12w from my research.

I did an incredible amount of research to get my consumption down, LED 12v lights 3w, RPI 400 3.4watts, LCD that uses 13w. Its my starlink which hogs all the wattage -- 140w. Doesn't help it is 400 feet away at 10AWG extension cables. Voltage drop.

There's a feature in Victron to up the voltage from 120 to 125v ... I wonder if that might help. I'll try it sometime.

To bad eco mode doesn't do anything.

There's another option. I can run a 48v -> 12v converter for all my 12v devices which is everything but starlink. Skip the inverter. Interesting the starlink uses a properitary Power Over Ethernet (PoE) cable that is 48v. Yes, 48v batteries to 120v, then that 400ft, back to 48v. Clown world tech. But getting 1-2% gains with a 48v->12v 240watt converter doesn't mean much at this point.

 

[Dzl]

Offtopic, but I'm curious what you use for a low power LCD display

 

[offgriddave]

Offtopic, but I'm curious what you use for a low power LCD display

here's my monitor

Amazon.com

Acer B277 27" LED LCD Monitor - 16:9-4 ms GTG, Black​

Spec: 9w
Measured: 13w with eco mode on and brightness turned down a little bit. Measured with Kill-a-watt

I spent probably 12 hours going through Energy Star and cross referencing available units and newer models, until I bit the bullet on this one... It knocks it out of the park. Because the models on Energy Star's website are long gone, out of stock, or have a massive price increase, it was frustrating.

 

[wild01]

Don't know if you're still collecting data but my growatt 6000t dvm (150v mppt model) from signature uses a whopping 3a @54v on idle. turned on no loads running output breaker off.

 

[Zwy]

Don't know if you're still collecting data but my growatt 6000t dvm (150v mppt model) from signature uses a whopping 3a @54v on idle. turned on no loads running output breaker off.

Low frequency inverter, it will have high idle consumption.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Cheap Low frequency inverter, it will have high idle consumption.

Revised for clarity. My 5kW Victron burns 27W, and it's a LF inverter.