Victron MPPT Controller showing 0 Watts (see pic)

[saxon11]

New Victron 100W 20A MPPT controller. I hooked everything up, checked connections, looked good. Light is green on controller. I loaded up app, and show 0W coming from panels. Is this nromal or could be from battery being dead? confused, thank you

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Victron MPPT requires Panel voltage to be 5V above battery voltage. Once started, +2V.

This is rarely a problem as 36 cell panel Voc is typically 20-22V.

You show only 18.3V PV vs. 13.8V battery.

If you have more than one panel, recommend up to 4 in series.

 

[saxon11]

Victron MPPT requires Panel voltage to be 5V above battery voltage. Once started, +2V.

This is rarely a problem as 36 cell panel Voc is typically 20-22V.

You show only 18.3V PV vs. 13.8V battery.

If you have more than one panel, recommend up to 4 in series.

I have two panels, 1 is 100w and the other is 75w. I use this y parrelel connecor.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Please list the label data on the back of panels.

 

[Rocketman]

The solar charge controller is in float with your battery at 13.81v.

The battery is full and in float! It is coming off of absorption mode. You are good!

One other screen on the Victron mppt’s that is very useful Is the history screen. Not for those bar graph’s for the last 30 days, but below that it has your battery max voltage and min voltage for the day - and the last 30 days. Keep you eye on that screen And the status screen and you can pretty well figure out what is going on with the battery. (The Smartshunt or BMV712 is also very useful - but I find the history screen in the mppt to be the most useful).

If you have any other questions - post the history screen with the last 5 days - and we can discuss.

 

[Rocketman]

Mixing two different panels can cause much lower results than would be thought of. Usually a 75 + 100 will equal 150 watts (but it could be lower). Like what Sunshine said - post a picture of both the labels and we can show the why of what you will get. (You may get better watts by going in series instead of parallel).

 

[saxon11]

I had my pump connected to the “load” terminals on the Controller and nothing happened. Then I connected the pump directly to the battery and it fired right up. What am I missing here?

 

[Bud Martin]

I had my pump connected to the “load” terminals on the Controller and nothing happened. Then I connected the pump directly to the battery and it fired right up. What am I missing here?

how much current does the pump require to run?
The switched DC Load output can only handle 20A (only 1A if your system is 36V or 48V) for your 100V/20A SCC. It is not made for real heavy load especially the load with high inrush current, the switched power MOSFET can be damaged.
User manual: https://www.victronenergy.com/uploa...up_to_100-20/MPPT_solar_charger_manual-en.pdf

 

[Risky Rob]

I had my pump connected to the “load” terminals on the Controller and nothing happened. Then I connected the pump directly to the battery and it fired right up. What am I missing here?

I've read that DC load terminals aren't good for inductive loads, that need high amps to start a motor.

 

[saxon11]

how much current does the pump require to run?
The switched DC Load output can only handle 20A (only 1A if your system is 36V or 48V) for your 100V/20A SCC. It is not made for real heavy load especially the load with high inrush current, the switched power MOSFET can be damaged.
User manual: https://www.victronenergy.com/uploa...up_to_100-20/MPPT_solar_charger_manual-en.pdf
View attachment 102370

DC Pump Specifications:
Model: ACQ-906
Rated Voltage: DC 12V
Power: 60W
Rated Pressure: 0.10MPa
Flow L/M: 120L/M
Size: 223*110*113mm

 

[Bud Martin]

DC Pump Specifications:
Model: ACQ-906
Rated Voltage: DC 12V
Power: 60W
Rated Pressure: 0.10MPa
Flow L/M: 120L/M
Size: 223*110*113mm

Does it have surge current spec?
BTW, did the pump even try to start up when you enable the DC Load output?

 

[saxon11]

Mixing two different panels can cause much lower results than would be thought of. Usually a 75 + 100 will equal 150 watts (but it could be lower). Like what Sunshine said - post a picture of both the labels and we can show the why of what you will get. (You may get better watts by going in series instead of parallel).

Here are labels of the two panels

 

[saxon11]

As I’m trying to figure this out and based on responses here, couple things come to mind:

1. Should I try in Series vs how it is today in parallel?

2. Should I get a larger Victron?

3. Could i just skip controller and battery all together, add panels and run pump directly from panels? Obviously only run when sun shining, not ideal but worth thinking about.

 

[Tim Tim]

I had my pump connected to the “load” terminals on the Controller and nothing happened. Then I connected the pump directly to the battery and it fired right up. What am I missing here?

Hope that you read the responses regarding the load terminals.

When you ran the pump directly from the battery what did your solar controller show?

 

[Rocketman]

Do several internet searches about mixing different solar panels.

The way to get the most watts are to get another solar charge controller and put each panel on its own controller- that will get you 100 + 75 watts.

In series you add the voltage- but use the lowest current. In parallel you add the current but use the lowest voltage.

Your panels:
100w - 18.25v 5.48a
75w - 17v 4.41a

So in Series you get 35.25v 4.41a = 155w
So in Parallel you get 17v 9.99a = 169w

However, the Victron mppt’s need 4v above the battery to start (2v to maintain), So both panels (but especially the 75w) will need to be collecting high amounts of solar before they turn on the Victron mppt.

With these panels I would keep them in series and accept the lower watts until you get newer panels that have a higher voltage- then get a cheap pwm solar charge controller and use that on these panels.

Your idea of connecting the pump directly to the panels… will those voltages burn it up, or not give it enough current to start or run and burn it up?

Your idea of a bigger Victron Solar charge controller is not needed - in fact the 100/20 you have is bigger than you need - you could have gotten the 75/15 and saved money and that one is still slightly bigger than what your current panels will handle.
Hopefully I made sense and didn’t screw-up the math.

Good Luck!

 

[saxon11]

I charged the battery first, the direct load to battery and have panels hooked up and here is reading

 

[Rocketman]

Remember you will not get full watts unless you have perfect conditions. My solar panels are flat mounted on my RV. I have 1220 watts of panels- I usually only see somewhere between 600 to 850 watts on the reports- but I have seen just over 1000 watts once.

You have your panels connected up in parallel- correct? (Both panels positive are connected and both negatives are connected).

It is probably running as well as it can. Let it charge your batteries. You have set-up the settings correctly for you battery- right?

If you notice the SCC (solar charge controller) does not start charging until well after you think it should, that will because to start it it needs 12.48v + 4v = 16.4 volts and the max voltage your panels can deliver in parallel is 17.02volts. If you change the way the panels are connected to series - connect one of the two panels positive to negative , then the other positive and negative goes to the SCC. This will ramp your volts up to about 35v and the SCC will startup earlier and last longer.

Good Luck!

 

[Rocketman]

Your pump should run just fine from the battery and you should have enough power to run the pump and charge the battery- but be careful and watch it if you run the pump overnight - you could run the battery too low. Remember with lead-acid batteries they should not be drained more than 50% down and they should be fully charged and absorbed very often (every time is best).

A couple of other Victron items that may interest you.

Smartshunt: this is like a fuel gauge for you battery- once it’s setup and running you can look and see if your battery is at 100% or 77% or 10% of useable amps left.

Smart BP-65. If you want to leave the pump running at night - but don’t have a big enough battery to run it all night - this device can shut- off the power to the circuit (pump) at a certain voltage- then restart the pump at a higher voltage(when the sun is back out).

 

[Bud Martin]

So the pump draws 8.8A when it is running, that may mean the inrush current draw can be over 20A which is more than the DC Load output can supply.

 

[saxon11]

In series, that voltage jumped right up, and ran great today.