Regardless of grandstanding, diploma bloviating, etc.. off grid is about batteries. Power used has to be replenished. When solar/wind/hydro is not providing power your battery bank (tank) is. 12 volt DC or 120 volt AC via inverter regardless. You have to put this power back into the tank. Knowing the status of your tank is paramount. FLA's should never be depleted more than 50%. Want them to last don't go below 70%. AKA 30% used.
I would not blow money on a stand alone battery monitor like the trimeteric. Back in the day when morningstar was king this was mandatory. When advanced solar battery chargers (solar controllers) included this it was no longer valid. Midnitesolar, is the only one with this in a small cost effective "controller" the
Kid.
If you have studied 3 stage charging you have found ending absorb correctly is the issue. ALL "controllers" do this by guessing EXCEPT Midnite and Magnum. Monitoring battery via shunt allows these "chargers" to end absorb via real data.
I would expect Victron to do this and if they do it is hidden in collegiate (obscure) documentation.
- Jeff
