Recent changes to the Factor 1 rule

Q&A and troubleshooting
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1

The Factor 1 Rule page was recently changed. The main concern was the VA versus W rating of the involved Victron Inverter/Chargers.

With the new version, it now references the real power rating at 25°C. Meaning a MP 48/3000 will now only accept up to 2400W of AC-coupled PV.

The main concerns about this change are:

  • Does this also reflect how the firmware internally calculates if the rule is violated or not?
  • Is this already in effect with current firmware versions or is this going to be changed in future versions?
  • Does this affect already installed systems, with an AC-coupled PV rated inbetween Victrons VA and W rating?

See the version diff for a comparison

2

In my opinion, the change is long overdue—not just since the K models.
We have always recommended that our customers use the power in W, rather than VA, for sizing purposes.

However, this has nothing to do with the firmware.
The 1.0 factor rule isn’t software; it’s “just” text.
At most, there will be an update to VE.config to adjust the prompt in the PV inverter or ESS Assistant.

The question of how existing systems that were installed according to the “old” sizing specifications will be handled is justified, however.

3

That’s exactly what I meant. I assumed this was part of the firmware (i.e. the effective limit as a number, 2400 instead of 3000, for example), but yes, it could just as well be defined in VE.Config.