[Feature request] VRM Dashboard: Off-grid template & customizable tiles (hide “To/From AC Input”)

Q&A and troubleshooting
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1

Context

We run a fully off-grid system (MultiPlus-II 48/5000 + Cerbo GX v3.65, AC-in set to Generator, DVCC on, LiFePO₄ via Pytes BMS on CAN). Typical use: PV during the day, generator as needed, battery as buffer. This is a common pattern for cabins, RVs, boats, remote sites, etc.

Problem

On the VRM Dashboard (mobile & web), the two large tiles “To AC Input” and “From AC Input” are always shown and cannot be hidden. In an off-grid installation:

  • There is no grid; therefore “To/From AC Input” is always 0 kWh.

  • Energy from a generator is displayed in a separate “Generator” tile, not under “From AC Input”, so those two AC-Input tiles occupy prime space while adding no value.

  • This confuses non-technical users (e.g., “Why is From/To AC Input always 0, is something wrong?”) and wastes screen real estate that could show meaningful off-grid metrics (SOC, charge/discharge power, PV, AC loads, generator state, limits, etc.).

Observed example (today, mobile app):

  • Generator ≈ 1.5–1.6 kW, PV ≈ 1.6 kW, AC loads ≈ 0.35 kW, battery charging ≈ 2.7 kW.

  • “To AC Input” = 0 kWh, “From AC Input” = 0 kWh (expected for off-grid), while “Generator” and “Solar” tiles show correct energy.

Why this matters

  • Off-grid is a major Victron use case (mobile/offshore/cabin).

  • Clarity here reduces support questions and makes VRM “just work” for off-grid owners.

  • The Advanced view can be customized, but most users live on the Dashboard; that’s what they open dozens of times per day.

Proposal

A) Add an

Off-grid Dashboard template

Detect off-grid heuristically and propose an alternate default layout:

  • Heuristics (any of): AC-in type = Generator in GX, no grid meter present, ESS disabled.

  • Hide the “To/From AC Input” tiles by default.

  • Show instead:

    • Battery: SOC, charge/discharge power (W), voltage, temperature (when available).

    • AC Loads (Consumption).

    • PV (instant power + today’s yield).

    • Generator (instant power + today’s energy, run state).

    • Optional: DVCC Max Charge Current, AC Input Current Limit, and BMS charge/discharge limits (handy to understand why charging is capped).

    • Optional: Time to full/empty and battery warnings.

Users can manually switch to the Grid/Hybrid template if they want.

B) Make the

Dashboard tiles user-customizable

  • Allow the same “enable/disable” controls that exist under Advanced → All widgets to also apply to the Dashboard tiles.

  • Let users reorder tiles.

  • Save per-installation and per-user preferences (start page = Dashboard or Advanced).

C) Clarify terminology (optional but helpful)

  • Consider renaming “To/From AC Input” to “Grid Export/Import” when a grid meter is present, and hide them when AC-in is “Generator” only.

  • Alternatively, allow generator energy to appear under “From AC Input” in off-grid mode (with a “source: generator” tag) to keep accounting consistent. Either approach is fine as long as off-grid users don’t see two permanent zero tiles.

Acceptance criteria (what “done” looks like)

  1. In an installation with AC-in = Generator and no grid meter, the default Dashboard does not show “To AC Input” and “From AC Input”.

  2. Users can toggle Dashboard tiles on/off and reorder them (web & mobile).

  3. Off-grid template shows at least: Battery, AC Loads, PV, Generator; optionally DVCC charge limit and AC-input current limit.

  4. Behavior is backwards compatible: grid-tied/ESS users keep today’s Dashboard by default.

  5. Documentation (or in-app tooltips) briefly explains the new template and tile meanings.

Benefits

  • Clarity: Off-grid users see only relevant data at a glance.

  • Fewer support tickets: No more “Why are ‘To/From AC Input’ always 0?”

  • Parity: Aligns the fixed Dashboard with the flexibility already available in Advanced.

  • Delight: Makes VRM feel tailored to off-grid, one of Victron’s core audiences.

Edge cases

  • Hybrid systems (generator + occasional grid) can still choose the Grid/Hybrid template manually.

  • Multi-input setups: if both generator and grid exist, show both Grid Import/Export and Generator tiles.

  • If users prefer the current Dashboard, nothing changes unless they switch.

Thank you! VRM is excellent, and this small UX change would make a big difference for off-grid users who rely on the Dashboard dozens of times per day.

2

While I agree that “from/to AC input” doesn’t add value for off-grid installs and could be replaced, I disagree on a number of suggestions, especially replacement:

  1. Battery parameters like SOC, charge values , discharge values and temperature are already shown under battery tile
  2. Consumption/loads are already shown under AC Loads
  3. PV yields are already shown under the respective MPPTs

Regarding clarification of terms, “from/to AC input” is not the same thing as “grid import/Export”. A lot of people have meters but don’t “export” to the grid. I don’t understand the difference, if any, between “to AC input” and grid “export”.

3

Thanks for your feedback – I really appreciate the clarification. Let me refine the request to make it more precise:

  1. Main issue remains: in off-grid setups, the two tiles “To AC Input” and “From AC Input” are permanently zero and cannot be hidden. This creates confusion for non-technical users (“is something broken?”) and wastes dashboard space.
    → The key ask is simply: please allow those tiles to be hidden or replaced in off-grid systems.

  2. About replacements:

    • I agree, battery SOC, charge/discharge, and PV yield are already available elsewhere.

    • The actual value would be in customizability: let the installer or user decide which tiles to show (battery, loads, PV, genset, limits, etc.) rather than forcing fixed grid tiles.

  3. Terminology: You are right, “From/To AC Input” is not the same as Grid import/export. But that’s part of the confusion: many off-grid users assume “AC Input” means “grid”, even when it is set to “generator only”. If the terms stay, it would help to:

    • Hide them automatically when AC-in = Generator only.

    • Or at least allow a toggle in VRM (“Show AC Input tiles: on/off”).

So, the refined proposal is:

  • Minimum: add a setting to hide “To/From AC Input” tiles in VRM.

  • Better: make the dashboard tiles customizable (similar to Advanced view).

  • Optional: improve terminology to avoid “always-zero” tiles for off-grid users.

This way, grid-tied users keep the current behavior, while off-grid users can have a clear, relevant dashboard.

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