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Old 16-08-2021, 16:38   #1
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Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

So I just got my solar panel set up. I have a Sun power solar panel with a Victron Smart Solar 75/10 controller.

I have it all plugged in now and just have a quick question.

Since I have plugged it in I am only getting a reading of 0 watts coming from the solar panel (it's been plugged in about 20 hrs now). I briefly got a reading of 1 watt but since has gone back down to 0.

My batteries are fully charged right now. I have heard that the reading on the app is how many watts are being put into the batteries. If my batteries are fully charged will the app read 0 watts since the batteries don't need any charging? Will the wattage reading go up as the batteries drain and need more wattage to charge?

I just want to make sure the setup is all working and will charge my batteries when I am out cruising. Thanks for any info!

Screenshot of my app:

https://imgur.com/Vyt7PVN
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Old 16-08-2021, 16:57   #2
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Re: Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

You don't say what battery chemistry.


Do you have any other charging source? Are you on mains power with some form of smart charger attached?


It certainly looks as though you have a fully charged battery and almost no load - in which case 0W is to be expected.
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Old 16-08-2021, 17:30   #3
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Re: Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

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Originally Posted by StuM View Post
You don't say what battery chemistry.


Do you have any other charging sources? Are you on mains power with some form of smart charger attached?


It certainly looks as though you have a fully charged battery and almost no load - in which case 0W is to be expected.

I am normally plugged into shore power and keep the batteries topped off. I turned off the shore power yesterday when I hooked up the solar to see if it keeps the batteries full. I have a very small load as of now, a few lights and a fridge running.

So the Watt reading on the app is the amount that is currently being fed into the batteries? Thus the 0 right now.
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Old 16-08-2021, 18:32   #4
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Re: Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

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Originally Posted by DASailor View Post
I am normally plugged into shore power and keep the batteries topped off. I turned off the shore power yesterday when I hooked up the solar to see if it keeps the batteries full. I have a very small load as of now, a few lights and a fridge running.

So the Watt reading on the app is the amount that is currently being fed into the batteries? Thus the 0 right now.

Stu's right, and you've essentially confirmed it, but perhaps unclearly. Was the fridge running after you turned the shorepower charging off, and just kept it on when you came back? Or was if off all night and just on when you came back?

The fridge, for most of us, is essentially the largest load on a boat electrical system. Why? Because UNLESS you are sailing out of site of land and have the engine off for long periods of time while running a heavily instrumented boat and autopilot, an energy budget will show you the fridge as one of the, if not the, largest consumer of ahs.

3 budgets: daysailing, at anchor, and sailing with engine off (say 24 hours, i.e., day & night). Most of daysailing includes an engine run. Anchor is instruments off, lighting and fridge. Overnight sailing is nav lights, electronics, autopilot AND fridge.

See the pattern here?

How big is your panel? Any shading?

Good luck. Put a load on your house bank for a few hours, then try again with shorepower charging off, of course, during daylight hours.

I find that with ANY new electrical stuff, before heading out I run the boat as if I was at anchor and stay on board at the marina, just to check out everything for 24 hours.

Have fun, good addition to your electrical system.
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Old 17-08-2021, 09:04   #5
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Re: Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

Just a possibility, and a brief discussion of my issue and resolution:

I have the 100|50, and it invited me to do a firmware update.

I did and my ability to reach it went away. Counsel told me to disconnect the battery lead and try again.

Success.

Then, later, I got minimal energy transfer; I dunno why that might have been. But...

I'd installed a switch (actually a spare breaker) in the positive incoming line. I already had a fuse (large blade fuse) in the battery positive.

After laboriously (they're mounted on an arch; I used a bosun chair climbing rig to sit under them) opening all the positive connections (first throwing the breaker to 'off' so there was no energy to the controller), and metering the voltages in open circuit, and reinstalling the leads, re-energizing (breaker back to "on") the positive lead, and checking the amps with a clamp-on meter, I was no further ahead.

However, the next step was to (first again de-energizing the controller) remove the fuse and reinsert it, then re-energize.

Problem gone. Solar now performing about as expected, albeit apparently both my Xantrex 2000XC and Victron chargers have a higher opinion of the state of charge on my nominal-870AH bank than my early Balmar SmartGauge, as they march through the bulk stage (even when I'm down - per my amp-counter Trimetric gauge - over 200AH) nearly instantly, leaping to absorption. Yet, they both rarely reach float. And the Balmar usually thinks it's at 100% much faster than the TriMetric. So, hoonose.

Anyway, back to your situation, disconnecting the battery under charging amps is a bit off-putting if not a great deal on the panels, so if you don't have a switch in the incoming line, I'd wait until dark before testing this possibility.
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Old 17-08-2021, 10:35   #6
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Re: Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

This seems like one of those times where it would be nice to have a clamp on amp meter to verify what the fancy instrument is telling you.
You didn't mention your battery voltage during this time, in particular after you let some of your loads run.
Really does sound like a controller issue. I'd expect to see a small current to float your batteries when they are fully charged.
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Old 17-08-2021, 12:21   #7
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Re: Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

I took my panels down temporary and my Victron app showed 0W when I connected it back up. I think it was because my batts were 100% from the shore power charger. The voltage was around 40 so panels were producing; I think the controller didn't need the juice since the batts were on the charger as well. Turn off shore power charger and let things run for a while and then look at history in the Victron app to how well your solar setup did over the past day or so.
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Old 17-08-2021, 13:19   #8
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Re: Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

Did you put the in line fuse in?
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Old 17-08-2021, 16:00   #9
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Re: Smart Solar Watt Reading 0

The Victron controllers need two sources of power, from the house battery and the PV. If the connection to the house battery is faulty, then the Panel will show during the day and drop out at night.

A related issue is the fuse or circuit breaker installed between the controller and battery. Apparently there is a batch of faulty off-brand breakers that came on the market earlier this year. These breakers trip too easily and cause the symptoms described above.

We had a similar problem earlier this season and a call to Victron lead to the solution which was to replace the wire from the controller to the battery.
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