Can a Victron SmartSolar MPPT switch my 12V loads on and off automatically?
Which controllers can do it
Of the SmartSolar controllers we stock, the four small ones have load output terminals: the 75/10, 75/15, 100/15 and 100/20. Wire the DC loads to those terminals instead of to the battery and the controller switches them for you. Victron rates the load output at 15 A or 20 A depending on the model, and it is short-circuit proof. One catch: on the 100/20 in a 36 V or 48 V system, the load output is rated at only 1 A.
The 100/30 and 100/50 have no load terminals. For those, or for a load bigger than the terminals carry, fit a BatteryProtect at the battery and let it do the switching. On the small models, Victron's manual also shows the load output driving a BatteryProtect, or an inverter's remote on/off terminal, so the solar charger still makes the decision.
The modes, with the 12 V numbers
Set the mode in VictronConnect under the load output settings:
| Mode | Off when battery is | On when battery is |
|---|---|---|
| BatteryLife (default) | self-adjusting | self-adjusting |
| Conventional algorithm 1 | below 11.1 V | above 13.1 V |
| Conventional algorithm 2 | below 11.8 V | above 14.0 V |
| User defined 1 | below your low setting | above your high setting |
| Always on / Always off | never / always |
For 24 V double those figures; for 48 V multiply by four. There is also a second user-defined mode that switches the output on only between two voltages, and an Automatic Energy Selector (AES) mode with a timer.
Every mode except Always on and Always off waits 2 minutes before switching. That stops a fridge compressor's start-up dip from dropping the load.
Which to pick
- Lead-acid bank, solar only: BatteryLife. It raises the cut-off a little each day until the panels can bring the battery back to nearly full, then aims for a near-full charge about once a week. That is the pattern that keeps a lead-acid battery alive.
- Lithium bank: BatteryLife was designed for lead-acid. Use User defined 1 and take the low and high voltages from your battery maker's data.
- You just want a simple cut-off: Conventional algorithm 1.
The jumper that overrides everything
These controllers can also pick their load mode from a jumper in the VE.Direct port. With no jumper, the app setting rules. A jumper between pins 1 and 2 gives Conventional algorithm 1; between pins 2 and 3 gives algorithm 2. If a jumper is fitted, it overrides whatever you set in the app, which is the usual reason a load output "ignores" its settings. Pull the jumper out before setting the mode in VictronConnect. It also has to come out before you plug in a VE.Direct cable to a GX device or display.
Night lighting
The same output can run lights on a timer from sunset, to midnight or to sunrise, using the controller's streetlight setting. Leave the load mode on BatteryLife or Always on when you do. Always off keeps the light off for good.
What you need
Want the full walkthrough? Read the complete guide.