Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100V 30 amp 12/24-Volt Solar Charge Controller (Bluetooth)

Excellent

I have two of these connected to lead-acid deep-cycle batteries. One drives a remote bird-house camera and one powers a pump in a bird bath. They were easy to set up and the instructions are clear. They have enormous programmability. The phone app is great for checking on the battery performance, solar power level, load, etc. There are a couple of features I wish it had. One is more pre-programmed battery types. They offer a few basic battery types and a custom program of gazillions of charging parameters for experts. Im an electrical engineer and could get out the data sheet for my specific battery and program all the parameters, but what a hassle, and what if I make a mistake? It would be nice to have a few more standard lead-acid battery types in the menu. The unit has a streetlight function for turning on a light at night, but I want a general purpose timer that turns on the load in the day. That would be a small amount of software for Victron to add to the unit and the application. I want our birdbath to run only during the day. I could have used a smaller solar panel and smaller battery if this unit had a timer feature. This unit keeps a history of solar power generated and load power consumed that goes back at least a few weeks. I havent looked to see how far back it goes, but its interesting and useful to see how the panels are doing, or if the load is drawing unexpected power. It was also useful to see if my calculations were correct.

Used to replace a pwm controller on my 100w portable system. HUGE improvement on efficiency for my rv charging.

I highly recommend this product. Just returned from a 63 day camping trip during which the Victron 20 Amp controller worked flawlessly. 60 of our 63 day trip were without shore power and relied on our 100 watt solar panel. While I have a generator, there was never a need to use it to charge our batteries. The Victron controller was part of an upgrade I did that replaced a cheap PWM controller, moved the controller from the solar panel to the battery box, and added 8 gauge wires from the controller to the batteries. The Victron controller charged my two group 27/66 amp hour batteries more quickly and more deeply than the PWM controller. My energy into the batteries from my solar panel now always exceeds my energy out (I track cumulative watt/hours). I could also run my fantastic fan during the day and my batteries would still receive an excellent charge. These MPPT controllers charger more rapidly than PWM by converting excess volts to additional amps. The Victron controller consistently stepped up the amps coming from the solar panel by as much as .7 amps. Excellent product!

This is just to provide some comparison between these MPPTs when i am in search of one that suit my needs. The test being done in various conditions, multiple PV configuration and repeated at least 3 times to eliminate some quick and easy judgements. Honest observation during test found that each MPPT here has their own strength and weakness, but all seems are good quality one. None of these result determine anything about reliability and longevity of the MPPTs and no intention to favor one from the others as they are different from their price point and strength/weakness as mentioned above. And by no means this was the absolute result since product batch, setup/configuration and environment condition may differ from time, application and place perspective. Component of tests: - 4 x 300W Monocrystalline Solar PV - 280Ah LiFePo4 Batt 12V - 150A Smart BMS - AMPINVT MPPT 150/40 - EPEVER MPPT 150/40 - VICTRON SmartSolar 100/50 (*) Victron is the only MPPT has higher specs of amp (50A) while the other 2 are 40A, but AMPINVT and EPEVER has higher volt (150V) compare to Victron (100V) Key Performance Indicator: - Tracking time and amount of current (amp) generated in various conditions a) Series/Parallel, and combination of Series and Parallel of PV b) Combine multiple MPPTs (parallel) in same system c) Cloudy/Shading and Full Sun radiation performance Test Method: - To measure the current generated by each MPPT, i use the battery BMS across all the MPPTs so this will eliminate AMPINVT/EPEVER/VICTRON specific calculation and calibration on each of their device. - Using external amperemeter (BMS) will make the judgement square and fair between the 3 MPPTs and objective(not subjective as per vendor specific) Build wise 1) AMPINVT - If i could choose, i would like all the MPPT being build like AMPINVT. - It is very nice solid metal all-round, 2nd most heaviest and the connector style for batt and PV are full clamp type which is good one. - The only complain on this 150/40A series is the connector very small for 4AWG cable size (batt), it is impossible to fit in 4AWG cable in the batt connector. 2) EPEVER - The heaviest and biggest among the 3 MPPTs and the shape a bit awkward for me - Solid build and provide more heat-sink surface to dissipate heat - Among the 3, the connector type on EPEVER is the worst in my opinion, it was pinch style with screw so it doesnt have good amount of contact and holding power, however the connector size is HUGE!, 4AWG size is not a problem at all. 3) VICTRON - Being the smallest (less than half-size of EPEVER!) and the lightest of all - All metal case with heat-sink on the bottom - Connector style similar to AMPINVT and the size is also small, impossible to fit 4AWG cable size! Tracking Time - No doubt AMPINVT is the clear winner here for tracking time, it is very fast compare to VICTRON and EPEVER, VICTRON took almost double the time to reach maximum power point while EPEVER being the slowest of all. - However, this is very important and i almost didnt notice it first till i repeated the test , albeit AMPINVT tracking time is the fastest, the amp generated is not steady, it is fluctuate between 2A(min) - 6A(max) from the max current generated, it seems AMPINVT was very active re-scanning the maximum power point in looping mode and sweeping through the current between 4-7 seconds. - Due to unsteady current generated by AMPINVT, this may reduce the total amp-hour produced even though the tracking time is the fastest (quick/shortest). Cloudy Day - In 2S PV setup, all 3 produced very similar amperage. - In 2S2P PV setup, VICTRON has perform slightly better on cloudy day (by 0.3A - 0.6A) after multiple test reading, while AMPINVT being the last one. Shading Problem - In 2S PV setup, VICTRON and EPEVER produced slightly more amperage compare to AMPINVT. - In 2S2P PV setup, 2 out of 5 test reading shows EPEVER generated slightly more amperage compare to VICTRON (by 0.4A - 0.8A) Full Sun radiation - In 2S and 2S2P PV setup, i cant really tell since the max amperage for AMPINVT and EPEVER already reached (40A), while VICTRON has 50A max, thus VICTRON constantly produce more amperage by 6A-8A higher than the others. Conclusion - AMPINVT has very attractive price point, pretty compact but loud (fan noise) and the really downside is unsteady amp generated, however if system small enough (less than 600W) with 2S PV config only and very limited budget, i think AMPINVT is quite difficult to resist here, since the remaining 2 options is twice or thrice the price. - VICTRON is long known name in MPPT worlds, no doubt it could be the best and the test result telling not far from the tale, however this is the most expensive one in the similar class, if budget is not an issue and you want to build very compact (small) system then it is no brain to not pick up this one. - EPEVER, this MPPT perform similar as VICTRON in many ways and perhaps slightly better in shading scenario, can do over paneling up to 3x the power specs (3x520W=1560W) is huge advantage but due to size you need bigger space, but i guess the the best bang for the buck on this class.

This product is amazing. There is excellent software development that can be used both on your phone AND your tablet IN LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION. It comes with Bluetooth built in so that youre not having to decided between using an on device display thats the equivalent of a calculator from 1995 or extra Bluetooth dongles for incredibly limited app software development that is only usable on your phone. It has many different presets and the voltage ranges for those are all within reasonable levels compatible with a huge spread of brands. I recently had to replace my battery because my old charge controller was only compatible with its brand of lifepo4 batteries as the voltages were all set at 14.4 including the float voltage. I couldnt have the old controller destroying the new replacement battery, and I had seen the name victron mentioned in forums but I never really looked into it, but I was pushed into the situation so I did my research and was incredibly impressed with the features included, the accessible exterbal 25A fuze, and most importantly the intelligent app design that is also compatible with tablet operating systems to be used as an actual intelligent dedicated display. After installing this with 3x100w mono panels my new battery was able to go through all charge stages to float without error, unlike my other old controller that constantly had overvoltage errors on the old and new battery. Incredibly that company updated the their app to remove several features such as charge limit and imposed restrictions to certain settings, so the charger was literally unusable with the new replacement and I was pushed into getting something else. Im glad I was, the app support and common sense compatibility is amazing. The size is incredible too, its not big at all. Victron should be the first name people think of when they start setting up a solar system. There is just no debate now that Ive been able to experience both firsthand, and Im not interested at all in a different company thats willing to burn out the other brands batteries so that you purchase their own. I dont like that at all. Get Victron, dont argue with yourself about it. Youll have a working system much less likely in need of being replaced in two years like I was. You dont need to figure out the hard way like I did that Victron is top shelf reputable quality. Ill definitely be getting more Victron products in the future.

Summary: I have evaluated quite a few MPPT controllers for Vine, and while all were decent, the Victron Energy (VE) has high ratings, so I decided to purchase one for evaluation. My solar/PV system specs: 1000W of panels; 24-volt, 270Ah marine battery bank (Optima); Voltworks 2000W inverter. Using the system to reduce our electricity bill. Observations: The first thing to notice is that this one, unlike most others, does not have a control panel (just three LEDs); which means youll need a smart device to read the values. There are two basic VE offerings: this SmartSolar (built-in bluetooth), and BlueSolar (requires a BT dongle). Between the two, I went with the built-in BT (SmartSolar). One great feature of the VE system, is that it allows the MPPTs to communicate with each other via BT; which is a great feature for a larger system. Recommendations: One reason to choose the lower cost BlueSolar over the SmartSolar, is if you do not need the additional features that the BT brings; but for me, I didnt mind spending the extra $30-40 (per controller) to gain those features. Pros: Industrial quality & features; good application support (firmware updated upon first connect); security (bluetooth); good/efficient charging algorithm; good data and graphs. Cons: No built-in display (offset by the much better app and graphs). Conclusion: At $160, rating this 5-stars. Of all the MPPT controllers I have reviewed, this is the recommended one. Related Products (lised in ORDER of HIGH to LOW rating): EPEVER MPPT Solar Charge Controller 10A 60V PV 1206N ~ $60 (5-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094JCG6Y1 ACOPOWER Midas 40A MPPT ~ $180 (4-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQB8RYK ACOPOWER MPPT Solar Charge Controller 30A ~ $140 (4-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NB1KOOZ Renogy Rover 20/30/40 Amp ~ $112/170/168 (2-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRWTAB5 GARNDE Rosefinch XS 30A MPPT ~ $150 (1-star) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094Z7RVXR

I have this on a small pico hydro unit and it works well. the app is nice, its easy to use. 4 stars, not 5 because the bluetooth connection, while good, limits the usefulness of the app, would be better on wifi, and because its somewhat limiting in what you can do with it, and limited configuration without buying a bunch of other victron equipment, but if all you need is a plug and play small controller, this one is nice, its super small, looks good, and works well.

I was using an EPEVER MPPT solar charge controller with similar specifications. OMG this controller is SO MUCH BETTER at calculating the maximum power point! In the last 5 days, Ive already generated HALF of what I generated with the EPEVER, which I had and used for 2 full months! Even in similar cloudy conditions I am generating so much more power! The built in Bluetooth function is super easy to set up. I used my android to configure it. I had it up and running in no joke, 5 minutes! I will CERTAINLY be buying more products from Victron!!

These chargers are so versatile, especially when paired up with a simple 30-ish Volt power supply. Yes, Its a solar charger, but what most folks dont realize is that when used with a power supply you can charge nearly any 12 or 24 volt battery at any current rate from 1-15A that the power supply will support. Ive been using Victron Solar chargers for about five years. Back then they had external Bluetooth dongles to communicate with them. I never cease to be amazed at how well engineered and supported they are. Firmware updates are automatic via your cellphone and the VictronConnect app. The only caveat that Ive found with the new ones with the internal Bluetooth module is that the signal range is more limited. Other than that there is a lot of functionality built into one unit without the headache of extra parts. Put some SAE or PowerPole pigtails on the unit and make up a few adapters and youre ready to connect to nearly any kind of automotive, power equipment, or RV battery. The built-in data logging is a big plus in trying to diagnose charging system problems or determining the state-of-charge. You can also pair these up to increase your charging rate.