Behind that appearance, however, is an energy system that enables twenty-seven households to live in a community which generates far more electricity than it consumes. More than four times as much, in fact.

The community is in the Swiss village of Güttingen which lies on the shores of Lake Constance. A former smithy – Alte Schmitte –was redeveloped into an energy-efficient residential neighbourhood. The development consists of six buildings: four are newly-constructed timber buildings, two are historic houses which have been renovated. Together they provide 27 rental apartments in the centre of the village – new housing which preserves the character of its village location between the church and community centre.

The project received both the Norman Foster Solar Award from the Swiss Solar Prize and the European Solar Prize 2025 in the category of Solar Architecture and Sustainable Design.

With high levels of energy efficiency the buildings use a Minergie-P building envelope, sheep’s wool insulation, geothermal heat pumps and passive cooling. Minergie-P is a Swiss building certification similar to Passivhaus.

The solar based power system was designed, programmed and is maintained by Solar Energy Anstalt.

The photovoltaic array measures more than 3000m² and provides 413.7 kWp of generation capacity across roofs, balconies and building façades. The annual electricity production from these panels is 371,000 kWh, yet annual energy demand from the twenty seven occupancies is around 92,400 kWh – most of the surplus energy is exported to the public grid.

Six MultiPlus-II 48/15000 inverters configured for three-phase supply provide 90 kVA of power. They’re sized for peak loads, rather than annual kilowatt-hours. In off-grid mode, whenever the grid has failed, this architecture is designed to supply priority loads via a separate emergency power sub-distribution system: that ensures continuity of building services, elevator, ventilation, control systems, lighting, security, and access control.

It’s important to note that when the grid fails the MultiPlus-II inverters make the switch to private supply in under 20 milliseconds—faster than a conventional UPS.

In practice, this configuration allows between 100 to 140 MWh per year to be generated by day yet used in the evening and overnight, allowing a self-consumption percentage of between 55–70%. And in the event of a power outage, the 400kWh Pytes battery bank can easily power the neighbourhood’s prioritised services for a full day and night.

The Pytes batteries and Cerbo GX are connected by a VE.Can-to-CAN-bus BMS cable. All battery-side data flows into the Victron system and from there to the Victron Remote Management VRM Portal for remote access, alerts, and long-term logging.

Technical support and system integration were provided by Franz (Solar Energy), the Victron sales partner for the project. Project management was handled by Fabrice from the architectural firm Giuseppe Fent AG.

Integration of the Pytes battery system with Victron technology; configuration of battery communications, Fronius PV inverters are controlled by the MultiPlus II’s for charging the Energy Storage System (ESS);  and provision for data collection and long-term monitoring has been enabled for the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW Winterthur have all be commissioned and are running successfully.

Images are by Julian Schmelz Inger.

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Its viability depends on bore holes, tanked-reservoirs, and a pumping system through 1400km of water pipelines to over 200 drinking troughs.

Until recently water provision across the property relied on a variety of pumping arrangements which required station staff to visit and check water points in 118 paddocks along 380km of tracks. It’s tough on people, and it’s tough on vehicles.

Conditions are harsh, the water is sometimes brackish, and it’s worse during dry seasons.

The station was looking for a more efficient way to pump water through their network, and wanted to reduce the need for physical inspections at remote bore and reservoir tank sites.

Off-grid energy specialist MyEnergy Engineering knew how to solve both problems.

The technology they introduced wasn’t just a massive power upgrade using renewable ‘free’ electricity, but it inaugurated a new era of communication and control – providing remote tank-level information and pump operation.

Water is one of the most important jobs on the station. The system had to be designed to handle three-phase pumps with high inrush current reliably while still being practical for a remote site.

My Energy Engineering’s CEO Ciaram Granger says: “That is where the Victron equipment was a strong fit, particularly because of the way the Quattro systems can work with solar, batteries and generator backup.”

At the station’s Homestead, Quattro inverter/chargers provide 45kVA three-phase power from a 96kWh Pylontech lithium battery bank supported by a 44.28kW Trina solar array using SmartSolar MPPT RS solar charge controllers which are suitable for large PV arrays charging a 48VDC battery bank.

There are also a further three remote bore sites which are powered by three 8kVA Quattros inverters offering 24kVA and configured for three-phase supply; each installation has a 42kWh Pylontech battery bank, and a 29kW Trina solar array, SmartSolar MPPT RS and Cerbo GX communication centres. They also have backup generators for use during low-solar periods or during high-demand.

In each system the Cerbo GX communication centre maintains control over all devices. The data it monitors allows for completely automatic generator on/off control, triggered battery state of charge or high current consumption.

Using Victron Remote Management (VRM) staff can view and control water pumping sites without visiting them.

When resources – such as water – are finite, they need to be constantly monitored and decisions made according to abundance or scarcity. The Cerbo GX accepts digital inputs – in this case from water tank senders – allowing them to be monitored remotely via an internet connection, and pumps can be controlled. For Madura Plains, with its huge scale operation, this is a breakthrough in efficiency.

Instead of relying on in-person visits for manual checks, the pumps, tank-levels and the installation’s battery status can be monitored remotely, by fingertip. It eliminates unnecessary driving so that staff can concentrate on the areas that need attention, to solve problems which have been spotted sooner than was previously possible.

The station owner has found the improved water reliability is a real turning point for his operation. Better access to cleaner, cooler stock water allows the station to operate with far more control – especially during dry spells.

A Sense of the scale

Madura Plains has around 60,000 sheep and 3,500 Boer-cross goats. There are over a thousand kilometres of fencing which divides the station into 118 paddocks, reached by 376km of track. There’s a 10,000-head feedlot and holding yard; and the whole operation runs successfully amid the heat, dust, and remoteness of its location.

The installation challenge

Ciaram Granger says: “The challenge was to design and install a solar system with the reality of the site in mind: long distances, limited access, harsh weather – heat, dust and isolation – and the need for the system to keep doing its job with minimal intervention. Bore pumps can be demanding – especially when starting and running three-phase equipment in a remote location.”

Greg Tonkin is the lead electrician at MyEnergy Engineering, specialising in the design and installation of solar PV systems for off-grid applications. His commitment to safety, adherence to local regulations, and proficiency in preventative maintenance and troubleshooting are key aspects of his role and won him State Level (SA/NT) Master Electrician (Tradie) of the Year through the Master Electricians Australia awards in 2024.

He has his own hobby farm, so he’s already good with animals. Just as well because during construction of the remote installations he and his colleagues had to camp in swags on site, sharing floor-space with hundreds of Lizards.

Speaking about what My Energy Engineering has achieved here, Ciaram says:

We are proud that the system supports the practical day-to-day running of the station – the homestead and the remote bore sites, but more importantly, it helps keep water moving where it is needed. On a property of this scale, reliable power at a bore site is not a convenience, it’s part of the station’s core infrastructure. This is the type of work MyEnergy is built for. A lot of our projects are in remote or demanding locations, including agricultural, commercial, industrial and station applications. The common theme is that the system has to be practical, reliable and matched to how the site actually operates.

The post Irrigating Two-million Acres appeared first on Victron Energy.

The lead acid batteries which had provided back up power were coming to the end of their life, but also the site operator, McMinnville Water & Light, based in Oregon, U.S., noticed that staff were having to spend much more time at the facility – finding problems, analysing power information and putting mitigations in place. The system was old and difficult to work with.

Understanding the problems facing the water engineers enabled power system designer Artek to reimagine their installation; to choose the hardware, and to tailor the software to offer an optimised power installation which meets their needs uniquely.

Working alongside Cascade Solar, the challenge was to add provide redundancy, meet highly variable load demands, provide remote data communications, comply with strict seismic requirements, and to make the power system easier for their technicians to read and understand with clear live data information.

At the heart of the installation is an 80kWh, 48V Lithium NG battery bank which are managed by dual Lynx Smart BMS NG units. The duality of the installed architecture adds an important layer of redundancy and protection—critical in an environment where maintenance access is limited and failure mustn’t be allowed.

Power delivery at the site is split across two inverter-charger systems, each designed for a specific role: In the first instance a MultiPlus 48/2000 operates 24 hours per day, providing the power required to monitor and control the site’s equipment. The operators have clear visibility of the system’s status via the GX Touch 70 and can maintain control of water flow infrastructure.

Alongside it, a more powerful split-phase system comprised of dual MultiPlus-II 48/5000 units handle the site’s  high-demand loads – powering the nitrogen accumulation pump used to actuate hydraulic valves. They also manage battery charging when a generator is running.

This dual-inverter architecture allows the system to efficiently balance continuous low-load demand, punctuated by intermittent high-power requirements.

Node-RED flow provides bespoke automation

Rather than running the larger inverter system continuously, Artek implemented a demand-driven control strategy.

Using a Cerbo GX as the central communication hub, custom Node-RED logic was developed to deliver inverter operation idealised for real site conditions. The system responds directly to signals from an Allen-Bradley PLC, which indicates when pumps are running—or need to run.

When that signal is activated, the split-phase MultiPlus-II system comes online. When it’s not needed, the system remains idle – reducing standby consumption and improving overall efficiency.

The same logic also responds to generator activity. The generator has an auto start – triggered by a preset battery state of charge – and the MultiPlus-II’s begin to charge the depleted battery bank at maximum generator efficiency.

The implementation includes:

• Custom Node-RED control logic triggered by generator state and a pump-demand input
• Automatic/Mode control for the split-phase inverter-charger system
• Continuous-power architecture preserved through the always-on primary inverter-charger
• Custom gui-v2 QML overrides for combined AC load visibility across both inverter systems
• Native Cerbo GX Modbus integration retained for SCADA communications
• Deployment tooling for GX UI updates, flow deployment, backup, and rollback

These enhancements keep the system simple for operators while ensuring power is always available.

Solar and redundancy design

Battery charging from a 5kW solar array is split into three independent strings, managed by three SmartSolar MPPT 250/70 VE.CAN charge controllers. If one part of the array is offline, the rest continue to operate, offering system resilience. To meet local safety standards, the array also integrates Tigo rapid shutdown which allows module-level de-energisation for maintenance or during emergency situations.

Better visibility, better decisions

For operators on site, understanding system behaviour quickly is crucial.  Artek have extended the Venus OS interface on the Cerbo GX by providing a custom GUI modification which offers a combined view of the total AC load across both inverter systems. This gives technicians a clearer, more intuitive understanding of what the system is doing at any moment, improving troubleshooting and confidence in operation.

Unnecessary complexity was avoided by employing the Cerbo GX’s native Modbus capabilities for SCADA integration, focusing customisation only where it delivered real value.

Who benefits?

This installation supports the entire McMinnville community. Reliable water supply depends on reliable energy, and this system ensures that critical infrastructure continues to operate regardless of grid availability.

At the same time, site operators benefit from a system that is robust, efficient and easy to manage. Demand-driven inverter control reduces fuel use and wear on equipment, while improved visibility makes day-to-day operation more straightforward.

In McMinnville, the water will keep flowing.

The post Energy security guarantees town’s water supply appeared first on Victron Energy.

Powering the passenger elevator which connects the flyover to the railway platform below, this first-of-its-kind installation is fully-operational, and in daily-use.

The project began when the administration of the City of Warsaw wondered whether the acoustic barriers installed in close proximity to the elevator shaft – which has a constant power demand – can be used to do both jobs.

The question resulted is a system where renewable energy generation and infrastructure resilience go hand in hand.

• The acoustic barriers continue to reduce traffic noise
• Integrated PV modules generate electricity
• A Victron-based energy storage system ensures continuous operation of the elevator’s HVAC and safety systems – and during grid outages, the elevator runs on renewable battery power, maintaining safe conditions for passengers.

Custom Acoustic-PV Hybrid Panels

The upper section of the existing noise barriers has been replaced with custom-engineered acoustic-PV panels developed by Alfa Bond Kohlhauer. Each panel integrates a full-size, high-efficiency 590 Wp solar module into a structure designed to preserve acoustic performance – colour matched to the existing street furniture, and of a slightly raised height to show off the innovation. In total, 8 panels deliver a 4.72 kWp system.

The panels are mounted vertically as part of the barrier structure not at the typical 30°–45° tilt. While vertical mounting reduces peak output, it offers some advantages:

• Better generation during mornings, evenings, and winter months
• Improved self-cleaning due to rain runoff
• Lower maintenance requirements

Expected annual yield is approximately 4 MWh, with real-world best-daily production reaching around 20 kWh. Live, historic, and accumulated data can be viewed on the installation’s publicly available Victron Remote Management page.

DC-Coupled Storage

The system was designed and built by ENERP featuring DC-coupled architecture, optimised for efficiency and simplicity:

• MultiPlus-II 48/5000
• SmartSolar MPPT RS 450V solar charger
• Lynx Distributor & Lynx Power In
• Cerbo GX with VRM monitoring
• 15 kWh Pytes battery storage

By avoiding a traditional AC-coupled inverter, the system benefits from higher round-trip efficiency; direct battery charging from PV and reliable operation even in passthrough mode.

Built for Real-World Conditions

All system components are housed in a custom stainless-steel enclosure built by Strabag and designed for roadside conditions, including integrated cabling through the viaduct structure, and the elevator shaft.

The electricity grid supplies power to the elevator under normal conditions – the elevator HVAC is powered by the inverter. However, when there is a grid power failure the inverter takes over the elevator operation.

A New Use for Urban Space

Warsaw’s broader goal is to explore “non-obvious” locations for solar deployment. Rooftops and solar farms are already well utilised but within cities there are many vertical surfaces along highways, ring roads and expressways which use noise barriers and could support more solar panel integration if this pilot scheme proves economically successful.

The results are encouraging. If performance continues as expected, the concept can scale across thousands of metres of acoustic barriers throughout cities.

It’s an example of how thoughtful system design and integration can take existing infrastructure and add value.

The post Passenger elevator powered by acoustic barrier appeared first on Victron Energy.

Marine power installations can get complicated – combining AC and DC power distribution; battery charging from multiple sources: generators, alternator, solar; connections to shore power (of variable quality); together with the need to take care of special-case grounding in a way which also prevents galvanic corrosion.

Cowboy is a 74 foot steel-hulled luxury motor vessel with a working-boat pedigree. Built for long-range exploration it’s packed with industrial-grade marine equipment including a Cummins 440hp diesel engine, two power generators, electric steering, and nine tanks holding thousands of gallons of fuel, fresh water, black water – all of which need to be fluid balanced to keep the vessel in trim.

Jake and his team at Marine Diagnostic Services based in New Bern, North Carolina, were invited on board to take a look at a recent power installation in which the inverters, battery, and generator were not communicating properly. They’d been installed by engineers who wanted to achieve a good result for the owner, but couldn’t.

Subsequent interventions had also failed to achieve an automated power system. Instead, top quality devices had been installed with no unified goal, resulting in frequent power dropouts; lots of ‘if this happens then do that…‘ manual interventions; together with unexplained power anomalies.

Boat owner Jim Price (pictured centre, at the head of this article) also experienced battery storage limitations well below his requirement; and the manual switching was keeping him on his toes running from one end of the boat to the other. In short, the fun went out of boating.

New Insight

Jake’s analytical approach – checking voltages, strain testing, thermal imaging and simply tugging on cables to see if they were properly crimped – revealed the boats problems one by one. There were quite a few.

Rebuilding the system would take a while, but the result would be the difference between night and day.

Installation as-built

Taking a bird’s eye view, the boat’s power supply had not been designed or installed with an overall unifying vision. Its various parts didn’t work together. Inverter installation was incomplete – there were four 24V 5000VA inverters mounted on the wall, but only two were actually connected, and those hadn’t been correctly configured. Cable lengths were inconsistent, which is a major issue in paralleled inverter systems.

AC

AC wiring in the cabinet was untidy and poorly executed, with incorrect bonding and a shore-based grounding arrangement. The bonding was configured after the inverters – like a house – creating double bonds. While this bonding method can comply with the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards – of which MDS is a member – it must be executed with careful attention to the rest of the system.

The shore-power inlet arrangement was a 50A cable with an IsoBoost Transformer whilst a vessel this size could easily make use of a 100 Amp service. The boat system was relying on load balancing and other workarounds to run devices at peak supply because large AC loads were destabilising the system.

When the air conditioning started up, for example, peak loading of the generator would cause the power output quality to suffer forcing the Quattro Inverter/Chargers to take over the load instead of operating as a charger for the batteries. It was later discovered that a failed capacitor which should have been providing a soft start to one of the air-conditioning units was faulty, and was contributing to the instability.

Also, the yard had ordered 230V European single-phase Quattros which were incorrect for the intended split-phase 240V setup.

Generator

The generators were failing to autostart/autostop when the batteries dropped or rose through a pre-set State-of-Charge or Voltage parameters with the result that the owner had to continually monitor the batteries himself, and manually start the generator.

DC

On the DC side some battery cabling and terminations were so insecure that a tug-test was enough to pull the 4/0 cables out of their lugs. There were 100 foot cable runs to the generators, inverters and alternators.

Thermal

During early testing the team discovered overheating anomalies at terminations suggesting high-resistance, poor distribution, and inadequate switching components.

Tank

The boat had an archaic voltage-based tank monitoring system and, surprisingly, there was no practical way of monitoring tank levels where the owner actually needed it – in the engine room. Without gauges where fuel transfer is carried out, the owner would have to stop work during tank pumping and visit the bridge to read the gauge levels in order to see how he was getting on!

Problem Resolutions

Now that the problems have been resolved and all the advanced features are enabled, for owner, Jim, the standout result is that he no longer needs to supervise his power system – it just runs itself.

Most noticeably the Air Conditioning system – which consumes a lot of energy – switches in and out seamlessly. There are no power trips, and there is always sufficient power to run the AC service. In fact the whole boat can be run from the battery storage.

Over several months Jake and the MDS team, some of whom are individual members of the ABYC, rewired most of the DC and AC circuits. He also:

• Paralleled all four inverters correctly.
• Removed the manual selector switches and replaced them with automated operation.
• Thermal tested to find system’s maximum safe threshold and ensure above system set DVCC programming and fusing (525 Amps Sustained
• Integrated the generators properly with MDS autostart modules triggered by battery status and max amperage/inverter conditions data.
• Integrated correct system data communication – based on the Ekrano GX – so that all power devices can be controlled integrally.
• Rebuilt the tank monitoring using multiple GX Tank 140 modules together with a tablet/iPad display. Existing 12v senders powered by 24/12 -5 amp DC-DC converters. Data sent to a USB hub and supplied to the Ekrano GX.

Data sharing between Victron and third-party manufactured devices has been enabled. Jake installed an ARCO Zeus A7000 Alternator and External Regulator. The regulator has been integrated with the Ekrano GX – a datacommunication device which controls the power installation – optimizing alternator output by referencing real-time battery and alternator voltage and temperature.

The vessel has a Garmin 8600 navigation system. Integrating the Ekrano GX and Garmin Instruments via NMEA2000 communication protocol allows for power and tank information to be made available on the bridge at the Multi Function Display.

Tank sender data is now part of the power system integrating using GX Tank 140. He can now monitor his tank levels from different locations – in the engine-room fuel management area using Tablet display compatibility; on the bridge Multi Function Display …and on his phone using VictronConnect.

For the owner, the ability to read tank levels wherever required is a major operational improvement for fuel monitoring, transfer and replenishment, and allows the work to be carried out more safely.

Another feature of the new set up which has changed Jim’s experience of his boat completely is the automatic generator auto start/stop functionality. MDS built a timer module to adapt the Ekarano GX’s Start/Stop Feature to the Cummins Onan Generator’s – Prime – Start – Stop function.

Cowboy now has an uninterrupted power supply on board – even if shore power fails. Speaking of which, when he wants to take the vessel to sea, Jim can disconnect the from shore power supply without first having to follow a tedious disconnect procedure in the engine room.

And best of all, perhaps, if there’s a power problem looming the Ekrano GX will send a status/alarm report straight to Jim’s phone via email. Marine Diagnostic Services  gets the same notification, too, so that wherever Cowboy is in the world the MDS team can fix it remotely by using the Victron Remote Management (VRM) platform via a StarLink web access.

In short, the properly designed and programmed power system offers Jim capabilities and benefits he wasn’t even aware were available to him – and the result is an experience far beyond his expectation.

The final system upgrade inside Cowboy consists of:

● 4 x 24V-5k Quattro 120V (Two on each phase 120/240VAC)
● An Ekrano GX
● 4x GX Tank 140 ( waste/fuel/day/auxiliary tank/back-up/ freshwater/black)
Powered by 24/12-5A DC-DC keychain
● Ruuvi tags all over the boat, monitoring humidity, temperature, and air pressure

● 10x 24V Epoch 230V2 Elite (55.2kW battery storage)
● Class T fuses for AIC protection
● 7kW ARCO Zeus Alternator Regular (direct feed to house, backfeed starter with
external charger).
● CAN-Bus integration
● Balmar duo charge solenoid – repurposed for emergency start
● Two Generators routed to triple-pole breakers with sliding lockout for AC2 Input (240V output, 21kw )
● Starlink Maritime
● DC-DC charging from Generator 1 start battery (24V) to Generator 2 start battery for 12v charging solution.
12/12-18 An Orion DC to DC charger.
● Isolated sensitive DC common ground for autopilot
● Ekrano to Nema2000 Adapter providing info to Garmin 8600’s at helm and around vessel.
● 4 x Lynx Distributors/ 3x Power In.
● Lynx Shunt as a backup for Amperage via CAN-Bus monitoring.
● MDS-custom-built Generator autostart timer module for generator 1.

Product distribution and advice were provided by Intelligent Controls and associates.

Mutinous Autopilot

Jim was over the moon and ready to get Cowboy out of the boatyard.

Just a few days later, however, Jake got a panicked call from Jim:  whilst motoring down the channel toward open water the boat’s electronic steering inexplicably altered course by 90 degrees – almost running the vessel aground.
Back on board to check it out, Jake noticed the rudder sensor was twitching randomly. The autopilot itself tested okay, so he checked the power supply and discovered the twitching happened whenever the DC power became “noisy” with too much AC interference. By monitoring the electrical noise over time he could predict exactly when the sensor would fail. Jake believed he could fix the problem with a Victron power converter in front of the autopilot to clean up any ripple voltage.
“Another blue box?” Jim asked.
“Yes, one more.”
“Oh, good!”

Jake installed a DC-DC power converter and the problem was solved instantly.

“That was a great win,” says Jake, “being able to draw, once again, from the amazing Victron toolkit to make whatever kind of power we need for the challenge at hand.”

The post Automotive diagnostics expert untangles Marine power problems appeared first on Victron Energy.

The school’s management decided to invest in a multi-faceted educational sustainability initiative which would help its pupils to learn about solar energy, water sustainability and waste management. The most ambitious part of the programme was for the entire school to become self-sufficient in solar energy.

Because the city’s electricity grid is unreliable they had for many years relied on a 65 kVA generator to run their air conditioning units, lighting and educational aids during blackouts.

Several obstacles to energy independence lay ahead!

An initial site survey by the school’s chosen solar installation partner, SEEMA SOLAR, found that the AC electricity distribution already in place – wiring, switches and sockets – was in a dangerous condition such that it was exposing students and staff to risk.

Seema Solar’s three month installation project began with re-wiring switches and outlets in order that their new power supply would be safe for use.

As part of that renewal, the old air conditioning units and fridges were replaced with more energy-efficient models in order to optimise the school’s overall power consumption. As a result, since December 2025, the school has been self-sufficient in electricity. The new installation is grid-tied so that the electricity grid can provide back-up power if required.

The introduction of reliable power has brought forward an evolution in the school’s teaching practices: in the past, lessons were mainly conducted using chalk and blackboard – whereas today, it uses video projectors. There’s been a transition to digital learning too – a major advancement which has improved the quality of education and brought the school up-to-date with today’s educational needs.

Regardless of network blackouts in the city outside, the school’s power – including lighting, IT, and educational devices – is now guaranteed.

SEEMA designed, supplied, and installed a 72 solar panels. 30 kWh of Lithium storage and an AC output power of 50 kVA.

The power installation consists of:

• 24 kWp of single-phase low-voltage PV modules
• 3 SmartSolar MPPT 250/100 solar charge controllers
• 3 MultiPlus-II 48/10000/140-100 panels
• 1 Fronius SYMO 20 AC Inverter
• 6 Lith-Tech TBX4000 / 51V-100Ah batteries
• A Cerbo GX provides data communications between devices, live system data to the GX Touch 70 local user interface, and also remote access allowing Seema to monitor and manage the system instantly via Victron Remote Management VRM.

With uninterrupted power supply 24/7  the school is proud to have reached this important milestone of transitioning to clean energy. The “Green Iman” project uses the electrical grid very little and the generator has been removed.

Students are made aware of the challenges of future energy and eco-friendly practices, while some teachers integrate these themes into their teaching methods to raise awareness from an early age.

Seema Solar undertook the entire project themselves, from technical design and equipment procurement, through to the commissioning of the solar installation.

Seema will support Lycée Iman in the longer-term, offering continuous technical partnership to ensure the system’s flawless performance and reliability. Seema also takes the opportunity of this initiative to teach students and staff about renewable energy.

Moctar ETHMANE – owner at SEEMA SOLAR – says:  “The main challenge was, above all, the financial aspect. In Mauritania, there are very few support mechanisms for this type of initiative, and the school had to finance the project entirely from its own funds to transition to solar energy.”

“Another major challenge was the initial condition of the electrical installation, which did not meet standards. From our very first contact with the school, this was identified as a critical issue,” he says.

The school is located at the edge of the Sahara desert – unsurprisingly intense heat is often an obstacle to work. Frequent voltage drops on the electricity grid prevented the air conditioning from functioning properly – a situation which directly affected learning and sometimes impacted on students’ health.

Moctar says that they are particularly satisfied to have ensured a stable power supply which provides students with a safer, more comfortable, and more suitable learning environment.

The project was a major investment for Lycée Iman. The funds used for the sustainable power transition were their own. In tribute to the school’s management team, Moctar says: “Most importantly, we are proud of the quality of the collaboration with the school’s management, who trusted us from the beginning and fully supported the implementation of this project.”

You can contact, connect and follow Seema Solar at their social media sites at LinkedIn and Facebook.

Let’s take a look at the school and what has been achieved:

The post Iman Verte appeared first on Victron Energy.

Large off-grid systems have traditionally been complex to build and difficult to change; Victron Microgrid takes a different approach.

Each Power Bank is a complete, independent Victron installation with its own inverter/chargers, batteries and monitoring. No central controller, and no data communication wiring between units. If you need more power you can just add another Power Bank, and scale the system – up to 400 kW.

Why Victron Microgrid?

• Scale beyond a single system.

Multiple Power Banks on a shared AC bus let you build off-grid systems much larger than a single VE.Bus system, without the complexity and risk of one big centralised inverter installation.

• Keep running when a unit goes down.

Each Power Bank operates on its own. If one is taken offline for service or develops a fault, the rest continue supplying the AC bus uninterrupted. Removing any single point of failure.

• Add or remove capacity without downtime.

Connect more Power Banks to the Microgrid as demand grows. Disconnect them when demand drops or maintenance is needed. No reprogramming required, and the AC bus stays live to loads the whole time.

• Build with what installers already know.

No new hardware. Victron Microgrid uses the same inverter/chargers, batteries, charge controllers and GX devices that installers already work with. Each Power Bank is monitored through its own GX device and VRM.

• Move equipment between sites.

Perfect for rental: containerised Power Banks can go from one project to the next. When a job is done, the same hardware returns to the depot and goes out again ready to join another Microgrid. A standard, efficient container build can be used to satisfy a broad range of applications by simply joining them together via AC wiring on site.

Applications

Because each Power Bank is self-contained, Victron Microgrid works well on sites where demand changes over time and equipment may need to move between projects.

1. Generator rental fleets

Rental operators can treat Power Banks as modular fleet assets. Instead of maintaining many fixed-capacity systems for different jobs, stock standardised Power Banks and combine them to match each contract. A smaller deployment might use two Power Banks; a larger job may need six or more. When a contract ends, the same units return to the depot and go out again in a different combination. Power Banks can be grouped together as a Microgrid in VRM to provide remote monitoring, alarms and visibility across active sites.

2. Construction sites

Construction sites often have a stable base-load with temporary spikes in demand. Site offices, lighting and tools may run for months at one level, then a crane, welding gear or other heavy equipment drives consumption up.

3. Events and festivals

Demand profiles shift across bump-in, live operation and bump-out. Peak power may only be needed for part of the schedule, but reliable supply is needed throughout. Deploy more Power Banks for peak periods, fewer for quieter ones with no need to redesign the system. If the programme changes, add capacity quickly by connecting another Power Bank to the AC bus. And if one unit has an issue, the rest keep running.

4. Expanding existing off-grid systems

Victron Microgrid is also a practical way to upgrade an existing Victron off-grid installation. Instead of pulling a working system apart to make it bigger, install a second Power Bank alongside it and connect both to the same AC bus. The original system stays as it is and just becomes one of the Power Banks in the Microgrid. This is useful for containerised or remote installations where reworking what’s already there would be disruptive. Each Power Bank manages its own charging, so the new unit needs its own charging sources such as additional solar, a DC generator connection, or other DC charging.

How Victron Microgrid works

A Power Bank is a complete Victron off-grid system: one or more VE.Bus inverter/chargers, a battery bank, DC distribution, DC charging sources, and a GX device for monitoring. In a Victron Microgrid, multiple Power Banks connect to a shared AC bus and work together as one large power system.

Independent charging – no central controller needed

Decentralised DC charging is what makes this controller-less approach work. Each Power Bank manages its own state of charge using its own charging sources. Victron supports a range of charging options:

• MPPT solar charge controllers for DC-coupled PV
• AC chargers (such as MultiPlus, Quattro or Multi RS) connected to an AC generator or other AC supply, independent of the Microgrid AC bus.
• DC generator integration (including start/stop automation)

Getting started

Victron Microgrid is available via a dedicated VE.Bus firmware for MultiPlus, MultiPlus-II, Quattro and Quattro-II. Walk through the concept, configuration and commissioning with these training videos:

• Introduction
• Programming
• Demonstration

The Technical manual covers installation and configuration in detail. See this Slide deck for a more visual overview. Contact a Victron distributor to discuss whether Victron Microgrid fits your application.

The post Introducing Victron Microgrid appeared first on Victron Energy.

This week let’s meet Chet Szymecki – who posts on well-known RV community boards as RamblinChet. Data from Chet’s meticulous research and record keeping will be useful to many leisure explorers who are interested in worry-free mobile power, without plugging in.

“A key question I had was whether a properly engineered solar power system could sustain daily needs without relying on a generator, shore power, or frequent interventions. The data shows that it can – and reliably so.”

On the roof of his RV he has two solar panels rated at 250W each. Chet’s travels take him through Forest and mountain – as well as the plain – so that his panels are often in partially-shaded locations. The biggest power load in his set up is a National Luna 80L refrigerator, which is always on. He also charges his laptop, phone, LED interior lights, a fan, and Bluetooth speaker, among other loads.

“To my knowledge, no other full-time overland traveler has publicly documented a continuous six-month period using only solar power across such varied conditions: snow in the Northeast, heavy rain, extended overcast, broken clouds, full sun, dense tree canopy, shadowed backcountry roads, and open routes. I have tracked solar production, energy consumption, battery state-of-charge (SOC), and related metrics month by month, sharing the detailed findings. The average daily consumption over these 182 days was approximately 560 Wh (102 kWh total / 182 days = 0.560 kWh/day). My intent is to provide practical, data-backed information that may assist others in designing or refining their own systems.”

Chet’s solar power is harvested by a SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 solar charge controller for storage into 2 x LiTime 12V 100Ah Group 24 LiFePO4 batteries. He has a BlueSmart IP22 battery charger 12V-30A and an Orion XS 12/12-50A DC-DC charger – but neither device was used during this data period.

The objective was to evaluate the solar system and battery bank capacity to support off-grid travel demands.

After exercising the system for six months, covering 4,752 miles of overland trails, and with temperatures between14°F/-10°C to 88°F/31°C, there were no significant issues through fifteen states:

• Alabama
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New York
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Daily consumption averages by month:

• 0.600 kWh/day (18 kWh / 30 days) in September
• 0.516 kWh/day (16 kWh / 31 days) in October
• 0.500 kWh/day (15 kWh / 30 days) in November
• 0.548 kWh/day (17 kWh / 31 days) in December
• 0.581 kWh/day (18 kWh / 31 days) in January
• 0.643 kWh/day (18 kWh / 28 days) in February

“Initially, this adventure was something for me – a long-held dream to retire early, explore mountains, forests, deserts, swamps, islands, small towns and backcountry roads, and focus on improving myself physically,
mentally, and spiritually. Over time it has quietly transformed. While I still deeply enjoy nature’s beauty, the journey has become more about putting others’ needs ahead of my own. We live in challenging times, and I feel truly blessed that I’m occasionally able to help others in small but meaningful ways – often simply by listening without judgement, truly seeing them for who they are, and offering a kind word or the promise of praying the rosary for them that night and just being a friend.”

The histogram of maximum daily SOC over the most recent 28 days (February) shows values ranging from 81% to 100%, with 24 days between 90% and 100%. Full charge (100% SOC) was often reached confirming adequate solar capacity under February conditions – one of the lower-yield periods due to shorter days,  sun angles, and frequently overcast.

Performance should improve in March and April as insolation increases. The system met and exceeded the design objective of providing at least seven days of autonomy using solar alone, sustaining operation for the full 182 days.

The best parts of this life are the quiet mornings in wild places, the ever-changing landscapes, and these unexpected human connections. The hardest parts are the loneliness that sometimes appears, and not being able
to share these adventures with a wife. With long hair, a beard, and so much time spent alone in the wilderness, the odds aren’t great. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.

My travel rhythm has also evolved. In the beginning I was constantly on the move, sleeping somewhere new almost every night. I’ve exercised my self-discipline and I’ve learned to slow down, stay longer in places, and truly savour the local history, culture, and cuisine. For the past month I’ve been exploring the Everglades and islands of the Florida Keys, often staying two or three days on one island before moving just a short distance to the next beach or trail.

The histogram of minimum daily SOC for the same period ranges from 70% to 92%, with 18 days between 80% and 90%. Minimums typically occurred just before sunrise. The design target was to keep SOC above 25% under normal use; the lowest recorded value of 70% (with all others higher) indicates strong margin and reliable performance.

The screenshot below, captured from the Victron Energy solar charge controller, shows the energy harvest over the past 28 days. The white portion of each column represents the percentage of time spent in Bulk charge mode, while light blue indicates the Absorption phase and medium blue denotes the Float phase. The data shows that the system reached the Float phase most days. The batteries were fully charged 80% of the time.

RamblinChet’s electrics are mounted into a Zarges K470 aluminium case. Chet spent a great deal of time researching the power components he would use during his extended journey; and having made those choices, drew up and then rejected twenty or so design layouts until arriving at the optimum installation arrangement in his $900 case. Information displays and power switches are presented on the front panel following the same logic as a flight cockpit – six pack of primary gauges in the center and controls grouped by function, importance, and frequency of use.

The top surface of the box houses a Wallas Nordic DT diesel stove whose exhaust is routed through the inside of the box in such a way that the electronic devices were not affected by physical contact, and remain well within their operating temperature range. That’s a pretty tall order – a number of his contacts, who know what they’re talking about, advised against it. But Chet approached this design as an engineering proof of concept, and experience has shown that the arrangement is successful.

Working with detailed product information from the manuals and data sheets helped Chet understand the opportunities and limitations which would affect his design. Wiring gauges were calculated with the help of Wiring Unlimited; all fuses are premium quality – the number one priority of the whole installation being fire safety, urged on by the unfortunate experience of others.

Looking back on his working life experiences, Chet says:

“After a long career working primarily in mechanical and electrical systems, I spent most of my professional life as a Technical Project Manager with a focus on robotics and automation. I had the privilege of working at companies such as Lord Corporation, Siemens VDO, Swisslog, and NASA Langley Research Center on projects including the Mars Science Laboratory Entry, Descent & Landing Instrument (MEDLI), the Program to Advance Inflatable-Decelerators for Atmospheric Entry
(PAIDAE), and the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT).”

The first image Chet sent us to illustrate his journey was of a leaf, covered with dew. We wondered why. It’s fitting to close this story with Chet’s words, which resonate with us all.

“I got up early and went for a walk in the forest by myself. My mind was pretty heavy with thoughts about some of the men I served with – their faces kept coming back to me, and how their deaths never felt like heroic sacrifice or anything glorious. To me they just felt futile, wasteful, and tragic. I spent a good while walking and praying for their souls.

Then I almost stepped right on this one autumn leaf lying flat on the ground. I stopped, knelt down, and just looked at it for a minute. The raindrops on its veins were catching the light like small rosary beads. It hit me how beautiful it was in its own quiet way – its green days were over, it had done its job feeding the tree and dancing in the wind, and now it was just surrendering, giving itself back to the soil for whatever comes next.

For some reason it felt like God was showing me something right there – like there’s this careful, holy beauty even in endings that we usually just walk right past without noticing. I pulled out my phone, snapped one picture, and wrote those words for the picture on the spot. My eyes became heavy while composing my thoughts.

When I got back in the truck and started driving along the trail (NEBDR), I rolled the windows down and played Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor softly. That song always takes me straight back to the end of an old movie Gallipoli from the early 80s – young Mel Gibson is in it. If you ever watch it, you’ll see what I mean. Those young guys running into machine guns – it just breaks your heart because it was all so pointless.

That little leaf became a kind of symbol for me of all those lives that end too soon, and how easy it is to miss the sacredness in them unless you slow down and look closer.”

You can follow Chet, hear more about his system, follow his journey. and ask questions here on the Victron Community .

The post Four Season RV with Solar Power appeared first on Victron Energy.

The southern hemisphere Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station – which has been operational since 1977 – is undergoing a major transformation with the construction of a new research facility offering accommodation, laboratories, and recreational facilities, and supported by a huge investment in sustainable energy.

The cutting edge design of the 1500m2 building secures it against the elements typically found in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Salt laden winds above 100mph are common, together with drifting snow – the aerodynamic design of this building experiences downward thrust owing to the propeller-shape of its abrasion resistant, three-arm, elevated plan – all of which is raised 3 metres off the ground.

It also benefits from around 350kWp of solar array, together with 1MWh energy storage.

Located on the shores of King George Island, at the northern tip of Antarctica, between 15 and 60 scientists from a wide range of disciplines: oceanography, glaciology, meteorology, seismology, geology, and ecology, amongst others, will be able to gather data and work for months at a time in secure and pleasant building which has clean and reliable power when the building becomes fully operational later this year.

The original station – now almost fifty years old – was built just a few metres from the sea, but rising sea levels mean it is now just one metre from the sea and its decay is accelerating. The new building has been built 100 metres from the sea.

Harvested energy is stored in 72 x 15kWh lithium batteries with a total capacity of  > 1 Megawatt hours.

The heart of the power system – which was built outside Warsaw, Poland by the team at Microgeneracja – was installed into a climate controlled shipping container for ease of transportation. This allows some simplification of the workload on location in Antarctica – but because of the location, some constraints applied. The maximum lift from ship to shore, for example, is 10 tons so the batteries had to be packed separately and installed in situ.

It takes two weeks to unload the supply ship upon arrival. Carrying supplies for this huge and remote construction project the ship is well-laden – and not everything can be unloaded exactly when it’s needed.

Working as part of the wider construction team, sharing challenges, Microenercja have installed 400 solar panels – often working during a gale – onto the roofs of sundry storage buildings.

Marek Klonowski of Microgeneracja says the greatest challenge is that when you get to Antarctica there are no shops – in order to achieve success you have to arrive with everything you are likely to need.

Energy from the solar panels is harvested by a number of Fronius Symo 20kW Solar Inverters.

Two SmartSolar MPPT RS solar charge controllers are also installed – these powerful devices are designed for systems with large series connected PV arrays charging 48 V DC battery banks.

12 x Quattro 15kVA Inverter/Chargers provide the facility with AC power which is largely used for heating and in the kitchens. The Quattros are capable of providing a 2,400A charge current to the battery bank from generators, and from surplus energy harvested by the Fronius Symo Solar Inverters which are controlled by the Quattro’s frequency shifting ability.

Automatic generator switching ensures that they will only run when necessary, and then at maximum efficiency. The station currently uses two legacy Volvo generators of 180kVA and 160kVA, but these will soon be replaced with two synchronised 250kVA generators.

During the winter months when sunlight is weak and of short duration, it will still be necessary to produce energy from the generators. Power transfer at this scale needs robust and heat efficient bus bars.

Sustainable energy systems not only reduce emissions but they will improve reliability, eliminating downtime; reducing the need for generator maintenance and the presence of engineers and –  most significantly – reducing the need for fuel deliveries and therefore reduce the risk of contamination – one of the greatest operational risks in polar regions. Hydroelectric and wind power generation are under consideration for the future.

The Arctowski Station – which is managed by the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences has residents all year-round. Groups of Polish and International scientists conduct research on location in the Antarctic, receiving technical and logistical support to conduct their work.

The new facility has been designed to comply with the Antarctic Treaty which places strict obligations on environmental protection. The station’s modernisation which is being built at a cost of over $46mUS, aims to ensure that Poland continues to meet these international commitments while maintaining a strong scientific presence on the continent.

The roofs of ancillary storage sheds have been clad in solar panels which offer 350kWp.

The new Arctowski Station is a glimpse into the future of polar research infrastructure—combining advanced science, sustainable design, and innovative energy systems.

As climate change accelerates, the importance of Antarctic research grows. Arctowski is one of ten research stations in the region providing observation outposts which will help scientists understand processes that affect weather patterns, sea levels, and therefore worldwide ecosystems.

The post New Dawn for Antarctic Research station appeared first on Victron Energy.

Sea & Land Yacht Works is a marine service provider based in Rhode Island U.S. specializing in marine electronics, electrical and marine systems. Interestingly, they offer their technical service all round the world by contracting qualified installers to build systems from their drawings, using specifications which meet ABYC certification standards. Company founder Michael Garretson is an AYBC Master Technician and also a Mechanical Engineer.

Working from his drawings installer Electrical Marine Services Gibralter built Showgirl’s power system in Gibralter just before Mara set off on her solo transatlantic passage.

Power Assumptions

The power audit for Showgirl’s electronic devices suggested a daily power consumption of 492Ah

Equipment	Load
Fridge	60
NAV Instrument	45
Starlink	240
Rasberry pi	28
Camera	47
dgi	16.3
random cameras	7.5
VHF	12
Lighting	15
Phone charging	2
handheld	0
Watermaker	19
Total:	491.8

In order to provide that power three power generation sources were installed:

Showgirl’s  four solar panels of 100Wp each would typically provide 116Ah per day. The solar harvest is controlled by two MPPT solar charge controllers of 100/30 and 75/10 to charge a 12V lithium battery bank of 960Ah.

As the vessel sails a Watt&Sea Hydrogenerator 600 produces power. Assuming an average speed of 4.5knts, that model will produce 157Ah per day

Power consumption and harvest is monitored by a number of BMV battery monitor across the MPPT solar chargers, alternator output, Watt & Sea hydrogenerator output, and the lithium battery bank loads.

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