I have an 80A grid connection and a Multiplus 2 5000 which has a 50A passthrough limit. I am using an external CT clamp around grid tails (rather than the internal meter) due to the location of things. I have loads on AC In (chunky ones) and AC Out 1 - so plenty of current doesnt touch the MP2 (AC Out 2 is not connected).
I am finding that if I try to draw over 50A from the grid (charging and house loads) then the Multiplus slows down its charge rate to meet the shore limit, but in VE Configure I cannot tell it to have a larger limit (I assume because it thinks the full load is flowing through the MP2). In reality there is no risk as the breakers will protect the right things, but am I correct that this problem is impossible to solve (unless I get an extra meter via VEbus or something)?
Ah that’s annoying, I don’t think any of them are CT clamps (or even better use the existing CT via an external device)? They all need to be inline with the main grid tails?
This meter has current transformer clamps, but suitably fused cables for voltage measurement and a neutral conductor must also be connected to the meter.
I had a similar issue (after installing a grid meter though since I’m using a smaller multiplus without external current clamp),
unfortunately I don’t think just adding a grid meter will solve your problem but I would love to be wrong and hopefully you get more assistance than I did.
IMO victron needs a configuration option so when you enable AC loads before and after the multiplus you can tell the system what your actual current limit is separately from the multiplus current limit.
Sadly in my case, as I understand it, the multiplus only had the ability to read one CT, hence connecting an external one disables the internal one. This is why I would need to add an external meter on order to differentiate between MP2 current and Grid current.
That said it doesn’t explain your issue, despite me thinking you’d might be configuration related.
When I added the grid meter it basically put me in the exact situation that you’re in,
the multiplus was reducing its charging/switching to invert to try and prevent a grid overload, because there’s no way to tell it it the grid input is bigger then what it’s transfer switch can handle, even though it’s properly protected by a breaker and the extra grid current doesn’t even touch the multi.
Again, I really hope someone comes up with a way to solve this for you and I was just missing something.
The grid current can be limited independently of the input current on the ESS.
@cccharles As far as I know, the VM meter supports a maximum of 75/80A, and the conversion ratio can’t be changed on the VM. If you need higher currents, you should use the EM530 with suitable current transformers.
I’ll have a look at ESS options again and see if there is anything else there, but I dont remember seeing anything about increased current limit…
Its a shame I cant use a Shelly or something for the grid meter, but I guess it needs to be pretty responsive to have decent accuracy at matching self consumption! The 3P75CT is certainly overkill for my simple one phase requirement!
EDIT: Ive just looked through this ESS assistant and couldnt see anything about grid current? Do you mean in this panel?
Would be better to direct that question to someone else, I’m not knowledgeable on the subject I just remember coming across something like that when I was trying to fix my issue but it didn’t apply to me since I can’t use ESS.
Just did some searching to try and find what I had seen but I’m not able to at the moment, on my phone.
I remember DESS having some additional limits for grid connection, but I dont really want to use DESS as I quite like the simplicity of ESS and Im happy with current configuration except for grid current limiting…
