Victron is Over-priced Eurotrash. Why would anybody buy Victron over an AiO?

[sunshine_eggo]

For those familiar with my post-whoring ways, this subject line is likely quite shocking.

Just trying to make a point...

Seemed a good lead into the question.

The answer?

Because Victron is worth it. It's a small company run by people who give a shit and care about their product, its performance, features and the user experience.

Problems?

• 5 year warranty - can be serviced by any Victron distributor. Can upgrade to a 10 year warranty for 10% the purchase price. If you have a problematic distributor, you can submit a warranty claim directly through Victron. Someone claiming Victron doesn't honor warranties is doing it wrong.
• Community forum - not 100% successful, but most legit questions/issues get addressed either by Victron, Victron installers or power users.
• Wealth of information available online.
• Documentation is continually improving.
• Wiring Unlimited.

Features?

• Son of the founder personally oversees the development of the Venus OS.
• New features based on user requests or new equipment are regularly added to all types of hardware.
• Firmware updates to older hardware is still actively released due to the newest hardware sharing common firmware even if not all features are available on older hardware.

Why do I have blue smudges on my lips from all this Victron butt-kissing?

Because Victron does shit like this:

Introducing Solar Production Forecast - Victron Energy

VRM Solar Forecasts combines Victron's model of your sites solar production potential, and integrates irradiance forecasting data from Solcasts global fleet of weather satellites.

www.victronenergy.com

Then, after a month of feedback from users and obvious improvements, they pull this shit:

VRM Solar forecast range extended to 7 days - VictronEnergy

community.victronenergy.com

I've personally watched my own system get increasingly more accurate.

Why in the world offer this feature? How can it possibly benefit the company? Because it's run by people who love this stuff. They see the value, they use their own hardware, and they probably just think, "dang... this is really cool."

I'm confident in saying that there's no other company on the planet in this space that is this actively engaged with their user base.

 

[1201]

Clickbait!!!

But the thread will grow to 600 replies

 

[hwy17]

It's vanlife hardware, for your house.

 

[Aridom82]

Try to build a 24kw victron system that will pay for itself in your lifetime.

 

[Tomthumb62]

And then for the micro users with small Victron systems, the basic Bluetooth functionality in many Victron products is great. Their Victron Connect mobile app is just fantastic and updated almost monthly (twice this month).

 

[1201]

Try to build a 24kw victron system that will pay for itself in your lifetime.

How come no one ever factors in roi when they buy a sofa?

Can you put a price on freedom?

Etc etc. ???

 

[ghostwriter66]

I'm confident in saying that there's no other company on the planet in this space that is this actively engaged with their user base.

Going to say that MIDNITE SOLAR has them beat .... phenomenal customer service beyond expectations ... AND its all made in the US .. and so far none of their managers have got on these forums calling people idiots and liars (hello signature solar)

 

[cs1234]

MIDNITE SOLAR makes nice stuff, but it isn't pretty like the Victron stuff.. it's got a strange old person grandfather clock kind of feel to it.

 

[Bluedog225]

Putting replaceable fuses on all of the charge controllers would seem pretty user friendly. Or at least not foaming them together.

 

[hwy17]

a strange old person grandfather clock kind of feel

That stuff is growing on me, I want those art deco powerhouse vibes. We're gonna need a decorative tiling section.

 

[Brett V]

MIDNITE SOLAR makes nice stuff, but it isn't pretty like the Victron stuff.. it's got a strange old person grandfather clock kind of feel to it.

I like the art deco look.

 

[Tomthumb62]

MIDNITE SOLAR makes nice stuff, but it isn't pretty like the Victron stuff.. it's got a strange old person grandfather clock kind of feel to it.

Well if looks matter (and they DO), then Renogy has them beat.

Love my Victron, but it looks like a blue blimp designed by a 4-year old boy. Ask him, watts your favorite color? “Blue!” he says.

 

[Brett V]

They do make good stuff, and it's about as close as you'll get to plug and play with a level of scalability engineered in. I'm already heavily vested in Growatt and have learned a lot getting it to work as it should. If I were doing a more mission critical application, it would be all blue.

 

[Checkthisout]

Try to build a 24kw victron system that will pay for itself in your lifetime.

At least it will last a lifetime.

 

[1201]

They do make good stuff, and it's about as close as you'll get to plug and play with a level of scalability engineered in. I'm already heavily vested in Growatt and have learned a lot getting it to work as it should. If I were doing a more mission critical application, it would be all blue.

Plug and what? Are we talking about victron here?

 

[Brett V]

For those familiar with my post-whoring ways, this subject line is likely quite shocking.

Just trying to make a point...

Seemed a good lead into the question.

The answer?

Because Victron is worth it. It's a small company run by people who give a shit and care about their product, its performance, features and the user experience.

Problems?

• 5 year warranty - can be serviced by any Victron distributor. Can upgrade to a 10 year warranty for 10% the purchase price. If you have a problematic distributor, you can submit a warranty claim directly through Victron. Someone claiming Victron doesn't honor warranties is doing it wrong.
• Community forum - not 100% successful, but most legit questions/issues get addressed either by Victron, Victron installers or power users.
• Wealth of information available online.
• Documentation is continually improving.
• Wiring Unlimited.

Features?

• Son of the founder personally oversees the development of the Venus OS.
• New features based on user requests or new equipment are regularly added to all types of hardware.
• Firmware updates to older hardware is still actively released due to the newest hardware sharing common firmware even if not all features are available on older hardware.

Why do I have blue smudges on my lips from all this Victron butt-kissing?

Because Victron does shit like this:

Introducing Solar Production Forecast - Victron Energy

VRM Solar Forecasts combines Victron's model of your sites solar production potential, and integrates irradiance forecasting data from Solcasts global fleet of weather satellites.

www.victronenergy.com

Then, after a month of feedback from users and obvious improvements, they pull this shit:

VRM Solar forecast range extended to 7 days - VictronEnergy

community.victronenergy.com

I've personally watched my own system get increasingly more accurate.

Why in the world offer this feature? How can it possibly benefit the company? Because it's run by people who love this stuff. They see the value, they use their own hardware, and they probably just think, "dang... this is really cool."

I'm confident in saying that there's no other company on the planet in this space that is this actively engaged with their user base.

 

[Edphonse]

Try to build a 24kw victron system that will pay for itself in your lifetime.

I sold my jeep (cost me about $600/mo in just gas) and bought a tesla. I then bought 30kwh of eg4ll batteries, 2 eg4 6500ex inverters and 12x450 watt solar panels with the intention of using the money I saved on gas to pay for the system. Shortly after powering up the eg4 6500ex, I immediately hated everything about them; loud, runs REALLY hot, inefficient, 120/240v split phase kept losing sync with each other, and the software/solar assistant was just trash imo compared to VRM. I got rid of the 6500 ex and replaced them with 2x 5000va multi plus II and 1x smart solar 250/100. It cost me a little less than 2x as much as the 2 eg4ll. In total i spent about $11k for the initial set up but ended up at about $14k after the swap. (I have victron energy systems on my rv and loved the). The full system has been up for about 3 months now and I have been having to work on weekend, meaning driving more. I have saved around $2500 in gas so far by solar charging my car instead of gas for my jeep. So since my victron system was built to replace gas, and not the grid, the system will effectively be paid off by next year and every mile I drive after that will be "free." Sure, I could have charged from the grid and still saved a good majority of that, but then I wouldn't have my hobby/back up power when I lose power.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Plug and what? Are we talking about victron here?

Awesome! If you knew me, you'd know my big nose would hit first... :

 

[ghostwriter66]

MIDNITE SOLAR makes nice stuff, but it isn't pretty like the Victron stuff.. it's got a strange old person grandfather clock kind of feel to it.

Agree - but their stuff is SOLID ... and if you have a problem they answer the phone ... too me thats worth the grandfather clock feel ... (but yes even their software GUI seems very antiquated)

 

[Dzl]

Try to build a 24kw victron system that will pay for itself in your lifetime.

Sounds pricey, but also sounds like a pretty specific edge case that would be big time overkill for the vast majority of people. Under what conditions do you foresee needing 24,000W continuous?

 

[Brucey]

And then for the micro users with small Victron systems, the basic Bluetooth functionality in many Victron products is great. Their Victron Connect mobile app is just fantastic and updated almost monthly (twice this month).

It's been 5 hours since my last Victron delivery....baby steps. Hooked up a smart battery sense to the Redodo and networked it with the IP22 charger.

 

[Aridom82]

I sold my jeep (cost me about $600/mo in just gas) and bought a tesla. I then bought 30kwh of eg4ll batteries, 2 eg4 6500ex inverters and 12x450 watt solar panels with the intention of using the money I saved on gas to pay for the system. Shortly after powering up the eg4 6500ex, I immediately hated everything about them; loud, runs REALLY hot, inefficient, 120/240v split phase kept losing sync with each other, and the software/solar assistant was just trash imo compared to VRM. I got rid of the 6500 ex and replaced them with 2x 5000va multi plus II and 1x smart solar 250/100. It cost me a little less than 2x as much as the 2 eg4ll. In total i spent about $11k for the initial set up but ended up at about $14k after the swap. (I have victron energy systems on my rv and loved the). The full system has been up for about 3 months now and I have been having to work on weekend, meaning driving more. I have saved around $2500 in gas so far by solar charging my car instead of gas for my jeep. So since my victron system was built to replace gas, and not the grid, the system will effectively be paid off by next year and every mile I drive after that will be "free." Sure, I could have charged from the grid and still saved a good majority of that, but then I wouldn't have my hobby/back up power when I lose power.

smart solar 250/100 + 2x 5000va multiplus II + 30kwh eg4 + 12*450 watt solar panels would be 1k+3k+9k+2k = 15k ish, if you spend 600 a month in gas (goddamn), that would be around two years plus change in payback time if you dont count the car.
Now try a 24k three phase system that can take 20kwp of solar and 60kwh of batteries with victron, plus 37x530w solar panels, you might as well buy the damn sun.

 

[timselectric]

Blue is my favorite color.
And Victron is quality stuff.
If it weren't for the price, my whole system would be Blue.
But when you are building a large system. Savings are compounded exponentially.

 

[Aridom82]

Sounds pricey, but also sounds like a pretty specific edge case that would be big time overkill for the vast majority of people. Under what conditions do you foresee needing 24,000W continuous?

24kw max, about 5-6 continuous with 60kwh battery for: home electricity (workstation, cooking, hot water, 2 meat freezers), workshop electricity (lathe, milling machine, welding machine,... etc lights, computers), heating and ac of both places, electric car charging, external lights during the night, security and com systems...

 

[G00SE]

smart solar 250/100 + 2x 5000va multiplus II + 30kwh eg4 + 12*450 watt solar panels would be 1k+3k+9k+2k = 15k ish, if you spend 600 a month in gas (goddamn), that would be around two years plus change in payback time if you dont count the car.
Now try a 24k three phase system that can take 20kwp of solar and 60kwh of batteries with victron, plus 37x530w solar panels, you might as well buy the damn sun.

3x Quattro 10k 2x 450/200 charge controllers.
And you won’t have to replace any of it in 2 years for the next best thing
You’d be under 20k for all of the Victron equipment. Not much different than trying to go 3 phase with any other tier one