Expanding installation - add extra battery and 2nd MPPT

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jakudo asked Jan 8, '23

Expanding installation - add extra battery and 2nd MPPT

Hi,

I already have this installation:

3x MP-II 48/3000
1x SmartSolar MPPT 150/100
Cerbo GX
3x Pylontech US3000C

I'm going to add:

1x Pylontech US3000C
1x SmartSolar MPPT 150/75

Questions:

Extra battery:
According to this article https://www.victronenergy.com/live/battery_compatibility:pylontech_phantom
When I connect the extra battery, I really don't need to do anything? It says that the Cerbo detects the batteries automatically and sets all parameters itself. Is that correct? All fw in all devices meet the requirements from that article
Adding 2nd MPPT
I will need to create the the VE.Smart Network on the 1st MPPT and connect the second MPPT to that network so those 2 MPPTs will sync.
I will connect the MPPT vie VE.Direct to Cerbo GX.

Is all that correct?

Thanks a lot.

MPPT Controllers cerbo gx battery VE.Smart Network

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Answer 1 · 2023-01-08T09:56:27Z

kevgermany answered · Jan 08, 2023 at 09:56 AM

Couple of points.

Pylontech - you must make sure the new battery is master. It's in the manual.

Victron - do not mix VE.smart with the cable networks. In your case it should not be used. Just the VE.Direct connections.

Pylontech will manage the charging, if you follow the Victron guide. Make sure you have the correct Victron cable between the master pylontech and the Cerbo.

Don't forget to set up the MPPTs correctly in case something goes wrong with the centralised control.

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jakudo commented · Jan 08, 2023 at 10:24 AM

Hello,

yes, I know that the newest battery should be master.

OK, thanks a lot, it's good to know that I only need the cables and not VE.smart.

Pylontech batteries are already connected. The system is fully functional now. So I'm only going to add one more battery to the system, so I believe that everythnig has already been set up correctly.

What should I set up with the MPPT? I expected that I will set it up the same as the current one.

To be honest, I would prefer somebody with experience to expand the system for me, however these days, nobody would do that since it is way too small to bother for the professionals, so I have to learn everything do install it myself :D

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Answer 2 · 2023-01-08T18:11:50Z

sharpener answered · Jan 08, 2023 at 06:11 PM

It will help if the new battery is at the same state of charge as the old ones, as this will shorten the time to achieve complete balance across the whole stack and reduce the chance of overvoltage errors.

Probably the new one will be delivered at about 60% so in the absence of better information you should run the existing batts down to that level before wiring in the new one.

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kevgermany ♦♦ commented · Jan 08, 2023 at 08:11 PM

Or disconnect/switch off the existing batteries, charge the new one, shut down, connect the old batteries and power up again.

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jakudo kevgermany ♦♦ commented · Jan 09, 2023 at 07:01 AM

That's a god avice. Thanks

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