question

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love2learn asked

Cerbo GX/VRM- Remote Inverter shutdown/startup

I was told I would be able to remotely turn off the inverter from the Cerbo GX. Where in the Cerbo GX or VRM portal would I configure this?


Setup:

Victron Multiplus 24/3000/70 Inverter

Victron SmartShunt

Victron 100|50 (MPPT 1)

Victron 100|50 (MPPT 2)

Victron Cerbo GX (connected directly to batteries)


Use case: Off-grid power at cabin. I want to keep the inverter on while I'm away. While at home, I'd be occasionally checking battery SoC to make sure they are staying topped off or at close to 100%. In winter, if the solar panels get covered in snow and dont get cleared off on their own, I would want to power off the inverter so I am not spending 1500-2000 watts/day eating away at the battery SoC (~60-80 watts/hr idle consumption). I understand this means that I am no longer able to get into the Cerbo via VRM since the internet gets shut down when the inverter gets powered off. Of course, remote access wont be available unless I travel back to the cabin and turn on the inverter, or have a nearby neighbor turn it on for me. However, my 1500-2000 watt per day idle consumption will drop to almost zero and allow the batteries to trickle back up to full as the snow melts off the solar panels.


Where do I program the Cerbo/Inverter/VRM to automatically shut down the inverter at, for example ,30% SoC, then automatically turn the inverter back on after the batteries reach 80% SoC? If this isnt possible to do as I described, is there another way to accomplish what I described in my use case?

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Chargercerbo gxVRMremote console
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1 Answer
Matthias Lange - DE avatar image
Matthias Lange - DE answered ·

Manually via the remote console -> menu -> device list -> MultiPlus -> switch

Via VRM dashboard:

https://www.victronenergy.com/live/vrm_portal:dashboard#control_your_devices_in_vrm

Automatically you could use the relay of the Cerbo and connect it to the remote port of the MultiPlus.

Or maybe that's possible with NodeRed.

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love2learn avatar image love2learn commented ·

Ok so it looks like this might be possible using the remote port on the Multiplus? It's "shorted" from the factory (Labeled "h" in the attached diagram), so if I put that through the relay, then technically the Cerbo should be able to turn it on and off.




How do I program the logic on the relay though? The only options I see for the relay are "Alarm relay", "generator start/stop", "Tank pump", and "manual" (as seen in the screenshot). Shouldn't there be an option to close/open the relay based on battery voltage?

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ love2learn commented ·

If you enable the generator start/stop control set, that enables this menu with battery voltage control conditions for the relay;

There are other ways as well but that is the easiest.

cleanshot-2022-12-15-at-180942.jpg


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love2learn avatar image love2learn Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

Ok I was looking at some of the options with the generator start/stop enabled for relay 1. Since the generator basically represents the inverter here, I'm not sure how to program it to stay on all the time or if there's any internal timers or logic that keep the generator from running 24/7.


The available logic is "Start the generator when the battery is lower than X% SoC" and "Stop the generator when the battery is higher than X%". I would actually need this to be flipped so that the "generator" stays on all the time and only shuts off when it gets below 25%. In other words it would need to be more like:

"Start the generator when the battery is HIGHER than X% SoC" and "Stop the generator when the battery is LOWER than X%"


Typically a generator would be wired with the relay on NO (normally open). But let's say the relay was wired as NC (normally closed), the logic listed doesn't make sense. If SoC lower than 25%, relay opens, turning off the inverter. Then if SoC is higher than 80%, relay closes, turning on the inverter. What happens if it drops below 80% since the logic lists "if SoC is lower than" first?


You said there are other ways besides this generator start stop method. Would you be able to share some of these other options?

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love2learn avatar image love2learn Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·
Does this need to be done within the Multiplus via VE.Connect and change the DC low input parameters maybe?
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