Is there anyway to get a reading from a CT clamp or an ET112 without the Multiplus2 acting on the reading. Ie so it can just display the readout on the VRM without the Multiplus thinking it’s an additional load and using the battery?
asked
Anyway to get a reading from CT
Hi @Daza,
Yes, setting the ET112 role to AC load does exactly this I believe. Won't show on main dashboard of vrm but i believe data is available within the advanced tab.
Thanks @matt1309 yes you are correct thank you I was hopping to get it to show on the VRM in a box but this will do, wish there was a way to show it in a box on the VRM though
@matt1309 it appears you can’t get the Victron to ignore the CT so had to use some Shelly devices to do it, would have preferred the Victron route but this will do fine.
Hi @Daza
That's a shame!
I've not looked into this in ages but there are community made custom drivers for integrating shelly energy meters into venus os. Not sure if they support "AC Load" mode but I dont see why they wouldnt.
I'm not sure if that space has progressed much/if victron are thinking about officially integrating it but it seems a popular/common method.
Last I looked the way it worked was the python script queried the shelly devices via local http api and then used that to make a custom/virtual meter to populate the information in venus os. (so no reliance on external services/clouds which is always a bonus)
It'll be on github if you fancy integrating the shelly devices into venus os.
If you want to go a step further:
And if you know a bit of python you may even be able to tweak their code to make it work better for your setup. For example you can tweak it so rather than a virtual energy meter you change it to a virtual EV Charger.
I've only ever made a custom tank sensor but heres instructions on how to make it and an example dummy/virtual driver:
howto add a driver to Venus · victronenergy/venus Wiki · GitHub
Example/dummy driver:
https://github.com/victronenergy/velib_python/blob/master/dbusdummyservice.py
Then this link is the dbus path information:
dbus · victronenergy/venus Wiki · GitHub
I imagine if you find the shelly energy meter code. Converting it to EV you'll have to change from com.victronenergy.pvinverter to com.victronenergy.evcharger
And then change all of the appropriate data points within that dbus link.
@matt1309 lol think I’ll leave that well alone, but the issue that I’m finding at the mo is the CT doesn’t seem to be adjusting to stop export the ET112 seems better at balancing. which is contrary to everyone else I would love to free that ET112 for another solar array later on.
Adding the community made shelly driver would be easy: (daunting at first but once you've done one it's easy)
but agreed adjusting/making your own is far more involved.
Yeh that's odd. I'd always heard that the CT was far more responsive compared to ET112. How long is the cable on the ct clamp?
There used to be an option in VeConfigure to enable the external CT clamp. Not sure if that's still a thing, thought it was worth mentioning incase you havent enabled that (assuming it still exists)
@matt1309 Hi mate yes that’s what ive been hearing but I’m not getting the same results, yeah I see the setting in the Victron but from what everyone is saying it’s still considered internal to the Multiplus 2 which rings true as I change it on the ESS in the GX it switches the external one off and take off of the VRM
