On my boat, I have 2 Multiplus 24v 3000 inverter/chargers in parallel and 4 IP43 Phoenix Chargers. I have an 11.5Kw generator that came with the boat. The generator powers both the multipluses and the IP43 chargers to charge my 900Ah 24v LIFeP04 battery bank. Works great. I use a Shelly EM to report generator info to the Cerbo. The issue is my Cerbo and VRM show the IP43 chargers as AC loads and counts it towards consumption. I tried changing the AC loads input/out vs only output and it doesn’t seem to change anything. The charging works just fine, but VRM consumption predictions and graphs are mostly useless to me.
I guess the following is happening:
The meter reports some current, the Cerbo subtracts the consumption of the MP2 and claims the rest must be load.
This is caused by Victron having completely forgotten about the IP43 chargers regarding integration.
You can “fix” that by putting the chargers in front of the meter (directly at the generator).
Just don’t forget to turn them off with the generator, else they’ll be supplied by the MP2s to charge the batteries, resulting in the contents of your battery being converted into heat… while counted as mains feed-in.
The chargers are only powered on when the generator is running. The output from the generator splits into 3 circuits: 1)ip43 chargers 2) Multipluses 3) 30A starter battery charger (not connected to cerbo/VRM in any way).
Good, that prevents charging in a loop.
Where is the Shelly EM you use to report generator info?
Directly behind the generator (reading consumption of all circuits) or only in the path toward the MP2?
The IP43 Chargers and the multipluses are not connected in anyway. They are in parallel from the generator. The generator has an internal circuit breaker which is wired to a breaker box with circuits for the IP43 chargers and the Multiplusses. The clamp for the Shelly is between the generator and this breaker box, so it measures all of the output of the generator.
Basic diagram:
Here’s what I see in VRM when running the generator. AC outputs shows the output from the Multiplus (in this case, a water heater) added to the IP43 chargers. Note: the chargers are NOT feed by the multiplus, they are feed from the generator. From looking at GitHub - victronenergy/dbus-systemcalc-py: Publishes system data (bat. voltages, PV watts, etc) on the D-Bus. Gets this data from other D-Bus services. it seems it includes any measured output from the generator that is not used for charging via the Multipluses.
This causes graphs like this in VRM:
All the generator to IP43 charger power is counted as consumption, when it’s being used to charge the batteries.
I have built an external charger that is charging in parallell with the MPII and I am having the exact same issue.
Since I have the meter readings for the extra charger in Node Red I was hoping to find a way to subtract that from the total consumption, but I need help to figure out how to do that.
I have the same issue (if it is actually an issue). I have 1 x IP65 charger, 5 x MPPT and one inverter (not multi)
The design philosophy for the new gui shows that the centre stack of widgets in the overview are for “converting” and standalone chargers as well as standalone inverters as well as multis all go in there.
SO maybe this is intended.
Yes its probably intended in the way that its how it is coded. But there is room for improvement The problem is that the in other ways so nice reports will count the consumtion twice. Both when its charged ant later when its used.
In Node Red there is an input node and you can write to consumption, but it has no effect. I think its “hard coded” in the system to what Multiplus calculates, not beeing aware of the external charger.