# Why is my MultiPlus charging the battery at night? **URL:** \ **Category:** Deutschsprachiger Bereich\ **Tags:** multiplus, ess\ **Created:** [20 September 2026 17:49 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054 "2026-09-20T17:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thorben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Thorben](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Thorben)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 17:49 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/1 "2026-09-20T17:49:21Z")
Hello everyone… I actually operate a zero-export system with 2 MultiPlus IIs. When the battery is empty, shouldn’t the MP-II switch off? I have just discovered that apparently last night, from about 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., both of my MultiPluses started charging the battery from 10% to 30%!!! WHY??? Here is the charging display for my battery while it was still discharging: ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/7/2/72b8b37f5c35e10094296843f5bc2a12d840b2ea.png) And suddenly it started charging… at 4 a.m.!!! ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/5/9/5968fdc96ce7780ebe03c7192de32a12885c0592.png) Here you can clearly see that the MultiPluses were showing positive values, meaning that the total grid import was over 2300 W. ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/b/4/b4f8446666f6d56d5b72502511ece2d966071673.png) Here is the extract from the Energy Meter: ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/a/0/a08c47bdc0fcd800808a2de485a0b7e26b2c23e5.png) Where do I set this? Here are my ESS settings: ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/4/8/4831fda28d2b25666263b5e26ef91e3e30c74c0f.png) ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/0/c/0c5cf44aa34f006b53620289e82ad28df0c95c84.png) Here are the settings for my MP-II: ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/1/0/10c2bb7f1528aeaec1ef078831bb524fa8bc67de.png) I would really appreciate any advice. ---
**Author:** ![Netrange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ab992/32.png) [@Netrange](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Netrange)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 17:57 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/2 "2026-09-20T17:57:19Z")
First, switch the ESS mode to “Without Battery Life” and observe the system again to see whether it discharges down to the configured 10% SOC. The other possibility is a system-adjusted “Battery Life” setting, which could well be causing your minimum SOC to be overridden in the background. That would be the 15% … ---
**Author:** ![Thorben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Thorben](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Thorben)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 18:13 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/3 "2026-09-20T18:13:10Z")
Hmm… but you’re not sure either? I’ve now set it to the following: ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/c/c/cc50ff9c0748d42279497a41cacfa86efc5d6f4b.png) But does this mean that the battery will no longer be charged from the grid? The main question was why the battery is being charged from the grid in the first place… but I’d also be interested to know why the battery was discharged down to 10%! ---
**Author:** ![Meine\_Energiewende](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/meine_energiewende/32/3641_2.png) [@Meine\_Energiewende](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Meine_Energiewende)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 18:16 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/4 "2026-09-20T18:16:42Z")
I’d also take a look at the sustain voltage in the ESS Assistant. If it’s set too high, the battery may be recharged as well. Furthermore, there are batteries that only allow discharge down to 15% and then trigger an alarm. In that case, the BMS would need to be set to 7% (anything below 10% will do) for this to work with your limits. However, you haven’t written anything about the battery/BMS. ---
**Author:** ![M\_Lange](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/m_lange/32/16_2.png) [@M\_Lange](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/M_Lange)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 18:22 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/5 "2026-09-20T18:22:46Z")
BatteryLife has nothing to do with it. Look at the signals the BMS sent during that time. When DCL is set to 0, the system switches to charging and charges up to the sustain voltage. ---
**Author:** ![Thorben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Thorben](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Thorben)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 18:26 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/6 "2026-09-20T18:26:07Z")
> [@M\_Lange](#): > > Have a look at what signals the BMS sent during that time. “Have a look at what signals the BMS sent during that time.” Where can I check that? ---
**Author:** ![M\_Lange](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/m_lange/32/16_2.png) [@M\_Lange](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/M_Lange)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 18:27 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/7 "2026-09-20T18:27:55Z")
Regarding the charts in VRM, provided that your battery makes this data available. ---
**Author:** ![Thorben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Thorben](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Thorben)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 18:43 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/8 "2026-09-20T18:43:16Z")
Here’s the battery data ![graph](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/1/9/1905970e29423feb300696a4c5e15cdddc708033.png) And the ESS settings: ![graph](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/f/7/f7123524c70e8ab70ee1cf0bed432f4815694003.png) Does this mean that, if I want to prevent the battery from charging, I need to set the 35A to 0A? ![graph](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/7/d/7df1c44416d945917d68b73babaa08fe92a0a262.png) Here is the battery data ![graph](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/a/e/ae1abfa3cafc037cbb17a1dc10ca5e0779a6ce01.png) The graph shows that the voltage has fallen BELOW the Sustain voltage!!! ---
**Author:** ![solarwolfi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/solarwolfi/32/43320_2.png) [@solarwolfi](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/solarwolfi)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 18:49 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/9 "2026-09-20T18:49:08Z")
> [@Thorben](#): > > the 35A needs to be set to 0A if you do that, your battery will NEVER charge ---
**Author:** ![Thorben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Thorben](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Thorben)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 18:51 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/10 "2026-09-20T18:51:26Z")
Do you mean charging from the mains via the MP-II, or from the charge controller? ---
**Author:** ![M\_Lange](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/m_lange/32/16_2.png) [@M\_Lange](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/M_Lange)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 19:02 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/11 "2026-09-20T19:02:22Z")
The relevant data is also sent by the battery to the Victron system. In VRM, there should be a “BMS charge/discharge limits” graph. Even if the charging current in the MultiPlus is set to 0 A, the battery may, under certain circumstances, be charged using energy from the grid to protect it. ---
**Author:** ![solarwolfi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/solarwolfi/32/43320_2.png) [@solarwolfi](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/solarwolfi)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 19:03 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/12 "2026-09-20T19:03:29Z")
From the charger—that’s what’s shown in your picture. You’ve already been advised twice to reduce the sustain voltage. In the previous picture, I can see 50.00 V. Try setting it to, say, 48.00 V; then your system shouldn’t charge from the grid tonight (or at least it should start much later and charge less). Of course, this also depends on your consumption during the night. ---
**Author:** ![M\_Lange](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/m_lange/32/16_2.png) [@M\_Lange](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/M_Lange)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 19:08 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/13 "2026-09-20T19:08:29Z")
Reducing the sustain voltage is treating the symptoms, not the cause. Charging from the grid takes place when the battery has been discharged too deeply. Either below the cut-off value (which should only happen in the event of a grid failure), or when the battery sends a DCL of 0 A. Depending on how the BMS is configured, discharging to 10% can quite easily trigger one of the two conditions. That is why it is generally recommended to discharge only down to 20%. ---
**Author:** ![Thorben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Thorben](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Thorben)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 19:09 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/14 "2026-09-20T19:09:49Z")
> [@M\_Lange](#): > > Have a look at what signals the BMS sent during that time. > When DCL is set to 0, the system switches to charging and charges up to the sustain voltage. The DCL is constantly at 205 A ![graph](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/7/9/795c408bb0df32a1a34874add0ef75733b4cede0.png) ---
**Author:** ![Thorben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Thorben](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Thorben)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 19:17 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/15 "2026-09-20T19:17:09Z")
If I increase the value from 10% to 15%, I’ll generally achieve less sustain voltage, won’t I? ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/a/5/a5e9f387f9506fdcb34d0e27ed0c87c44c66e202.png) ---
**Author:** ![solarwolfi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/solarwolfi/32/43320_2.png) [@solarwolfi](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/solarwolfi)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 19:24 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/16 "2026-09-20T19:24:57Z")
If you increase it from 10% to 15%, you’ll use more electricity from the grid because your minimum SoC is higher, meaning you draw less energy from the battery. However, your battery probably won’t be charged up to the sustain voltage. ---
**Author:** ![dennibu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@dennibu](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/dennibu)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 19:25 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/17 "2026-09-20T19:25:00Z")
Yes, exactly. Your values aren’t wrong for a 16S battery. If you look at your graph above and see how quickly your battery voltage drops from around 3:40 onwards at the same current, I’d say a minimum SoC of 10% is too low. ---
**Author:** ![Thorben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Thorben](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Thorben)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2026 17:46 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/18 "2026-09-21T17:46:37Z")
Okay, I’ve now set the value to 15%. (I can’t access the page via the web at the moment. I did this on my smartphone.) ![grafik](https://cdck-file-uploads-europe1.s3.dualstack.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/victron/optimized/3X/0/5/053089af15a80ec742aa2ac3c2ef13ca281a6410_2_690x56.png) Just to make sure I understand… The sustain voltage is the voltage at which the MP-II starts charging the battery so that it doesn’t become/remain too deeply discharged? By setting the minimum value to 15%, should the discharge cut-off voltage tend to be slightly higher, thereby resulting in less grid power being used to charge the battery? The only question I still have is where to set the **charging power** and the **charge cut-off** (in %). Because you can clearly see that the battery is ALWAYS charged up to 30%, including last night ![grafik](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/original/3X/9/7/97567de64ff5600f7c93f8020f49a71230a19180.png) It’s also noticeable that the total **charging power** is always around 2,300 W, i.e. around 1,150 W per MP-II. I can’t imagine that this can’t be configured. ---
**Author:** ![Netrange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ab992/32.png) [@Netrange](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/Netrange)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2026 18:26 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/19 "2026-09-21T18:26:15Z")
Basically, the Sustain voltage is the voltage that “just about keeps the system alive”. If a system cannot be charged for an extended period … snow, etc. … and the voltage slowly drops below the Sustain range … the Multi simply charges the battery back up a little … this should actually happen even when the “Charger” setting is set to “0” … I THINK Matthias mentioned that once, but no guarantees 😅 Why your SOC is now determined to reach 30% … ??? 🤔 … I would have expected the 15% to be the limit, rather than the voltage of just under 50V You can of course set the charging power under “Charger” … or (indirectly) as an input current limit … but then it applies to the entire AC input ---
**Author:** ![solarwolfi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/victron/user_avatar/community.victronenergy.com/solarwolfi/32/43320_2.png) [@solarwolfi](https://community.victronenergy.com/u/solarwolfi)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2026 18:52 UTC](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054/20 "2026-09-21T18:52:09Z")
Just to make sure I understand this correctly… The sustain voltage is the voltage at which the MP-II starts charging the battery so that it doesn’t become/remain too deeply discharged? **NO** , THIS IS THE VOLTAGE UP TO WHICH THE BATTERY IS CHARGED AT LEAST ONCE AGAIN AFTER IT HAS DROPPED BELOW A CERTAIN DISCHARGE LIMIT Setting the minimum value to 15% should tend to make the discharge cut-off voltage somewhat higher **YES** , and therefore result in less grid power being used to charge the battery? **YES AND NO** , LESS CHARGING OF THE BATTERY, BUT YOU WILL NATURALLY ALSO DRAW POWER FROM THE GRID FOR YOUR LOADS WHEN THE BATTERY IS NO LONGER SUPPLYING ANYTHING That just leaves me wondering where you can set the **charging power** and the **charge cut-off** (in %). IN THE MULTIPLUS AND CERBO SETTINGS Because you can clearly see that the battery is ALWAYS charged to 30%, including last night THE 30% COULD COINCIDENTALLY BE THE LEVEL OF YOUR SUSTAIN VOLTAGE. YOU HAVEN’T CHANGED IT, HAVE YOU? ACTUALLY, EVERYTHING IS DESCRIBED QUITE WELL IN THE OPERATING MANUALS ARE YOUR TWO MULTIPLUSES EACH CONNECTED TO ONE PHASE AND PROGRAMMED THAT WAY AS WELL? [Next page](https://community.victronenergy.com/t/warum-ladt-mein-multiplus-den-akku-in-der-nach-auf/63054.md?page=2)