Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT Solar Charge Controller (Bluetooth) - Charge Controllers for Solar Panels - 75V, 15 amp, 12/24-Volt

I recently installed two 100 watt Renogy solar panels on top of my RV trailer, along with a Renogy 30 amp PWM controller with a bluetooth dongle. The panels work fine, the Renogy SCC (Solar Charge Controller) not so fine. The bluetooth app is broken, crashes frequently, and is mostly a waste of money. While the Renogy SCC did it's job, the performance on cloudy/shaded days was inadequate. With a PWM SCC, you must run your panels in parallel. You cannot fully charge a battery with 13 volts available (cloudy day in trees) from the PWM SCC, no matter what the amps is. With the panels in series, that 13 volts would now be 26 volts.So I ordered the Victron SmartSolar 75/15 MPPT controller with built in Bluetooth. With an MPPT controller, you have the option to run your panels in series or parallel. Running my panels in series doubles available voltage (up to around 40 volts, which the SCC converts excess voltage to the appropriate voltage (12 or 24 volts) and current (amps) to charge your batteries. This SCC handles this nicely.The unit was delivered in brand new condition. I was surprised how small it is.There are three LED indicator lights on the front. You cannot flush mount this device. I installed this inside a wall with a vent pipe, and ran my wires out the top of the RV via the vent exit. Where I mounted inside the wall, I used a tin lid against the wood. The instructions say to mount the unit on a non-combustible surface. I stacked two washers between the wall and tin, offering a better way to dissipate heat from the back of the device. If you look closely at the picture, you can see what I did. Then I made a facade cover with a small "peep hole" to quick view the LED's. These LED's are quite bright, some people tape over them. I would try a black felt tip marker to try and dim things first. There is no way to flush mount this unit.You cannot use wire bigger than 10 AWG. Some claim 10 AWG is too big, but that just isn't so. Just don't mangle the wire ends and they'll fit. But there is a better way, read below.What I do is to "tin" the wire ends. Strip off 1/2 inch of wire, give a slight twist to keep the strands tight. With a good soldering iron, solder the wire end, making sure the solder flows evenly. Not too much or you'll end up with a "fat" end that won't fit in the lugs. You might practice this with a piece of wire, but once done correctly you have a superior connection. Then after inserting the end into the lug, tighten snuggly, then loosen, the re-tighten. Each time the lug will screw down a little tighter as the lug "worms" into the wire end. I'll do this at least 10-15 times, until the lug is snug and secure. Be careful to not over tighten and strip the lug. Use cable restraints.Once the battery is connected, hook up the PV array. I cover my solar panels with some plywood (or some cardboard) to turn down the open voltages while I connected those, which for two 100 watt panels in series is over 40 volts in bright sun and could shock you. I also installed a disconnect switch for the PV panels, next to that is the inverter remote switch. Your battery must be connected first, then connect the PV array.The one weak area of this device is the manual. It comes with a tiny booklet that is difficult to read. You can download the PDF version from Victron's website. Some of the info is sketchy and in not so plain English. For some info you need to install another app called Victron Toolkit. This offers explanations of the various blinking LED functions.The built in Bluetooth requires an app called Victron Connect(I have an Android Nokia smartphone) for reading power outputs, managing battery charging profiles, etc. The app was downloaded and installed without issue. With the app installed and paired to my phone, the app quickly upgraded the firmware for the SCC. Once this was done, the app works very well. I can walk about 40 feet away and can still stay connected, which is about normal for Bluetooth devices. Again, the app is well done and works well.The manual has some odd English to explain some of the functions. I'll try to explain in "plain English" as I see it.When you first hook up the SCC, the manual says 5+ volts from the PV panels over the Battery volts is needed to be "operational" (According to the manual). I would expect the unit to be "operational" when I bought it brand new out of the box.What this really means is this; "When the controller sees 5 or more volts from the PV (solar panels) above the battery volts, it turns on the charger. When the PV volts drops to 1 volt or less then the battery volts, it turns off the charger.You can tell if the SCC is on and charging with a steady blue(or yellow or green, depending on SOC(State Of Charge)) LED, or off with a blinking blue LED every 2-3 seconds. When not charging, you can still use the Bluetooth. As the day progresses the LED's will turn to yellow (absorption mode) to green (float mode) depending on clouds and trees, and of course electrical use.With my panels hooked up in series, mine starts up right about the crack of dawn and is charging in bulk mode with a steady blue LED. With the ability to turn off charging, I have notice right off my battery is still > 80% SOC (state of charge) when it restarts in the morning, even with the propane sensor on (my only parasitic load when parked).I like the Bluetooth app. It gives you complete control over battery settings and you can use just about any type of battery including lithium. The app also has a handy history function that is very useful. Some people complain about the range of communication with the Bluetooth. Mine functions like any Bluetooth, about 40 feet of range and that is that. Even with the SCC inside a tin covered RV and me outside, it works fine.I hope someone reads this before going with a PWM charger. For a few more bucks you can have a superior solar system.But for the somewhat lacking manual, I have no cons for this device.I have also ordered the Bluetooth battery temperature and voltage monitoring device for better charging. My batteries are outside the RV while the SCC is inside, this can skew charging parameters.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RTYGMBD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1I use two Duracell 78 ah AGM Ultra group 24 batteries along with a 1200/2400 watt inverter, so far this is working out well.This device has load outputs. For the average RV person setting up a simple solar system, this can be ignored. Run your 12 volts supply from the battery as it was originally wired.UPDATE July 1st, 2021:I have recently added two more Renogy 100 watt compact solar panes to the other two, making a total of four. To get these to work on the Victron 75/15 Smartsolar charger, I created two groups of two panels in series, then connected the two groups in parallel. Any other way would be over the rated amps or volts (depending on how the panels are connected.This setup delivers to the battery 15 amps @ 13.6 volts (float), which is as high as it can go. Volts remain the same as the original setup with two panels in series, about 43 volts. I just get double the amps. If I want to get the maximum amps I need to buy the next size up, the MPPT 100/20 controller.As it is now with four 100 watt panels, the charge controller works very well. With 4 panels connected, it turns on quite a bit before sunrise. The extra panels are very helpful in shade or cloudy days(or both). And when the sun shines, the output is strong.

I have to say some kind words so far for this charge controller, in short, this is an amazing product.Early in its use, I have a small outdoor solar array using batteries to power a sprinkler system, sound system, lighting and an outlet using a separate inverter. We live on top of a hill, no trees, no wind blocks and get the worst of the weather constantly. I have been through many MANY MPPT Solar Charge Controllers and was a bit scared to go with a Bluetooth only controlled device.I was quickly impressed with the VictronConnect software, giving a demo device so I could test drive the settings and see exactly what I would get and control. Next up, how hard is it to connect and reconnect once I got physical hardware.... It was literally as easy as the demo equipment. I was able to power on the controller using Solar power OR battery, meaning as long as you have 1 power source it just works. Bluetooth connected instantly, one tap on my Android phone and the PIN on side of the controller and I was done.I did notice that the default for me was 24v when I had a 12v battery connected but that wasn't a big deal, went through set to 12 and was all set.Because I do a lot of work with solar controllers, I wanted to see how accurate and fast this little beast was on the phone app, ran a constant 25w load and the app was within a half second reporting accurately. Variable loads also gave good information, up to this point I was already sold that this was a solid device. The app is just about perfect, gives you Amp and Watt usage which is nice for quick math and efficiency conversion. I also really like that the battery stats show when your load is pulling from solar only or from battery, very clever and easy to read.Pros:Super easy to install, Plug and PlayEasy to configure easy AND expert settingsComplete customization of battery settings and a good number of presetsWas able to configure exact settings for my 12.8v LiFePO4 battery!Feels solid and I have no doubt that it will last in harsh environmentsEasy to mount, Good size fits just about anywhereEasily control load on/off depending on solar inputCons:Cant find any yet but here are some things to noteMine defaulted to 24v, easy change to 12, maybe sensitive batteries and large systems might have connection issuesWould be nice to have a day timer for on/off functions as well as solar input but this is being super pickyIf you are looking for a good MPPT Solar Charge Controller, feature rich and don't mind using your phone and Bluetooth to configure, this is the one you want. Can't comment on longevity thus far but I have no doubts this will last! Will update if anything changes...