What is powering my AC/DC loads in this Victron Remote Console view?

[AlaskanNoob]

Batteries just charged up to full and the MPPT went from throttling from 6KW coming in to just a few watts as the batteries requested less, and then it stopped charging and started showing -16W for some reason. If we turn on a bigger AC load the MPPT then starts supplying power.

But I'm trying to figure out what is powering our AC and DC loads here when the MPPT shows -16W and the battery shows no charge or discharge? Something is powering the loads since it all works, but is the Victron system not able to identify it, or am I just reading this wrong?

The loads are the Quattro 15K and the MPPT RS and an Orion 48/48 that is supplying power to a Starlink dish and then a few small loads around the cabin.

I would *think* the MPPT would be allowing in some of the PV to supply the AC/DC loads, and maybe that is what is happening, it's just odd that it shows -16W though.

The sun is out and the MPPT has access to KWs of PV btw.

 

[Q-Dog]

I suppose the charger just switched from absorption to float and the battery is draining down to float voltage.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

I suppose the charger just switched from absorption to float and the battery is draining down to float voltage.

Wouldn't it show a discharge to power the 240W or so of loads while doing that?

 

[Q-Dog]

Are you running DC loads? Since the DC Power panel is a calculated value, mine sometimes shows funny numbers when the system changes states or big AC loads start and stop.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Are you running DC loads? Since the DC Power panel is a calculated value, mine sometimes shows funny numbers when the system changes states or big AC loads start and stop.

The only DC loads I have are the Quattro and the MPPT RS (don't know if those count as DC loads) and also an Orion that powers Starlink.

What confuses me about the display is that the power has to come from somewhere. So I would think the battery should show a discharge value or the MPPT should show power coming in.

 

[Brucey]

Found someone who sees the same -16W on their mppt after dark:

negative DC load? - Victron Community

community.victronenergy.com

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Now that the batteries are no longer at 100%, the display makes more sense to me.


There are 286W of AC load and 163W of DC load (total of 449W of load) and the battery shows it's discharging 476W given it's dark and there is no sun. The battery is discharging 27W more than the AC/DC loads (perhaps that is the power to run the MPPT and Quattro).

 

[Drunkin Solar]

When the MPPT shuts down it has no power draw.
The 27W you see is the consumption of the inverter and electronics of the Quattro.

It is the same amount of consumption I see on my MultiPlus except when a heavier AC load goes on the consumption number increases with the load.

 

[AlaskanNoob]

Seems to be right as the battery SOC hits 98% and the batteries further ratchet down the charge current from the MPPT, that the DC power shows a negative number while the MPPT limits power coming in.

Adding the negative number in the DC power section (which shows being a power source) to the MPPT PV is enough to cover the loads.

So basically the MPPT seems to be supplying whatever it is showing PLUS the DC power (negative number). I think it's just a display issue, but I think the answer is the MPPT is supplying all the power.

I think the key to reading what is going on is any negative number in DC power is actually positive power being supplied by the MPPT and any negative number in PV should be subtracted from that number to get what the MPPT is actually supplying to the system.