Small offgrid monitoring

Q&A and troubleshooting
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1

Hi

I have a small, remote solar system powering a live-feed camera. The system (12V) is as follows:

  • 2 x BlueSolar PWM charge controllers - obviously without any communications
  • 2 x 12V 200Ah Blue Nova lithium ion batteries (no inbuilt BMS)
  • 1 x Multiplus 12/800

Now, I would like to add some remote monitoring to this site. What are the best products to use? I was thinking of:

  • As there is no BMS on the battery, could use a Smart Shunt?
  • Then a Cerbo for coms to the internet and to the Multiplus and Smart Shunt

Would the system be able to “work out” the solar production - basically the difference between what the smart shunt reads and the multiplus is using?

Example:

  • Smart shunts reads: +500W (meaning batteries are being charged)
  • Multiplus is using: 150W
  • Balance = 500W+150W = 650W (which must be coming from the PWM units?

Thanks

1 Like
2

Hi there,

I think with a Cerbo system your BlueSolar will behave as SmartSolar and show on the UI and VRM as Solar Yield, you will be able to tell how much in, and out, and also factor in the losses for efficiency doing some extra math.

Only thing to take into consideration, you will have to connect 2 mppt, 1 inverter and 1 shunt, and the Cerbo has only 3x ve. direct ports, you will need to get an extra usb adapter I think.

3

ION battery without BMS?

4

Hi - they have their own internal BMS, but it is not accessible - ie there are no ports or coms to this BMS.

5

Hi

Thanks - they are PWM charge controllers, so have no communication ports/options, so we’ll not get any “solar” data for the system

Stuart

6

Oh I see, sorry for recommending something that would have never work.