4. VictronConnect setup, configuration and operation

In this section:

4.1. Setup

The following steps are necessary to successfully connect the via Bluetooth and the VictronConnect app:

Make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your . Bluetooth is enabled by default.
Tip
If Bluetooth has been disabled before then you'll need to connect to the using a VE.Direct to USB interface and the VictronConnect app to enable it again.
Download and install the VictronConnect app from the App Store or Google Play.
Open the VictronConnect app and scroll through the list of devices for the .
Tap on it to launch the pairing dialog. Enter the default pairing code which is either 000000 or is a unique PIN printed on the serial number sticker of the .
It is strongly advised, when prompted, to change the default PIN to a different one of your choice.
Once pairing is successful then the Overview page will be displayed.

4.2. Overview page

The main overview page provides at-a-glance information of the . It is divided into four tabs:

Overview: Instant readout of the basic state of the solar power yield, AC input and AC output.
Status: Instant readout of the basic state of the .
History: View up to the last 30 days of solar and battery data.
Trends: Review current trend data.

Overview:

AC input: The top left icon displays the total AC input power in the top box, with the power of each phase shown in the boxes below it. A negative value means that power in being exported.
Solar: This shows the total amount of PV power being produced and also the power produced by each of the four trackers.
AC output: The total AC output power for all phases is displayed. The power for each phase is shown in the boxes below.
Battery: Below the battery graphic, the voltage, current and state of charge are shown.
External control means that the battery BMS is controlling the charge voltage and current.

Status tab:

The status tab provides more detailed information than the overview tab.

Tip

Some fields shows limited information at a glance. For more detailed information, tap the little down arrow at the right hand side of each field.

Each field can be collapsed again to reduce clutter.

General: Shows the battery charging state.
Additional details include:
- AC In Total: Sum power of all phases at the AC input.
- AC Out Total: Total power of all phases at the AC output.
- PV Total: The total power of all PV trackers together.
Battery: The battery voltage and state of charge are highlighted.
Tapping the down arrow will then show battery voltage, battery current, battery temperature and ripple voltage.
AC Input L1-L3: The AC input power, voltage and current for each phase are displayed. Negative values mean export.
Solar 1-4: Displays the PV power of each tracker.
AC Output L1-L3: The output power, voltage and current for each phase

History tab:

Up to 30 days of historical data is displayed.

Overall

Within the History tab, the default view show the Overall data.

Bar graphs show the solar yield in kWh. The shaded areas highlight the time spend in the different charging stages.
The "Solar panel" area records the total solar yield in kWh, maximum PV power and voltage.
Maximum and minimum battery voltages are stored in the "Battery" section.
If any errors were raised that day then they are shown with an orange circle.
Total energy consumption for the day is totalled in kWh.
Lifetime total energy produced by the connected . The totals can be reset and so "Since reset" keeps the record yield since then.
To export the graph as a .csv you can tap the triangular three dot icon at the top of the graph area. You'll then be presented with various methods by which to share the .csv (e.g. email, WhatsApp etc.).

Tip

Tap the fragmented square icon in the top left of the graph area to rotate the graph. This will allow you to see a wide view of the graph with more days displayed at once.

Trackers

Also within the History tab, you can tap on the Trackers view to see the historical data of each of the four PV trackers.

Trends tab:

Two different data points can be selected using the drop down menus just above the graph.
A graph will be rendered according to the selected parameters.

4.3. Settings

The Settings menu is accessible by pressing the cog wheel from the top right of the Overview page.

The following menu options are available:

General: Define the general settings for the .
Grid: Grid disconnect and reconnect voltage limits can be set including the option to monitor the PE to neutral voltage.
Solar: Switch PV optimisation on or off, set custom names for each PV tracker and hide their visibility if unused.
Inverter: Set the output voltage of the inverter and the behaviour of the ground relay.
Display: Choose how the LCD backlight behaves and the preferred temperature unit.
ESS: Setup the energy storage system mode, and settings related to each mode.

Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the settings page to perform the following actions:

Import settings from file: Import previously saved settings from a file in the settings library.
Save settings to file: Save the current settings to a file, which will be stored in the settings library. This file can be used as a backup to restore settings on this , or to easily apply the same settings to another one.
Share settings: Share the settings file via email or other social apps.
Product info: Displays the model number and serial number. There is also a switch to enable or disable Bluetooth.
Reset to defaults: Reset all settings to the factory defaults. This will mean that any customised settings will be lost. Setup will need to be performed again, or imported from a previously saved settings file.

4.4. Product info

To get to the Product info page, tap the 3 vertical dots icon from the Settings page.

Product: Shows the product name and the model number.
Serial number: Shows the serial number of the .
VE.Can device instance: Displays the network device instance number for this particular device.
Custom name: Change the friendly name of the .
Firmware: Displays the current firmware version running on the .
Bootloader: The bootloader version.
Bluetooth: Enable or disable the Bluetooth functionality of the .
Warning
Note that if you disable Bluetooth, then connection to this device via Bluetooth will no longer be possible after you return to the Device list or exit the VictronConnect app. You'll need to connect using a VE.Direct to USB interface in order to enable Bluetooth again.

4.5. General

Use the General settings to configure the following:

Mode: Tap the box on the right to change the operating mode of the . See the section below for a list of options.
Note
The physical on / off switch should be in the on position. The menu options can override the on position of the physical switch.
Output frequency: Set the nominal output frequency that the will produce. Choose between 50Hz or 60Hz.
AC input type: Select the type of AC source that will be connected to the AC input of the . Choose between "Grid," "Generator," or "Shore power." If there is no AC input, then you can choose "Not available."
Note
Generator support has not been implemented yet.
These settings are only used to change the input type on the VRM dashboard, they don't change the functionality of the .The icon and text will change accordingly. VRM will then be able to record the relevant energy source being used, and the corresponding graphs will show energy used from generator, or from grid, for example.
Choosing "Shore power" will display the input current limit on the VRM dashboard.
Moderate generator load changes:
Note
This feature, along with generator support is not yet implemented.
Energy meter support: If you have an energy meter in the system, then you should enable this option.
AC current limit at energy meter: This field will only be visible if "Energy meter support" is enabled. Adjust the current limit at the point that the energy meter is installed.
Current limit at AC input: Adjust the current limit at the AC input of the .
Current limit overruled by remote: Enable this option to allow the current limit to be adjusted remotely. For example, a GX device can be used to adjust the current limit remotely.
It is not possible to remotely set the current limit any higher than the level defined here.

Mode

The following options are available from the pop up menu:

On: The will be on and fully functional. This is the default mode of operation.
Off: The device will be switched off even if the physical switch is on.
Inverter Only: In this mode, the AC input will be disconnected by the internal input relays. The inverter will provide AC to the output. Charging will not be possible from AC, but charging from solar will be possible.
Charger Only: This means that the inverter will be disabled and therefore the battery will not be discharged. Charging will be supplied by solar or AC input. If AC input is available, it will be transferred through to the AC output.

4.6. Grid

The grid settings page offers selection of a regional grid code and to adjust the AC input voltage limits.

Grid code: The default option is None, grid feed in will not be possible.
Select the appropriate grid code for your region.
Note
The is not yet certified for grid feed-in for all regions. More regions will be added when the is certified for them.
Specs: Tap "Show" to view the specifications of the currently selected grid code.
Monitor PE to Neutral voltage: When enabled, the AC input will be disconnected if the voltage between PE and Neutral becomes too high.
There may be installations where the voltage between PE and Neutral is abnormally high due to long cable runs or poor grounding conditions. Ensure that these abnormalities cannot be overcome before disabling this setting.

Loss of mains detection: Most of these settings are typically greyed out and are intended for informational purposes only. The values are defined by the selected grid code.

The below settings allow upper and lower AC input disconnection levels to be set. If the AC input voltage goes outside of these limits, then it will be disconnected and not passed through to the AC output. When the AC input is disconnected then, when the operation mode is set to "On," the inverter will provide power to the AC output.

AC low voltage disconnect: The AC input will be disconnected when the voltage drops below this level.
AC low voltage connect: After a low voltage disconnect, the AC input will re-connect when the voltage rises above this level.
AC high voltage connect: After a high voltage disconnect, the AC input will re-connect when the voltage drops below this level.
AC high voltage disconnect: The AC input will be disconnected when the voltage rises above this level.
UPS function: Toggle this setting on to enable faster transfer from AC input to inverter power.
It may be necessary to disable this setting when using a generator. This is because the generator's output is less stable and may cause unwanted transfer to inverter when it is running.
Note
Generator support has not been implemented yet.
NS protection log: Any grid protection events are recorded in this log. Tapping on the "Show" button will list such events.

4.7. Solar

This page allows setting the Partial shading detection algorithm and giving each tracker a custom name.

Solar charger enabled: Enable or disable the solar charger. This affects all of the internal PV trackers .

PV Optimization:

Partial shading detection: The default setting is enabled. It is recommended to leave this setting enabled. Only in some specific solar installations may it need to be disabled.

PV trackers names:

Each tracker can be given a custom name. The column on the left will always display the tracker number and the column on the right will show the custom name if given.
The custom name will also be shown on the LCD on the front of the .
Tap on the row to set a custom name.

PV trackers visibility:

Any unused trackers can be hidden from showing on the VictronConnect overview page and from VRM.
Trackers will be visible if the switch is toggled on.

4.8. Inverter

Change settings related to the inverter here.

Output voltage: Set the output voltage that the will produce when the inverter is running and the AC input is disconnected.
If the AC input is connected, then the output voltage will be the same as the input voltage

4.9. Relay

A programmable relay is available in the . The contacts are accessible via the pluggable terminal block on the front panel.

One of several relay modes can be selected from the list:

Alarm: The relay is closed when either a high battery voltage or low battery voltage alarm is active.
- Low voltage relay: Choose the parameters to set and to clear a low battery voltage alarm.
- High voltage relay: Choose the parameters to set and to clear a high battery voltage alarm.
Manual control: Use this option to control the relay manually from the Settings - Relay page or from the Status page.
Inverting: The relay contacts will close when the is inverting.
Low battery voltage: The relay will close when the battery voltage falls below the set value.
- Low voltage relay: When the battery voltage falls below the set level, the relay will close. The relay will open again when the voltage rises above a higher set voltage.
Fan: The relay will close whenever the internal fan of the is running.
Charging: The relay will be closed when the charger is charging and the battery voltage is between the low and high voltage limits.
- Low voltage relay: The relay opens when the battery voltage falls below the lower set voltage and it closes again when the battery voltage is above the higher set voltage.
- High voltage relay: The relay opens when the battery voltage is above the higher set voltage and it closes again when the battery voltage is below the lower set voltage.
Disabled: The relay is always open, and will not close under any condition.

4.10. Display

These settings define the behaviour of the front panel LCD backlight and the temperature unit that it will display.

Display backlight: Set up whether the front panel LCD backlight will be on or off.
- Always off: The backlight will always be off.
  The LCD may still be readable under strong ambient light but it will not emit light.
- Always on: The LCD backlight is always on making it easy to read at a glance at any time.
- Automatic: The LCD backlight is only on when the device is active.
Temperature unit: Select which temperature unit will be used by the front panel LCD.
- Celcius: Temperature is displayed in °C.
- Fahrenheit: Temperature is displayed in °F.
  Note
  This setting only affects the temperature unit on the front panel LCD.

4.11. ESS

In some cases the user may want to only use the AC input to charge the battery when necessary, and instead allow the batteries to discharge to provide for the loads and recharge from solar.

To enable this flexibility there are several possible configuration options.

The ESS settings are available out-of-the-box without the need to install an assistant.

ESS relies on an AC input being present, so it does not provide useful functionality in an off grid system.

Note

The ESS settings for the can only be changed using VictronConnect as shown below.

There is currently limited functionality from the ESS menu of a GX device.

There are currently no ESS controls from VRM.

The factory default operation when an AC input is connected to a is that the charger will begin charging the batteries up to the maximum AC input current and charge current limits. We call this factory default mode "Keep batteries charged."

ESS mode: The factory default is "Keep batteries charged." Tap in the box to choose a different ESS mode. See the table below for details.
Minimum discharge SOC: This is the lowest SOC that the battery will be allowed to discharge down to. Once this limit is reached then power for the loads will be supplied from the AC input.
Grid setpoint: This sets the point at which power is taken from the grid when the installation is in self-consumption mode. Setting this value slightly above 0W prevents the system from feeding back power to the grid when there is a bit of over-shoot in the regulation.

From the ESS mode pop box there are four options to choose from.

Optimized with batterylife: When there is enough solar power to satisfy the loads, then the excess solar power will be used to charge the battery. The power stored in the battery will then be used when the solar power is not enough or during the night.
The batterylife algorithm will be active. This means that the minimum SOC level will gradually increase for each day that the battery is not fully charged. Once the battery gets fully charged then, the SOC level will reduce down to its originally set level.
This is suitable for lead acid battery chemistries.
Optimized without batterylife: As above, when there is enough solar power to satisfy the loads, then the excess solar power will be used to charge the battery. The power stored in the battery will then be used when the solar power is not enough or during the night.
Batterylife is not used, and so the minimum SOC level will remain at its preset level.
This "Optimised" mode is best for lithium batteries.
Keep batteries charged: In this mode, the batteries will be kept fully charged as long as the AC input is available. Loads will be supplied from the AC input. If there is enough solar power, then this will be used to supply the loads, and excess solar will charge the battery if it is not fully charged.
Use this mode in off grid installations to prevent feedback to a generator, which may be connected to the AC input.
This mode should also be used where grid is available, but feed in is not permitted.
External control: There may be use cases where an external ESS control is required. There will be no automatic control of the ESS setpoints. All ESS setpoints will need to be written from an external appliance.

Multi HS19 Solar 15k