question

jamesinwa avatar image
jamesinwa asked

Can I connect a 12V load to the Smartsolar 100/20 in a 24V system?

I am asking the question in advance of actually having set up try out of curiosity. I am wandering if I can connect a 12v load while the MPPT unit is charging battery bank at 24v?

My guess is no as figure once a system voltage has been chosen by the controller all functions will be set such.

Interested to hear thoughts though as may well be another little bit of magic Victron smart controllers seam to be able to perform.

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Charger
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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·

The battery and load terminals are 24v.

WHERE do you think you can get 12v?

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jamesinwa avatar image jamesinwa klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·

As I said simply a thought. YOU simply confirm MY logical conclusion To my OWN question.

A curiosity was the basis of the thought. IS the natural progression that multi v range units progress toward.


To treat your WHERE seriously wold be the unit already contains circuitry to auto detect 12/24 voltage would simply require a buck/ boost component to allow the unit to deal with both its capabilities individually.

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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ jamesinwa commented ·

Your Mppt will auto detect battery voltage (or manual selection) and charge battery voltage appropriately.

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jamesinwa avatar image jamesinwa klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·

I know that is how it works on the battery charge side. What I am talking about is given the unit has such ability is enabling it to also detect load voltage separately

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wkirby avatar image wkirby ♦♦ jamesinwa commented ·

The Load terminals are simply switched to the Battery terminals with a current sensor included also. So all loads will need to be the same Voltage as the system battery Voltage.

There isn't room inside the MPPT for another DC/DC converter.
In most cases, people need the Load Output Voltage to be the same as the battery Voltage, so a built in DC/DC would be wasted.
If you do need Voltage conversion then you'd need to use a separate DC/DC converter. There are a selection of Victron ones available to suit your needs.

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jamesinwa avatar image jamesinwa wkirby ♦♦ commented ·

Would have to say having seen an open MPPT controller cant agree regards space. If such actually is the case then its not like all units are uniformally sized now so any increase in outer dimension would have minimal impact. Particularly if the alternative is adding an entirely separate unit should space available be an issue.

To reiterate this is an idea on unit development primarily. As for purpose/use.

Many of us run our system primarily 24v or above so having a convenient 12v access port should such be required for selected loads surely cannot be a bad idea?

Probably comes more into play if running 48v primary

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jamesinwa avatar image jamesinwa jamesinwa commented ·

PS

Probably comes more into play if running 48v primary

Where the alternate may be 12/24 etc

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2 Answers
ceriw avatar image
ceriw answered ·

no, you would need a separate DC-DC converter

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jamesinwa avatar image jamesinwa commented ·

anything that alters the voltage after it leaves the load output works

Be it an inverter, dc-dc or simple buck/boost circuit

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jamesinwa avatar image
jamesinwa answered ·

Yes makes perfect commercial sense not to include the circuitry in a single product when is a separate unit sold to perform such :)

Just joined the forum as stated in the opening post is more along the lines of what can be that what is.

A basic step down would suffice on the load output but hopefully as unit development progresses such will not be required. once a nit has multi voltage capability how it manages such is already present.

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