question

tuscansun avatar image
tuscansun asked

MPPT Location

I am considering mounting two SmartSolar controllers in my engine room to get them as close to the batteries as possible. With the engines running, it may get as hot as 105 degrees in the ER. However, when the engines are running the controller will not be charging the batteries because each engine has a 150 amp alternator.


So I have two questions. First, Will the engine room operating environment harm the controllers? Second, can I use the VictronConnect app to disable charging and effectively turn off the controller when I am underway and won’t need the solar?


Thanks, Mike

MPPT Controllers
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3 Answers
Matthias Lange - DE avatar image
Matthias Lange - DE answered ·

The operating temperature is -30 to +60°C.

The case of the MPPT is made of plastic and I think temperatures around 100°C can start to damage the case and/or other parts.

Are the batteries also in the same room? I would say that such high temperatures are not good for them too.

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ripper avatar image
ripper answered ·

We are probably talking Fahrenheit? As said before, batteries dont like the heat, also the MPPT remembers the temperature on startup to correct charging voltage. Residual heat or the one of an early morning cruise will upset the remembered temperature and might damage the batteries by under or overcharging. Further measures to get actual battery temperature might be advised.

Shutting off via bluetooth is possible, but why bother?Solar can still support the charging process and will taper off (and all the way to zero) if the MPPTs are set to a lower voltage then the generator will deliver. The MPPTs dont care about a different charger delievering the power instead of them. It automatically takes over again when the engine is shut down and the voltage drops again.

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tuscansun avatar image
tuscansun answered ·

Yes, my batteries are also in the engine room. Very common for our type of boat. Locating the controllers in the engine room is the only way I can avoid using 4AWG wire from the controllers to the batteries, which the controller cannot accomodate.

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