{"id":4337,"date":"2015-10-02T09:35:42","date_gmt":"2015-10-02T07:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/?p=4337"},"modified":"2019-04-09T09:30:26","modified_gmt":"2019-04-09T07:30:26","slug":"victron-energy-powered-smartflower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/02\/victron-energy-powered-smartflower\/","title":{"rendered":"Victron Energy powered Smartflower"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>From space to earth, solar panels come in many shapes and sizes &#8211; but none so pretty it seems as the folded petals of the Smartflower shown above, during a rainstorm in France.<\/p>\n<p>Smartflower is a self stowing, self cleaning, automatic tracking, solar energy solution. Whilst they are usually connected to the grid, now there is an off grid and self consumption ready version, using Victron Energy components.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Rather than explain Smartflower&#8217;s operation, it is much more elegant to see one in action. Here is Mike&#8217;s installation in France.<\/p>\n\n<!-- iframe plugin v.6.0 wordpress.org\/plugins\/iframe\/ -->\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ckjUK86TCiY\" width=\"100%\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\"><\/iframe>\n\n<h2>Victron inside &amp; out<\/h2>\n<p>As you can see below, the off grid version uses a Victron Energy inverter, solar charge controller and Lithium batteries, plus this standalone unit connects to Victron Energy&#8217;s VRM web portal for system monitoring.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Victron-inside.png\" target=\"_blank\"><div class=\"full-size-image container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Victron-inside.png\" alt=\"Victron inside\" width=\"730\" height=\"655\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2015\/09\/Victron-inside.png 730w, https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2015\/09\/Victron-inside-300x269.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/div><\/a><\/h2>\n<h2>Specifications of the POP+ off grid version<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Nominal capacity solar system 2.31 kWp<\/li>\n<li>High performance due to dual-axis sun tracking. 3,400 \u2013 6,200 kWh\/annum subject to region<\/li>\n<li>Victron Energy Inverter (230 Volts AC with HUB 1 assistant so it can be set in UPS, off grid, grid support or feedback mode)<\/li>\n<li>Solar Charge Controller (MPPT 150\/85 MC4 charge controller)<\/li>\n<li>Battery capacity 4.6 kWh (4 cells)<\/li>\n<li>Battery technology Victron Energy LiFePO4 with integrated battery management system<\/li>\n<li>Operating temperature range -20\u00b0C to +50\u00b0C<\/li>\n<li>Output power 6,000W (peak), 3,000W (constant output @25\u00b0C)<\/li>\n<li>Grid compatibility 230 VAC +\/-2% \/ 50 Hz +\/-0.1% or 120 VAC +\/-2% \/ 60 Hz +\/-0.1%<\/li>\n<li>Weight of total system approx. 800 kg<\/li>\n<li>1 AC connection (AC output)<\/li>\n<li>Monitoring System using Victron Energy BMV-700, Color Control GX, VRM, LAN\/WLAN\/web interface<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Operation<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/vrm.png\" target=\"_blank\"><div class=\"full-size-image container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4362\" src=\"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/vrm.png\" alt=\"vrm\" width=\"730\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2015\/09\/vrm.png 730w, https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2015\/09\/vrm-300x275.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/div><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>In recent times, due to the falling cost of solar panels, there has been a move toward fitting additional easterly and westerly panels (space permitting) in addition to the ideal southerly facing panels. This alters the shape of the generation curve, generating energy earlier and later in the day. Smartflower with a smaller footprint manages this in an attractive and elegant way and due to the design further benefits are realised.<\/p>\n<p>To quote Smartflower: &#8220;Thanks to the astronomical control system, the solar modular fan moves horizontally and vertically along with the sun\u2019s position, even when it\u2019s cloudy. This guarantees optimum alignment with the sun and an exact 90\u00b0 angle \u2013 during the entire course of the day, even when the sun is low on the horizon in the winter. The result: despite the lower space requirement, up to 40 % more output when compared to that of a conventional rooftop system, which is only ideally positioned towards the sun for a few hours per year. And thanks to smart cooling and smart cleaning, common losses in output due to heat and contamination are prevented by up to 15%.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Credits<\/h2>\n<p>We are delighted Smartflower have chosen Victron Energy components for their systems and thank them for the information and images used in this blog.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about this innovative Austrian company go to: <a href=\"https:\/\/smartflower.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.smartflower.com\/en\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Also on Facebook at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/smartflowerTM\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/smartflowerTM\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>John Rushworth<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From space to earth, solar panels come in many shapes and sizes &#8211; but none so pretty it seems as the folded petals of the Smartflower shown above, during a rainstorm in France. 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Whilst they are usually connected to the grid, now there [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-users-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Victron Energy powered Smartflower - Victron Energy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/02\/victron-energy-powered-smartflower\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Victron Energy powered Smartflower - Victron Energy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From space to earth, solar panels come in many shapes and sizes &#8211; but none so pretty it seems as the folded petals of the Smartflower shown above, during a rainstorm in France. 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Smartflower is a self stowing, self cleaning, automatic tracking, solar energy solution. Whilst they are usually connected to the grid, now there [\u2026]","subtitle":null,"related_posts":[{"id":33069,"slug":"four-season-rv-with-solar-power","title":"Four Season RV with Solar Power","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/27\/four-season-rv-with-solar-power\/","excerpt":"\"I ordered my AEV Prospector and Four Wheel Camper in December 2020, took delivery in September 2021, and began full-time overland travel in October 2022. My journey has taken me through virtually all of the 48 contiguous United States. I particularly enjoy traveling Backcountry Discovery Routes (ranging from 150 to 1,500 miles), exploring vast National&hellip;","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/PXL_20250923_1920535302_318475743-150x150.jpg","author_name":"justin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/author\/justin\/","author_avatar":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=24","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=48","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=96"},"categories":[{"name":"Users stories","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/category\/users-stories\/"}],"date":"2026-03-27T17:16:43+02:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:16:43+00:00"},{"id":32643,"slug":"new-dawn-for-antarctic-research-station","title":"New Dawn for Antarctic Research station","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/20\/new-dawn-for-antarctic-research-station\/","excerpt":"Most Antarctic research stations rely heavily on diesel generators. The fuel has to be transported over vast distances at high cost and with environmental risks -\u00a0a major logistical and technical challenge. The southern hemisphere Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station - which has been operational since 1977 - is undergoing a major transformation with the construction&hellip;","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/IMG_9331_317614499-150x150.jpeg","author_name":"justin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/author\/justin\/","author_avatar":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=24","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=48","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=96"},"categories":[{"name":"Users stories","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/category\/users-stories\/"}],"date":"2026-03-20T10:32:00+02:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T08:32:00+00:00"},{"id":32987,"slug":"thousands-watching-solo-sailor","title":"Thousands watching solo sailor","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/13\/thousands-watching-solo-sailor\/","excerpt":"If you don't easily get sea sick why not join Norwegian Helga Marie L\u00f8venskiold Kveseth\u00a0- who goes by the name Mara - on her LIVEstream as she crosses the Atlantic? Already having 25,000 miles under her keel, Mara is sailing her Saltram Saga 36ft double-ender called Showgirl to St Martin in the Caribbean in order&hellip;","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-11-at-10.20.55_317070400-150x150.png","author_name":"justin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/author\/justin\/","author_avatar":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=24","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=48","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc1aee15dc88b16fe8302452197d07d203697be68b3ea32d831473d70ae3026b?s=96&d=mm&r=g&s=96"},"categories":[{"name":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},{"name":"Users stories","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/category\/users-stories\/"}],"date":"2026-03-13T10:47:03+02:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T08:47:03+00:00"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4337"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15811,"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4337\/revisions\/15811"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}