₦airaland Forum

pranil:
Looks exactly like Victron BMV 700- I am confused . Does it work on USB cable and victron connect ? or does fangpusun have their own app

Wow just checked their website - they blindly copy flexmax, Victron and few other well known brands

JUO:
Bmv 702 (Fangpusun) available in limited quantity
Price 45k
Bmv 700=40k (Fangpusun)
080-987-337-09

Looks exactly like Victron BMV 700- I am confused . Does it work on USB cable and victron connect ? or does fangpusun have their own app

Lithium Batteries Group Buy

Aftyer searching over past few months and poring over data sheets I have finally settled on these bat-teries
http://www.freedomwon.co.za/home-battery

- Mainly because of their performance of 100 Amp ( perfect with 4 KW inverters) and BMS and DC mCB built in and compatibility with Victron inverters and proven performance in hot climate

The trade price list quoted to me are below ( higher than chinese batteries( PylonTech) but cheaper than European counterparts as as LG Resu /Samsung SDI )

Unfortunately the shipping is minimum 1m3 ( 900 USD to Nigeria)( atleast 7 -10 units)

So incase somebody is interested we can arrange a GROUP BUY - Personally I am interested in 10 /7 ( 48 V 10 KWH ) battery - Currently I use a 400 AH 48 V so 50 % DOD makes it equal to 10 KWH battery only - Replacing the Lead Acid with Trojan Re200 will cost me 1.1 million while the 10/7 Li will cost 1.8 Million

For those of you who may only compare the prices to Lead acid please note that Lithium can be cy-cled to 70%-capacity daily for more than 3500 times - 10 years or 7000 Cycles at 50 % DOD

It is also more efficient in charging returning average 95 % against overall 80 % of lead acid. lead ac-id is also most inefficient between 80 % to 100 % SOC (more than 50 % is wasted in heat )

Nice technical atricle here - https://www.victronenergy.com/blog/2015/03/30/batteries-lithium-ion-vs-agm/

a very interesting video series here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij7sIUMGRNo


Item Pack Capacity [Ah] Model Name Model Variant [max kWh] / [recommended daily cycling kWh] SRP Excl VAT [USD] Trade Price Excl VAT [USD]
1 100 Freedom Lite Home 5/4 $ 3 399 $ 2 923
2 200 Freedom Lite Home 10/7 $ 5 674 $ 4 880
3 300 Freedom Lite Home 15/11 $ 8 252 $ 7 097
4 400 Freedom Lite Home 20/14 $ 10 598 $ 9 115
5 600 Freedom Lite Home 30/21 $ 15 290 $ 13 149

6 800 Freedom Lite Business 40/28 $ 19 923 $ 17 134
7 1200 Freedom Lite Business 60/42 $ 29 424 $ 25 305
8 1600 Freedom Lite Business 80/56 $ 38 631 $ 33 222

Dam5reey:
This is mathematics,
we are talking reality. He would not only be charging the battery, he will be using during day time as well..

Oversizing panel is the solution for totally off grid systems..

I cam across an interesting formula in Powerforum Africa ( SA) Almost everybody blindly follows it. they call it 5,4,3 ( 5 KVA inverter), 400 Ah battery and 3KW solar - This is on average perfect for a family of husband wife and two children ling offgrid using all modern appliences

What made it interesting is after detailed calculations and measuring power of all my house to last milliwatt I had come to same conclusion 5 years back - off ocurse given prices then the 3 KW tool 3 years to achieve ( LOL)

Barezzi:
The manual says maximum suction head is 8m.
How do you implement this in a borehole setup without a GP subsurface buffer tank?

The borehole pump does not need to be replaced ( if existing) it is always better to collect borehole water in a large tank after passing through a 20 or 10 micron filter - The settling allows the sediments to get reduced - the outlet of large tank ( typically 1000 -5000 ltr) will be directly connected through Booster to house . That way in remote cases of no power or failuers your client will atleast have flow of water to his taps
the large tank does not need to be elevated but kept near the house or borehole
That Way borehole pump is also not working with additional head. Incase a VFD bore hole pump is used ( in my case Grundfos MQ) it can run on as low as 100-150 watt

If time permits I will post the photos of my setup.

chris81964:
It holds 160 liters that is under pressure. The pump can be much smaller less than half hp. The pump kicks in at a predetermined level set by you. Yes you need 24/7 power and that is what we provide

I have finally settled on a better solution in case somebody is interested

http://us.grundfos.com/products/find-product/SCALA2.html

The solution to be implemented with tank has several problems in the long run

Personally after 8 years and 3 booster pumps , 2 tanks and 3 pressure controllers replacement I found the scala a pleasure to use. My wife does not allow me to switch it off !

Normal coventional solution has a tank that has a diphram which fails after cyclic use, also the pressure needs to be set after every year atleast ( like pumping tyre), the pressure switches loose the control after the spring has worn out or get clogged with borehole supply (. I tried even the german ones

The scala uses a variable frequency DC motor So consumes between 300 Watt ( 1 tap open) or 6000 watt ( 4 taps open)
No separate tank needed and unlike tank the pressure does not drop midway of the shower but remains same on any tap independent of the open taps as the flow rate is controlled not pressure . Also has tap left open, pipe leaking no water inflow protection preventing continuous running of pump draining the battery

Off course needs full time power but thats the reason we use PV and inverters . for me it consumes around 1.5 to 2.5 KWH in a day for house of 8 people including gardening and car washing and washing machine ( some data is missing as my computer is not always on to upload to PVoutput)

mcTrinity:
50kva? bros, they're not planning to power a community...
I'll go with the 20kva as suggested by Barezzi, as long as the loads won't be allowed to come ON at the same time.
Switch on one AC, give 5-10secs before switching ON the next. or better yet a Time Delay On Energise (TDOE) relay (timer) can be incorporated to the surge loads

My little contribution!
cheers

Fit the Solatek, AVS before AC and set the timers on different time so the AC's come one by one on and not at the same time.

Also keep in mid the the conventional AC's compressor still cycles between on and OFf every 8 to 10 minutes while inverter AC's just reduces speed

For such a large load the user can also benefit from centrally cooled AC based on Heatpump such as this - http://www.robur.com/chillers/gas_absorption_chiller_ga_acf

Battery power is the most expensive form of electricity in the world ( the Ac's in this case run on battery)

GeorgeD1:
hello ferdiwar,
in addition to the above post by pranil, your friend could further reduce his total load by installing a solar water heater.
for almost the same cost, he could replace those 5 electric water heaters with a 300 litre solar water heater which
would take care of his entire household hot water needs even in the rainy season.
you didn't state the model of water heater he intends to power with the inverter but if it is ariston 50l, that could be a
whopping 7500w (1500w for each water heater multiplied by 5) eliminated from his load calculation. that is a
lot of power savings, if you ask me.

The plumbing and piping is the main deterrent for going solar on water heating not the technology . I am also dabbling the thought but have not taken the plunge .

Feshizzy:
Do note that ac and fridge draw x3 for their rating on starting up though,

50kva would be good,
20kva would be overpowered by all these appliances

Your friend will benefit by changing the AC's to inverter Ac's - The LG; are 200 K for 1.5 ton and 160 K for 1 ton. The load is reduced by almost 60 % when in Gen/Savings mode. His batteries will also last longer - http://www.lg.com/africa/split-air-conditioners/lg-BS-Q096J3A2?

The peak starting load is shaved off as the load ramps up slowly


I am running 4 Ac's , washing machine dryer , 3 TV + Decoders other electronics +2 fridge distributed across 3 No. of 5 KVA inverters and they barely reach 60 % loading

Reprobate:
sorry for the mix up, I meant a 12v inverter setup for option B

Explained nicely here - http://bobby.com.ng/2017/06/21/battery-discharging-less-can-be-more/

In general 24 V system will be more efficient and run longer

Thats how a battery should be sold.

I am happy to buy from Smartcell everytime as he gets the technical details right and deliveries are prompt

kiekie1:
Trojan J200-RE Premium Line Flooded Battery (12V 200Ah)

Availability: Limited quantity

PRICE: ₦134,000.00

Quick Overview:
Model: J200RE with Bayonet Cap
Battery: Flooded/Wet Lead-Acid Battery
Capacity: 12V 200Ah / 20Hr Rate

Cyclic Use: 30% DOD - 2750 cycles
Cyclic Use: 50% DOD - 1750 cycles

Dimensions (LxBxH): 380mm x 176mm x 352mm

Terminal Height: 371mm

Weight: 60kg

Bulk Charge: 14.82V, Float charge: 13.5V, Equalization Charge: 16.20V

Color: Maroon (case/cover)
Material: Polypropylene

Contact : Smartcell Global services +234-813-503-1951

Reprobate:
so on luminous india site, they stated that the 220ah 12v flooded batt will last about 4hrs on 500w load , and 29hrs on 100watt load.
am a lil confused, assume I connect the following, which will last longer?

A. 2x 12v 220ah batt to a 1.5kva 24v inverter to power a 500w load

B. 1 X 12v 220ah batt to a 1.5kva 24v inverter to power a 500w load.

Can you correct B above ( 1 x12 V ) cannot be connected to 24 V inverter .

In general any Lead Acid battery ( wet , AGM, GEl) likes to be used on C10 or C5 rate based on design . Any higher current drawn above C10 will result in reducing teh overall AH ( energy delivery) of the battery .

So a 220 Ah battery will be able to deliver 220 AH ( 220*12V-2640 watt) if the load is 22 Amps ( 12 V x 22 amps- 264 Watts) for 10 Hours
Same battery at Higher load will likely drop to 170 AH

Also Keep in Mind the battery should be used only upto 50 % DOD in Home solar applications which means a 12 V 220Ah battery system should be considered In design to support a load of 264 watts only for 5 hours

Saipro:
Battery life at the DoD varies with manufacturing tech. Trojan has 4 different T-105 batteries with different cycle lives. US Batteries has an even greater variety

Even the charts differs one shows 100 cycles at 80 % dod and one shows 500 cycles at 80 % DOD


Exact cycle life is important when calculating the battery size and load requirements



Wbr

Anil

Looking for sellers of Victron Pure Sinewave Inverter Charger. Quattro 48/5000/70-100/100 to buy - Delivery Abuja

Any sellers in the house ?

Solarshop shows out of stock and Konga has only 24 V Model with single AC input ( multiplus)

http://www.solarshopnigeria.com/victron-pure-sinewave-inverter-charger-quattro-48-5000-70-100-100.html

solar111:
Hello all, we have MONBAT batteries in stock you can always call me if you need.

Muhammed Abu
08133393660

What is the cycle life on 80 % and 50 % DOD . No info on the website of the company

babaegun:
@Pranil,

I finally got on pvout.org with my Fangpusun setup using the live csv data upload.

Wow 4KWH/KW in this weather - installation doing great . keep it up.

Feshizzy:
I doff my hat sir,
But with dc isolators will be mostly used when the batteries want to be charged,

My understanding of such ripples is when a circuit is having different charging source and charged at the same time!

But in this case, the isolators have separated each pack from the rest pack,

Can such ripple still occur?

Not if you are separating them while charging in sets of 4

Feshizzy:
My brother even if na 200 batteries you wan add no problem,

Based on logistics,

As you see,
Most 5kva inverter na 48v meaning four batteries in series,
So e go be 16/4 which go give you four battery pack.

Meaning say you connection go be 4 x4

My candid advise if you wan use nepa light charge them,
Na to first, you something like a knife switch wein you go fit the use separate each pack for charging and combine them all for usage,

Eh! E possible, but small work go dey am.

Now back to the matter!
Well, for the charging I would advise you get 3 48v 20/30a charger for the extra 3 packs, as the first pack would be having it's charges from the inverter directly,
Charging time with my recommendation would be 8-11 hrs all packs would be full.

This is based on the fact you intend charging with power from the grid,

But for solar setup,
I leave you in the hands of our ogas at the top!

Min charge rate for lead acid is c10 which means for four sets you need min 80 amps over 12-14 hours ( assuming round trip efficiency of 75 %)

But please use quality DC isolators like schider not teh knife switches meant for AC application as they can spark and weld the contacts . Solar Depot carries them

The problem with using multiple chargers on the same battery bank will be high DC ripple leading to premature failure of batteries or inverter unless you use quality chargers like victron I would advise getting a larger inverter

The batteries are l also large with 5 KVA ( 4 KW) load also it will take almost 8-9 hours to reach 50 % DOD . If you are really consuming 4 KW continuously I would advise getting a larger inverter as most inverters are most efficient and run much cooler ( longer life) at 50 to 75 % loads

I have seen Prag 8 KVA rated at max 100 amp and new Ipower 5KVA from Zinox rated at 80 amps . ( on Grid chargers built in the inverters )

efuro:
interesting
I fully agree with you,
battery is necessary in a solar setup in Nigeria

unlike developed nations

nice work Dr.

Nice Perspective . Solar needs more education definitely and a mind set change -

I saw a Victron Energy financing on the AWPS website - Any idea how it will work ? similar to Solyntra ( whole system lease) or only equipment lease

I would not mind leasing quatrro 10 KVA

I am looking for a 48 V DC 5 KW Diesel Generator normally used in telecom equipment .


Something like this http://www.ascotinternational.com/my-product/product-dc-generator/

Although Acscot seems to have gone bankrupt

Anybody has contacts or seen similar equipment .

Currently I use 3 Phase 7.5 KVA KIpor with 2.5 KW 3 Phase 48 V DC charger to charge my batteries on a rainy day or during nights with heavy load .

The electricity prices start moving upwards It is time to start preparing to go fully off grid

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/business/nerc-proposes-monthly-electricity-tariff-review/200821.html

Dam5reey:
Yeah.. a screenshot of your Panel specifications​ will help too..

I will make an assumption, say you have 30Vmp and Imp 6.7A

You connection will be
string 1 two panels in series(60 Vmp, Imp 6.7A)
string 2 two panels in series (60 Vmp, Imp 6.7A)

Connecting​ string 1 & 2 in parallel, will be ( 60Vmp Imp 13.4A)

The 32A Breaker is ok, but It will not limit current, breaker​ are like fuse, it work on same principle with Fuse but better, it will trip off in case of current surge

A Breaker will never trip in enough time to prevent damage to Equipment on Overload !! It is not safe to overload something and depend on breakers - All motors have a separate bimetallic relay which trips incase of overload to protect the motor . The transformers have winding temperature sensors etc. Electronic equipment like inverters have temperature sensing algorithms built in

A circuit breaker essentially protects the cables and equipment overheating causing fire hazard on short circuit . It also prevents overloading of cables not equipment ( DC cables are either rated for 70 DEG or 90 DEG Operating temperature )
See the typical operating curves the most sensitive curve ( Type B) requires 3 times the operating ( nominal current ) to trip in 10 sec anything lower than that the thermal relay is highly inaccurate and modelled to protect cables not equipment e.g.

When It comes to charge controllers ( major ones not sure about Chinese) There is no requirement to protect output for overloading . The charge controller will limit the current to it's max Ampere rating automatically. The breaker is there to protect from short circuit and should be suitably sized above the rated current and below the cable rated value

DMerciful:
OK....will check this to confirm how much improvement with temperature reduction.'weldone

You can calculate the expected performance of your panels and then compare to the field readings. PVGIS gives very accurate values to the P10 probability[sup][/sup] ( +-10 % ) within actual prediction

http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/apps4/pvest.php?lang=en&map=africa

House,

The users can benefit from my experimentaion on the best WH meter out of China

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/PR10-F-BS-13A-power-metering-socekt-kwh-meter-0-1-3250w-watt-meter-power-recorder/32697027826.html?

Slightly expensive ( 40 USD+ shipping ) but can Record upto year including PF , KVAR , KWH n instant values . Can connect and disconnect load based on threshold. Set timers . The build quality is rock solid . Right now connected t o my 18000 BTU LG inverter AC

I have also tried these around the house and work OK when checked against my Fluke DMM

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-in-1-Voltage-Current-Power-Energy-Meter-Gauge-AC-80-260V-100A-Digital-Voltmeter-Ammeter/32411336112.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/German-Type-EU-Digital-Power-Meter-Volt-Voltage-Wattmeter-Power-Analyzer-Electronic-Power-Energy-Meter-Measuring/32806564122.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4IN1-HD-color-screen-180-degrees-Flawless-LED-display-panel-meter-with-Voltmeter-ammeter-energy-meter/32777484561.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SDM220Modbus-Single-Phase-DIN-Rail-Kwh-meter-with-Pulse-Output-and-RS485-Modbus-Communication-MID-approved/

jazzman2:
My Oga Pranil, you are getting it all wrong: Everything we are trying to explain is the use of grid-tie inverters via AC coupling in an OFF-GRID solar system. You are completely isolated from the "national" grid and all the codes and government certifications you are quoting are not applicable here. You create a "micro-grid" within your house with a battery-based bi-directional inverter that tricks the grid-tie inverters to continue to "pump their juice" into your load network. Grid-tie inverters are current sources and will dump 100% of their available power into the micro-grid. Excess energy that is not consumed by the load is routed in an un-controlled manner via the H-bridge bi-directional inverter into the battery bank. Once the battery voltage rises from bulk to the absorption level, regulation is required. You can simply switch off the grid-tie inverter and wait for the battery voltage to drop-off to a pre-determined level and restart the grid-tie or modulate the power coming from the grid-tie to maintain the battery bank at absorption level or divert excess battery or load current into a "dump load" . SMA and other grid-tie inverters like Fronius use frequency shift control (FSC) to modulate the grid-tie power level.The keyword here is : "grid-tie inverters in off-grid solar systems." A simple google search will enlighten you. Thanks.

A grid is a legal term referring multiple energy sources connected together for distribution to multiple legal entities so when you call an inverter grid tie it means It is coupled to other energy sources which are regulated based on national laws
Infact based on your recommendation the first search of grid tie inverter brought me to wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid-tie_inverter

Quote " A grid-tie inverter converts direct current (DC) into an alternating current (AC) suitable for injecting into an electrical power grid, normally 120V RMS at 60Hz or 240V RMS at 50 Hz. Grid-tie inverters are used between local electrical power generators: solar panel, wind turbine, hydro-electric, and the grid.[1]"
In order to inject electrical power efficiently and safely into the grid, grid-tie inverters must accurately match the voltage and phase of the grid sine wave AC waveform.
Some electricity companies will pay for electrical power that is injected into the grid. Unquote

The emphasis is here again GRID-TIE - .
A simple google search will also take you to various manufacturers use of grid tie inverters recommendation and certifications for grid tie which specifically refers to connecting to local distribution grid

Please note that Grid tie inverters are not only frequency based control but they require a complex mechanism to detect abnormal grid conditions such as power swings and ramp rates which are different for every country . A grid tie inverter can also inject VAr into the system or disturb the static var compensations as well as contribute to harmonics

Just to make point clear about google I am not some D.i.Y enthusiast who has read on internet but a practicing consultant for more than 25 years and in renewables for more than 9 years for a leading German consulting company . I have advised utilities and private companies in many countries both in east and west africa on Power systems , renewables and sustainable energy . I use off grid system for my house as a hobby and out of necessity and constantly experimenting with it . But I am worried when people are not aware of the dangers the systems will try to take only partial knowledge and create problems down the line for the entire solar enthusiasts
If interested you can have a look at the publication coauthored by me for ministry of power on Nigerian Electrical system with emphasis on Renewables and rural electrification
http://www.energyplatformnigeria.com/images/Library/Energy_Sector_Study_(2nd_Edition)_-_GIZ_NESP_2015.pdf
http://www.energyplatformnigeria.com/index.php/overarching

Every responsible inverter manufacturers will tell you that in places of weak grid like Nigeria Grid tie or even AC coupled systems are bad idea . It can lead to instability , flickers and other unanticipated issues .


See the attached snipped from official victron user forums where Victron has replied to exact same question -
https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ess:design-installation-manual

P.s. I am not stopping people from using the grid tie inverters just let them be aware that there are both technical and legal pitfalls ahead of them specially when Grid tie inverters cost much higher than offgrid /hybrid inverters and have lower overall efficiency in a typical residential house with battery backup .( converting solar DC to Ac and then back to DC to charge the batteries) . Unfortunately due to severe requirements placed on them because of grid tie they turn out to be more reliable and durable then typical offf grid inverters and hence preferred even for off grid

chris81964:
A grid tied inverter is not illegal in Nigeria. Feeding back to the grid is what is not allowed. You can use a string inverter / grid tied inverter that works in conjunction with your battery inverter. They are called AC coupled systems. All the production is consumed or used the charge your batteries. The Battery inverter has to be able to do frequency shifting for it to work. There are a few people within this forum that do it using SMA Inverters and have yet to kill anyone.

How many of those installations were inspected by NEMSA- http://www.nemsa.gov.ng/home/index.html?
How many inverter manufacturers can give you certificate that they can follow the grid and distribution code set by NERC - http://www.nercng.org/index.php/component/remository/Codes-Standards-and-Manuals/orderby,4/page,2/?Itemid=0
(Btw Grid code for Solar PV installations is yet in making and not published yet )

In SMA's case they have a software called grid Guard But any changes in Grid Guard require separate authorization -
http://en.sma-sunny.com/en/service-tip-how-to-change-grid-parameters-for-sma-inverters-in-sunny-explorer/

Most of the inverter manufacturers will recommend a separate utility meter to detect feedback power and a islanding relay
In all countries Grid connected inverters must pass separate certification to ensure they do not compromise the grid - https://www.victronenergy.com/transfer-switches/anti-islanding

Since the inverter density is very low in Nigeria you have not seen any incidents yet . Or in big installation proper anti islanding has been applied . Wait till one in every ten households starts putting PV inverters

babaegun:
So guys, I finally did it.

Remember my Fangpusun solar CC. I have been able to extract data from it using emoncms. Thanks to bigbrovar & pranil for mentioning it. I was able to sort it out with the help of some guys online. I now have beautiful data which I now access in my house using a simple url in real time.. Find below the wonderful graphs.

Very nice .Also look at pVOUT.org since you have the data already . It keeps much better records and allows you to compare with another systems ( although nobody except me from Nigeria )

https://pvoutput.org


Have you looked into MQTT and NODE red where it will also allow you to control loads using a Raspberry Pi - say when Battery is full allow AC to run. C

Barezzi:
This is patently untrue egbon...
Grid-tie/Hybrid inverters can be used with or without back feeding to grid. It is not the only reason why most folks purchase them.

You grid-tie when most of your loads are consumed during the day. The PV inverter converts DC to AC which is then consumed immediately.
Later at night, your stand alone inverter inverts DC from the batteries to AC to feed night time loads.

The point i'm trying to make is if one has a large PV array, it doesn't make sense to also build a large battery bank.
Unless such an individual's night time loads are huge.

Gentelmen

Please note that Grid Tie is illegal in Nigeria for both legal and technical reasons. Unless the rules for net metering and micorgrids are published and implemented wrong use of grid tie inverter can kill somebody !

emmaniche:
@Pranil Please help with a method or working device as to how i can remotely monitor(read and write) inverters.
Its a personal project am working on, ill be very grateful if you can help me out.
u can also contact at adarighofuaemmanuel@gmail.com or drop ur mail.

Thanks.

You did not say which inverter , I am familiar with Morningstar , Victron and Voltronix . Some manufactuerers keep the code proprietary

bigrovar:
This is where victron energy products (and by extension their clones) completely got me sold. In an industry where the norm is for companies to be closed and resort to proprietary protocols. Victron energy is an exception. Every single one of their devices communicate via open standard protocols. The bluesolar MPPT charger, Inverter and battery monitor (BMV) all spew out plain text every second. The can be captured via any ttl/serial com port tool like Putty that can read data stream. There also send and can receive hex commands which can also be handled by Putty.

As if this is not enough this guys went further to create a detailed white paper with FAQ outlining in depth the technical specifications and information on the Victron VE. Direct Data communication protocols. They also have a github where they have committed and open sourced some of their projects. An example is their own version of Outback Mate 3 which they call color control GX. These device is like a hub / status display / remote control and monitoring / connection and integration hub of victron devices like Inverters, MPPT controllers, Battery monitors on steroids. The device cost about $400 a pop. But victron did something unprecedented in the solar industry and completely opened sourced it. They created a Linux Distribution based on debian called Venus and can be installed on the raspberry Pi. Venus allows your 30 dollars raspberry pi to do every thing that can be done from the $400 CCGX. The Venus software is completely free and well maintained and come with detailed guide on how to configure and install. With the Venus and Rbp I can have a system which can be connected to Victron Remote Monitoring Portal (VRM) and allow me to monitor and control my system from any where in the world all for $30.

Add this to their excellent and truly cross platform victronconnect and they is no solar company come close to integrating the best of ICT to energy generation.

I fully Agree - they are miles ahead than others - In fact I am contemplating changing the chaage controller duty to Bluesolar 150/85 for my main bank with the eventual aim of changing to pheonixc inveter ( waiting for Ve-direct support)

I did not know Venus could replace CCGX - Cant wait to give it a go

You failed to mention their excellent user support . In my quest for 48 V 3 Phase battery chargers I had a chance to talk to them extensively. The guys know their stuff very well. Even the articles on the site are very clear and tailored for DIY users


wbr

Anil

dejidotun2000:
Both of my inverters have a USB "B" type port. I connect the inverter to my laptop (I have tried 3 laptops) with the USB cable provided(I have tried 3 USB cables), Windows detects and installs the inverter but watchpower software doesn't detect anything.

Downlaod watchpowe4 1.10 and service pack 1 - Service pack 1 ( optional user manual also if you want )

http://www.mppsolar.com/manual/Watchpower%20(off-grid)/

After connecting cable open watchpower in admin mode ( shift + right click) Let it idle for 1-2 minutes to find the inverter . The inverters should pop on the left hand side denoted by USB xxxxx serial no.