question

chuckenglehart avatar image
chuckenglehart asked

Scheduled Charging with BlueSmart Charger

I have a small setup in my shed for a few exclusively DC loads. The setup consists of a 55AH AGM battery, 100/20 MPPT, and pi with VenusOS. The panels were keeping up until I added another computer out there, now the system is deficient by about 150wh/day.

To get around this I use various dumb chargers to top off the battery whenever it gets too low.


There is a lot of documentation on MultiPlus and ESS being used to charge batteries overnight, however that is overkill for my application. I have a BlueSmart IP65 12/15, but that seems to be a stand alone device that really just provides status via the VictronConnect app.


Are there any AC to DC chargers that integrate into the system, hopefully with a VE.Direct port?


battery chargingVE.Direct
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1 Answer
matt1309 avatar image
matt1309 answered ·

Hi @chuckenglehart

I'm not too familiar with BlueSmart to confirm if there's a way to remote switch of some kind via an app.

However assuming it doesn't a solution could be a smart switch that is remotely activated by node red running on venus os to turn on your BlueSmart?

I have a similar setup to that but the other way around whereby i turn on loads via node red when batteries are full.

You could even get creative and have node red detect if your additional PC Is turned on and if it is then activate the smart switch to turn on BlueSmart. Or more basic option you could just have smart switch be turned on if SoC is below x or even just at specific times of the day.


Smart switches use are shelly smart switches which are pretty reasonably priced (far cheaper than a whole new charger). Most of them are good for 13amps which I imagine is more that enough for your use case.

https://shellystore.co.uk/product/shelly-plus-plug-uk/

Not as clean a solution but one with minimal cost assuming you are happy to use node red.




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chuckenglehart avatar image chuckenglehart commented ·
Thanks for the suggestion. I plugged a charger into a tp link switch and just set the schedule using their s/w for now.


I've recently seen people use power supplies to power the MPPT when solar isn't available. Maybe I'll parallel an old laptop power supply into the PV input, and have node red enable it at times that we would never get solar.

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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ chuckenglehart commented ·

The other way is with a the BMV relay to set a contactor to switch a charger on and off from mains. I assume you have one for SOC.

I have one on a camp kit that does that.

Or the GX, you don't mention one, but mention node red so I assume you have one, use the generator option with the relay there.

The shelley is a good suggestion as well. Just a word of warning though, if node red crashes/hangs up or looses comms with a switch it can be an issue if it is a critical system.

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