Custom Grid Charging: Victron MultiPlus 2 & Cerbo Relay

Ғылым және технология

⚡🔌 Ready to unlock a new level of precision and control for your power system? Join me in this enlightening video as we explore the ingenious configuration of the Victron MultiPlus 2 Inverter, using a Cerbo relay to masterfully manage AC In charging.
We delve deep into the world of Victron's cutting-edge technology, showcasing how to harness the full potential of your MultiPlus 2 Inverter by leveraging the Cerbo's relay feature. Imagine the ability to dictate when your inverter draws power from AC input with pinpoint accuracy.
Whether you're an RV enthusiast seeking optimized battery charging on the go or a homeowner looking for an intelligent solution for energy management, this video holds the key to transforming your power control experience.
** Something I forgot to mention in the video, but make sure to add the charge current assistant to your L2 inverter as well. If you don't, the bulk charge light will always remain on when your inverters switch to passthrough mode. **
Links to the parts & pieces in the video (affiliate links)
------------------------------------
Victron 48V MultiPlus-II 5kVA 120V Inverter
www.currentconnected.com/prod...
10kVA 120/240v Base MultiPlus-II System
www.currentconnected.com/prod...
Victron Cerbo GX
www.currentconnected.com/prod...
Victron GX Touch 7" Display
www.currentconnected.com/prod...
For more information, please check out my website with links to all the components, materials and products I have used in developing my off-grid solar system: going-off-grid.com
Supporting the Channel
--------------------------------------------------
The 'Buy me a Coffee' - link is here (on the bottom, right corner of the website): going-off-grid.com
You can also click on the "Thanks" button under the video to support the channel.
Thank you for your support!
Chapters
--------------------------------------------------
0:00 Intro
1:10 Connecting the Inverter to the Cerbo
1:47 A New Way to get the Inverter Config File
2:51 Changes Needed in V.E. Config
7:43 Configuring the Cerbo
8:39 Enabling Charging Using the Cerbo
10:03 Enabling Charging Using the VRM
11:13 Final Thoughts & Wrap Up
#diy #offgrid #solar #currentconnected #victron #multiplus #multiplus2
*** Disclaimer ***
Please remember, I'm just a DIYer like you. Don't take what I'm doing as gospel truth, it's just how I'm doing things. If you're unsure of how to do something, look into hiring a professional or at least consult with a professional to determine the correct way to do things.

Пікірлер: 62

  • @AdamDeLay07
    @AdamDeLay078 ай бұрын

    *** Something I forgot to mention in the video, but make sure to add the charge current assistant to your L2 inverter as well. If you don't, the bulk charge light will always remain on when your inverters switch to passthrough mode. *** Links to the parts & pieces in the video (affiliate links) ------------------------------------ Victron 48V MultiPlus-II 5kVA 120V Inverter www.currentconnected.com/product/victron-48v-multiplus-2-5kva-120v-inverter-70a-charger/?ref=AzzpK9Fl 10kVA 120/240v Base MultiPlus-II System www.currentconnected.com/product/10kva-120-240v-multiplus-2-5kva/?ref=AzzpK9Fl Victron Cerbo GX www.currentconnected.com/product/victron-cerbo-gx-system-controller/?ref=AzzpK9Fl Victron GX Touch 7" Display www.currentconnected.com/product/gx-touch-display-cerbo-gx/?ref=AzzpK9Fl

  • @joeschmidt9503
    @joeschmidt95036 ай бұрын

    Thanks! I have deployed this and it's working well! Thank you for your efforts.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks a lot Joe! Really appreciate it!

  • @Roll2Videos
    @Roll2Videos8 ай бұрын

    Very smart, You have a very good way of explaining and walking through what it is you are doing. Great job.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    8 ай бұрын

    Thanks a lot!

  • @henriklarsson4648
    @henriklarsson46487 ай бұрын

    Great video, very well explained. Appreciate the time and effort you put into all your videos. I am another Victron 'convert'!

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks a lot!

  • @joeschmidt9503
    @joeschmidt95036 ай бұрын

    Great video! I was one of the posters in the VE forum looking exactly how to do this and up until recently I've been using an external charger and relay to keep the batteries from dropping too low. NOW I can use the Victrons, and choose when to charge them. My only difference I saw with yours vs min, is the relay scren, you have allow more options, mines just the two relays and "on or off" havent found a way to get them on my main screen yet. Very similar setup too, just the 3k mpII's. THANK YOU!!!! This video has helped immensely. Liked! Subscribed!

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    6 ай бұрын

    Awesome! Glad to be able to help! To add more options as well as control the relay from the dashboard, take a look at this video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/hIqftqitdKfclrQ.html

  • @joeschmidt9503

    @joeschmidt9503

    6 ай бұрын

    ​@@AdamDeLay07that did it! Thank you so much!

  • @greglipschitz
    @greglipschitz7 ай бұрын

    I plan to do something similar using Home Assistant triggering off battery SOC, live pricing from the wholesale power market, solar state etc. The Victron Home Assistant integration makes this very flexible.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    7 ай бұрын

    That’s awesome that Home Assistant can help with that!

  • @ppi57
    @ppi575 ай бұрын

    Hi Adam, great Vid. I wasn't aware of this feature, and ended up using a Leviton 15a wifi switch feeding to a contactor which in turn sends 16a to each of my Quattro's... with all the cloud cover we've had this month, I just let the Leviton automation charge the batteries between 11pm-7am (@ 2.8cents/kW)

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    5 ай бұрын

    Thanks! Always nice to have different options!

  • @davidpatrick1813
    @davidpatrick18138 ай бұрын

    Good work

  • @brucebugbee6604
    @brucebugbee66045 ай бұрын

    For those of us living in Michigan, its time to flip the switch and get the batteries charged up from AC Input for the big winter storm this weekend. My solar input has been dreadful this past month in southern Michigan.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    5 ай бұрын

    Yep, mine has as well. Spent a lot more time on grid than I really want to. I've already gone out once this morning to clear snow off the panels and there's still more coming down. Waiting on an official forecast from my weather guy this afternoon for the storm. Stay safe!

  • @Krzynolgarage
    @Krzynolgarage3 ай бұрын

    that's it, thanks

  • @brucebugbee6604
    @brucebugbee66046 ай бұрын

    Thanks Adam for a great tutorial. I liked your idea so much I've implemented it on my home Victron based system. It works great. I noticed on the Multiplus assistant as I was stepping through it, that if the voltage signal that you're sending to the Aux 2 relay on the Multiplus is set at a voltage between the high and low voltage limits, it will prorate the charger current going to the batteries between the high and low charger current limits. I'm going to play around with that concept to see if I can fine tune the charge current without having to upload a new configuration to the Multiplus if I want to tweak the amount of charge current.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks Bruce! Keep me in the loop with what you find! I would be very interested in that.

  • @brucebugbee6604

    @brucebugbee6604

    6 ай бұрын

    ​@@AdamDeLay07 Following up on this topic. After researching how the Multiplus Aux2 input works, I found that it is pulled up to a 5V signal through a 10k ohm resister. When the input is open (eg. the Cerbo Aux2 relay contacts are open) the signal is 5V. Of course the signal drops to 0V when the input is shorted (eg. the Cerbo Aux2 relay contacts are closed). This enables/disables the charger as you noted in your video. But in addition, the 'charge current control' assistant also allows you to linearly control the magnitude of the charger current if the signal voltage on the Aux2 input varies between the low and high voltage limits set in the assistant. Thus, by wiring two pins (the center and one of the outside pins) of a three pin 20k ohm potentiometer in parallel with the Aux2 input on the Multiplus (or the Aux2 relay on the Cerbo) and setting the Charger Current Control Assistant parameters to 0A when voltage is lower than 0.50V and maxA when voltage is higher than 3.3V, you can now control the magnitude of the DC charge current using the full range of the 20k ohm pot when the Charger is enabled. And you don't have to upload a new configuration to the Multiplus. It works great!

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    6 ай бұрын

    @@brucebugbee6604 that's really slick Bruce! Great job! So the pot would adjust the charge current based up to what you have set as the charge current in the assistant?

  • @brucebugbee6604

    @brucebugbee6604

    6 ай бұрын

    @@AdamDeLay07 Yes the charger current adjusts proportionally based on the Aux2 signal voltage, ranging from 0A at 0.5V up to the charger current setting at 3.3V in my setup. The voltage signal across Aux2 is defined by the following equation when the Cerbo relay contacts are open (charger enabled): Vsignal = 5V x pot kohms setting/(10k ohms + pot kohms setting). When the pot is turned 'up' to 20kohm, I end up with a 3.3 volt signal (5V x 20kohm/30kohm) on Aux2 input. So if I set the charge current to be 50A at a 3.3V threshold in the assistant, I get 50A on the charger when the pot is turned all the way "up" to 20k ohms. When the pot is turned down halfway to 10kohms, the signal voltage on Aux2 drops to ~2.5V (5V x 10kohm/20kohm) and the charger current drops to about 35.7A. When the pot is turned down to 5kohms, the signal voltage drops to ~1.7V (5V x 5kohm/15kohm) and the charger current drops to 20.8A. When the pot is turned down to 2 kohms, the signal voltage is 0.83V and the charger current is about 6.0A. I set my disable charger voltage to be 0.5V so the charger is disabled when I reach about 1 kohm or below on the pot. Of course if the Cerbo relay contacts are closed (charger disabled) the pot setting is irrelevant in that scenario.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    6 ай бұрын

    @@brucebugbee6604 that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing what you found!

  • @pete4778
    @pete47784 ай бұрын

    Very informative tutorial, I’m in the process of completing my Victron system. Only problem is the cerbo gx not connecting to the internet steadily. I was told to connect the cerbo straight to the router not a share portal. Love the flexibility of the system but my Schneider system is a work horse that keeps going. I’m just upgrading to the Victron for more options.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    4 ай бұрын

    Thanks Pete. Sorry you're having connectivity issues with the Cerbo. I'm using wifi on mine, but the access point is only a few feet away on the other side of the wall.

  • @clydedaisley7560
    @clydedaisley75608 ай бұрын

    very cool

  • @socaliguy81
    @socaliguy814 ай бұрын

    Which physical relay terminals are controlled by the manual "Relay 2" switch? Thanks! Great video!

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    4 ай бұрын

    Thanks! That would be the "Relay 2" terminal block on the bottom of the Cerbo.

  • @stoptheirlies
    @stoptheirlies4 ай бұрын

    Hi Adam, good Video thanks mate, just so you know the only reason you get the VE BUS config opening first is because you have more than one Inverter and you can choose which one to edit. I have just one Multi 10/18Kw and when I click on the download and then the file, for me it just opens directly into the config editor.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    4 ай бұрын

    Thanks for letting me know! Makes perfect sense!

  • @perthshortstays6075
    @perthshortstays6075Ай бұрын

    Great video! Is there a way to have charging from the grid based on a current value from a separate CT (e.g via a VM-3P75CT)? I have a separate grid-tied PV system that exports to the grid for a pittance. I'd like to measure this grid export and authomatically push the excess power into my Victron system (so a variable current equal to what is being exported) . Do you know if this can also be done via VE Connect?

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    Ай бұрын

    Thanks. That's not something I'm familiar with. I would recommend asking that question on the Victron Community forum (community.victronenergy.com/index.html). If it's been done, someone's done it on that site.

  • @mandarakotoarisoa2086
    @mandarakotoarisoa20864 ай бұрын

    Hi & thanks. I was trying to find such a solution for a while. But a couple of questions: should it work on a Multiplus I (Cerbo GX v3.13)? Could you show details of the wiring cerbo-multiplus? In the relays settings, I can't change the relay name, and I don't have the option to show the relay in overview, does it come from UPDATE?

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    4 ай бұрын

    I’m not 100% sure if it works on the MultiPlus 1 or not. I know there were some differences between the two models. Provably wouldn’t hurt to test it though. The relay name and the overview options were all a part of the GuiMods changes I did a few weeks ago. kzread.info/dash/bejne/hIqftqitdKfclrQ.html As far as the wiring goes, there’s not much to it. I just took a Cat5 wire and connected it to the terminal blocks on the Cerbo and MP like I showed in the video.

  • @JMS7410-
    @JMS7410-8 ай бұрын

    Hey Adam - hope all is well :-) Would you happen to know a way to tell the Multiplus II to charge manually via VRM from the VenusOS Rasberry Pi? There ins't a relay aux input on the Rasberry Pi so unless I missed it in the video talking about that... I cant tell the MP-II to charge my batteries outside of my charger fixed/adaptive settings for voltage and absorption repeat. I can get it to manually charge but its through a VRM restart command to the MP-II as a whole haha... but dont like to do that.

  • @tiborchren

    @tiborchren

    8 ай бұрын

    If the RPi is used for Venus OS, where there are no relays like on Cerbo, it is possible to connect a PCB board with one or more relays to the RPi and install it in the Venus OS, where it is then used just like the relays from Cerbo. I've seen videos of how to add PCB relay boards to the RPi Venus OS.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    8 ай бұрын

    Actually yes. I've done this before on my old 12v system. I purchased a relay board and wired it to two of the GIPO pins. Let me do some digging and see if I can find the details again.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    8 ай бұрын

    Ok, so here's what I found. The VenusOS install has 1 "relay" enabled by default (I found this out because I had to wipe my own Raspberry Pi and start over). You can add others if you want by installing the RpiGpioSetup from KWindrem. So the "relay" option for the raspberry pi basically just turns a pin on or off on the gpio header. You actually need to add your own relay to control whatever you want to switch. Years ago I wanted to be able to turn my giandel inverter on/off through the VRM. So I bought one of these relays (www.adafruit.com/product/2895) and wired it to the GPIO pins on the pi. I'm sure there's other options out there, but these were cheap. You only have to solder 3 pins (3v, gnd and signal). I then purchased these breadboard wires (amzn.to/3M1OC4D) to connect the pi to the featherwing. I used 3 female to female wires. My raspberry pi is a 2B (so you might have to double check your specific pi gpio pinout) 3v on featherwing -> GPIO header 17 Gnd on featherwing -> GPIO header 39 Signal on featherwing -> GPIO header 40 Then all you have to do is set the Relay to "Manual" in the Remote Console and you should be good to go. I'll see if I can throw together a quick video to better show what I'm talking about.

  • @williamsmith648
    @williamsmith6488 ай бұрын

    What would be the purpose of this Aux 2 setup if you already have Aux 1 setup like your previous video? Wouldn’t “Start Generator” do the same thing? I typically use the VRM for all my monitoring needs.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    8 ай бұрын

    By default, when in passthrough mode, the inverter also charges from the grid. Now you can disable this in VE Config, but then you would have to re-enable if you had to charge from the grid for whatever reason. So even when my system switches over to grid (using the generator setup from the last video), I don't want to charge from the grid. I want to primarily charge from solar only. Like the generator setup, this gives me the ability to use the Cerbo (or the VRM) to enable or disable charging from the grid.

  • @williamsmith648

    @williamsmith648

    8 ай бұрын

    @@AdamDeLay07 I think I'm following. I have an 50 amp RV with a MP-II x120. I'm trying to do somewhat the same. Run loads and charge from solar and only use grid when the loads are high or the SOC is low. I'm not sure what value it would be for me to separate out the charger function when the mains / generator connect. In my case (say after many crappy days of no sun) I'm going to want the batteries charged from AC. It looks like the Aux 1 / Generator function would be all I need. Are you using the Aux 1 setup primarily for running high loads and using the Aux 2 for finer control of grid battery charging?

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    8 ай бұрын

    @@williamsmith648 Pretty much. Aux 1 is being used for low SOC switching back to grid as well as high loads. The generator function of the cerbo lets me really dial in those numbers without having to constantly make changes using VE Config. Aux2 is very rarely used. My charger is set to 0a in VE Config, so the only way I can enable charging is using the Aux2 relay. I might use it a few times during the winter if I go weeks at a time without a full charge, just to let the batteries refill, but most of the time that relay will be turned off.

  • @giollaliddy5817
    @giollaliddy5817Ай бұрын

    if the charge current + loads are higher than the grid (shore input limit), does it throttle down the charge current?

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    Ай бұрын

    I very rarely use the grid charging option, but I believe it does throttle down charging if output power gets too high. Someone else might be able to comment more.

  • @pulith5220
    @pulith52205 ай бұрын

    What to do if your using a raspberry pi. Can you show how to configure it and what hats are needed for the pi. I got a multiplus-II gx so the gx is in the inverter so i dont hv a relay.

  • @pulith5220

    @pulith5220

    5 ай бұрын

    Ohh you have done a video on raspberry pi. Just watching it.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    5 ай бұрын

    Just in case anyone else is looking for the answer to this: kzread.info/dash/bejne/nqpp1NOqkqesfJM.html

  • @YvesWinkel
    @YvesWinkel7 ай бұрын

    It would be fun (and nice) if you could also add the opposite of this: manual dump energy from the battery to the grid! (In some countries - like The Netherlands - you can earn some money by selling your energy to the grid. Do you have a solution for that? Thank you 🙏

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    7 ай бұрын

    I believe that when you use ESS, there’s a grid set-point option. A positive number will draw from the grid and a negative number will push back to the grid. www.victronenergy.com/live/ess:ess_mode_2_and_3

  • @joeschmidt9503

    @joeschmidt9503

    6 ай бұрын

    I use Home assistant and have it connected to my Victron setup and at 90% battery it will turn on some loads that are nice to have but not needed, and at 97% I start turning on dump loads. Right now in winter in Wisconsin those are a heat pump at 90% and at 97% some heaters. On the opposite end to preserve power I have it switch things off starting at 30%.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    6 ай бұрын

    Unfortunately in the US since the inverters aren't UL listed, they cannot be configured for selling back to the grid.

  • @LincolnSP150
    @LincolnSP1507 ай бұрын

    Hi; Why did you switch to Victron Inverters? We're your EG4 6500EX'S giving you a lot of problems?

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    7 ай бұрын

    The biggest reason was that Current Connected sent me the Victron inverters for some long-term testing. If you go back through my videos, you'll see I did end up having a lot of issues with the 6500s. Unfortunately, the biggest issue I had was with the lack of communication from support though.

  • @LincolnSP150

    @LincolnSP150

    7 ай бұрын

    @@AdamDeLay07 I have been watching your videos for quite a while, and I did see some of the difficulties you were having, I was kinda surprised seeing your 6500's replaced with Victron. I have a couple of 6500's but I am only using one of them so far mounted on a hand truck for a temporary power source which so far works well, but I am always apprehensive especially after seeing problems others have experienced. Thank You for all the great information you have passed along, I very much enjoy your videos.

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    7 ай бұрын

    @@LincolnSP150 Glad to be able to help out. When people ask if they'll have problems with the 6500s, from what I've seen it always ends up being the flip of a coin. Some have no issues at all and others have a lot of issues. Some issues are self-inflicted due to improper installation/understanding but not all of them. For a hand-truck installation, I doubt you would see a lot of the issues people experienced because you're only using it as temporary power. Good luck and have fun!

  • @GavinStoneDIY
    @GavinStoneDIY8 ай бұрын

    You changed the intro!

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    8 ай бұрын

    I updated it a little while ago

  • @GavinStoneDIY

    @GavinStoneDIY

    8 ай бұрын

    @@AdamDeLay07 that shows how much I pay attention. 🙄

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    8 ай бұрын

    @@GavinStoneDIY🤣🤣🤣

  • @idr017
    @idr0174 ай бұрын

    Don't you just love it when someone puts up videos with incorrect information then follows up with a correction BUT leaves the old video up.. Just STUPID!!!!!

  • @AdamDeLay07

    @AdamDeLay07

    4 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the comment. Really helps out the KZread algorithm.

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