This story was originally published by Victron Energy
Twenty years ago, in the Everglades at night, Brandon Rahe used to see dozens of opossums, raccoons, and marsh rabbits. But an explosion in the population of invasive snake species – most notably the Burmese Python – has resulted in significant ecological damage to the fauna of Florida.
"Today, you’re lucky if you even see a raccoon," He says.
Adult Pythons are not subject to serious threat from predators: "Birds might have a go at a snake hatchling, and an alligator or wild pig might tangle with them, but once a Python is one year old, it’s large enough to kill them," he says.
There may be as many as half a million Pythons in the Everglades. Native snakes competing for the same food and the same habitat, lose out. Brandon is one of about 100 individuals contracted by Florida government agencies to eliminate Pythons and seek out active nests.
Brandon’s work revolves around his van and a Victron Energy power system.
The van is Brandon’s overnight Python-hunting rig, equipped with light bars on the sides and up to four spotlights up front, all of which are wired to an eight-way switch panel. There’s a nearby campground where Brandon can connect to AC power and run the Air-Con all night. His van is equipped with a refrigerator, too:
"I love having refrigeration on board at all times, being able to grab a cold drink or a cheese stick. Florida is very hot in the summer. When I’m mobile and go to the grocery store, I can put my cold items in the fridge and continue to run errands and not have to race home."
The power system – which has recently been updated – includes:
After visiting Yellowstone National Park recently the starter battery in the van failed. They contacted nearby Victron distributor, Intelligent Controls, and after discussions and analysis, decided to upgrade the battery bank and exchange their old Automatic Charging Relay for an Orion 12/12 DC-DC Charger. "The relay didn’t appear to have failed, but it had a very basic mechanism for regulating the incoming voltage from the alternator," explains Reid Loessberg from Intelligent Controls. "Because of the failed starter battery, the relay’s voltage reference got derailed, allowing the alternator to smash the AGM [Absorbant Glass Mat] batteries full of charge until they were swelling up like pumpkins."
Incorporating an Orion DC-DC charger into the system ensures that Brandon is able to safely charge any battery from the vehicle’s alternator and do so with much more sophisticated control than the relay they previously had in place.
Brandon’s damaged AGM battery bank was replaced with three 12V Pylontech lithium batteries. "I had two 170 amp hour AGMs with 50% discharge capacity; he says, which meant I only had 170 usable Amp hours. Now, we’re stepping that up to three 100 amp hour batteries, and if I can discharge the Pylontechs down to 90 or 95%, that puts me at 270 amp hours conservatively. So I have a full hundred amp hours more than I had previously."
Taking part in all these adventures is Amanda Radford. Brandon met Amanda while she was working as a nurse in Florida. "Brandon was running a gym at that time, and I had a degree in exercise physiology. He encouraged me to take on a few clients as a personal trainer to get a break from the stress of the hospital."
When Brandon first invited Amanda to the Everglades to hunt for pythons, she agreed to go."I was definitely scared of snakes, but that weekend Brandon spotted a Python and I watched him reach down and catch it in his hand. From then on I was hooked."
It was about a year ago that Brandon became ready for a big life change himself. He says: "Right out of college, my personal training business grew very quickly and just never stopped. I loved adventuring and had all the gear and had built out a van with a Victron Energy power system back in 2018 to take on longer cross-country trips, but I just never had time. I was over it."
"I realized that I need to go live my life before I’m too old or my body shuts down. I can earn money later. Right now, I need to get out there and live my life."
Last year, Brandon traveled across the United States, visiting the cities and rock climbing in the national parks he’d always wanted to visit. Meanwhile, Amanda provides in-person and virtual training sessions to clients all over the country – her working life allows her to join Brandon on the road for a month at a time, taking care of her clients from wherever she happens to be.
Last year, they put 10,000 miles on the van, often camping without an AC power connection. With everything set up just as they need, the adventure is really only just beginning.
If you’re based in North America and looking for some expert ‘mobile power’ advice, you can get in touch with Intelligent Controls. Or check out some of their resources – including RV alternator charging.
To watch Brandon and Amanda catch snakes, check out their channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brandonrahe.
]]>Russ and Tina are getting ready for some serious summer of fun in their brand-new Brinkley Model Z 31000 RV. Our friend Ken Smith at Adventure Van Systems recently upgraded their power system using Victron Energy components.
With plans to retire next year and hit the road full-time, they needed a scalable battery-inverter system that would allow them to stay off-grid for one or two nights - with the flexibility to expand their power system over time.
"If you haven't had experience staying off-grid in a van or RV for longer periods, it's difficult to anticipate your power needs," says Ken. "We designed a system that would easily run their microwave, refrigerator, lighting, fans, RV levelers, slide-outs, water pump, and other small appliances during the first phase of their travels. A second MultiPlus and additional batteries can be added in parallel to the existing components, allowing the couple to stay off-grid longer and run the air conditioners, a significant power draw."
Watch Ken's walkthrough of the system:
Russ and Tina's system includes the following:
The Pylontech lithium battery bank communicates with the Cerbo GX to broadcast battery health data such as voltage, current, state of change, and battery temperature to Victron's free Remote Monitoring portal, VRM.
Related Reading >>> Victron & Pylontech: a Robust Inverter-Battery Combination for Off-grid Energy Systems
From the VRM mobile app, Russ and Tina remotely monitor all the indicators of system performance that matter to them - including up-to-date temperature and humidity data from their Ruuvi environmental sensors.
Related Reading >>> Monitor Temperature on Victron's Cerbo GX Using Ruuvi Sensors
For more information about this system or for support with your own van or RV power system installation, get in touch with Adventure Van Systems through their website, https://adventurevansystems.com or reach out to Ken directly at ken@adventurevansystem.com.
Adventure Van Systems is a custom van upfitting company specializing in electrical systems, solar power systems, diesel heaters, and plumbing systems. A Victron Energy dealer and installer, Adventure Van Systems saves clients time and money as they design and install mobile power systems to fit their unique applications. Based in Missoula, Montana, Adventure Van Systems work on new installations as well as retrofits and upgrades. Ready-to-install kits and Drop-in systems are also available through their website and can be further customized and pre-programmed before shipment.
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Victron solar installer Eric Enquist lives off-grid with his family of five in Boulder, Montana. We caught up with Eric after a Victron training in Bozeman to learn more about his power system and what advice he gives to those looking to design their own systems.
The Enquist family.
I'm an electrician, and I had wired a few systems for homeowners that had bought Victron Energy systems from Intelligent Controls, including one of my neighbors. I was pleased with the quality and decided that if I wanted to learn more about Victron, I needed hands-on experience and an understanding of how the systems perform over time. That's why I installed my system in July of 2022.
Eric's system uses a Victron MultiPlus-II inverter charger, Autotransformer, SmartSolar MPPT RS, Lyxn Distributor, Cerbo GX and Touch 50 display.
Self-reliance. Not having a power bill to pay for the next 30 years. And, to say that I could do it. Earlier in my career, I worked in utilities, which, as we've all seen, are vulnerable. I wanted a power system that I could manage myself. We had moved to Montana from Washington, intending to build an off-grid home, and that didn't happen right away. This felt like the right time for our family.
I have 17 panels, approximately 5,675 Watts on two arrays on a ground-mounted structure, a 450V 100 Amp solar charge controller, 8000 VA MultiPlus inverter/charger, and five 48V 75 Amp hour LiFePO4 batteries with a combined reserve capacity of 15 KWh.
Conventional wisdom says to put solar panels on your roof, but they're less efficient on a roof than on an independent solar array. If you have the real estate, I advise homeowners not to put the panels on the roof. Put them on a standing array. There are a lot of benefits to having them on the ground. You can get the snow off them; the heat doesn't affect them as much. I have one panel facing east, and I'm bringing in power even in the winter.
It really hasn't, but that's because we designed an adequate system upfront. I have switched from propane to a hybrid heat pump which we use to heat our 50-gallon hot water tank. Like everyone, we're running blenders and toasters and have yet to have any issues. I just try to nudge the kids to be good stewards of the power we have. We have continued to heat the house with a wood stove, which was not a consideration when sizing the system.
This was our first winter living with the system, and I ran the generator for 4 or 5 hours a week. We'll see how we do this summer, and I might make some adjustments from there.
I start by asking about the well pump. Aside from an electric clothes dryer, the well pump is usually the most significant power draw on a home or cabin. If you still need to install your pump, request a soft start type of pump from your installer. Most well companies can accommodate that, and your inverter will not have to provide as much inrush current for start-up. Most are ¾ horsepower pumps. If, for example, your well pump is 2hp, an 8kVA Quattro or larger inverter to easily cover the rest of your loads. Smaller inverters are the way to go if you're running lights, a refrigerator, and using propane for heating. My 8,000VA inverter will run my dryer, but we try not to run other appliances simultaneously to avoid running the batteries too far down.
Another consideration is water heating. The most common approach is to use propane for on-demand water heating. I use an electric heat pump, (a hybrid style water heater), and we can keep our batteries at no lower than a 40% state of charge.
When looking at which inverter is right for you, remember that your inverter is also a charger, so small inverters paired with large generators make for an inefficient combination. The issue is that in the market, there are very limited options for small auto-start generators.
Well, speaking to other solar installers, my advice is: don't be afraid to ask questions and find out what kind of customer you are working with. Are they a hands-on or hands-off type of person? Will they live in the home full-time or for a few months or weeks a year? It's not uncommon for people to go with flooded-acid batteries because of the lower cost. If they're hands-on and know how to care for lead acid, that's great.
If it's a hands-off homeowner, don't be afraid to encourage them to go Lithium. There is less for them to mess with. I've seen homeowners invest in Victron inverter systems but insist on a battery system that later fails. It's not a happy situation, especially if they need to replace their inverter in order to install a lithium battery bank. To get the appropriate charge, the system must be sized for the batteries.
After adding a sixth battery, Eric's lithium battery bank provides 15 KWh of usable power.
They do. They need to be in a somewhat heated environment, so either you live in the home and are heating it through the winter, or you are willing to heat that space while you're not there. Lithium might not be a great idea if it's a seasonal vacation cabin getting minimal use. But for residential off-grid systems, I recommend Lithium because of the energy density and how long lithium batteries can last. The 48V Pylontech batteries in my system have a lifespan of +6,000 cycles, but that's all based on an 'ideal environment,' including temperature. Your battery bank needs to be large enough not to swing too far below that 60% state of charge (SOC) on a daily basis because that drains the life out of them - and that's as true for Lithium as it is for lead acid. The closer you stay in the upper SOC percentile, the longer those batteries will last. When plugged into a Victron system, the battery's BMS communicates with the inverter, so you really don't have to do anything. The battery is updating the inverter, which is responding in turn.
Related Reading >>> The Path to Lithium Started with Cold Dead Lead
Much of the year, these systems are powered by the sun only, and the batteries really don't work that hard. At other times of the year, we need a little more capacity, typically in the winter.
Batteries are a big investment, but if you can, yes. Give yourself more margin with a bit more battery storage. One thing I like about the Pylontech batteries is that you can start with a couple, see how your system does, and add more. I started with five and ended up adding one for a total of six.
Traditionally, you didn't do that. With flooded batteries, once they are tied together in a string for a few months, you don't want to replace one of the batteries. You can, but it's just standard practice to replace all of them. The battery chemistry of Lithium is more forgiving in that sense.
If you don't have a generator set up to charge your battery bank when it falls below a certain threshold, you will need to monitor how many times a week your batteries get to a 100% charge. The longer you let them drag without getting up to a full charge, the shorter the lifespan.
I've made my system big enough such that if, for some reason, we couldn't get fuel for the generator or fuel costs spiked, we could do without the generator. We would just reduce our loads. And if I want to expand my system in the future, I could because I've chosen an inverter that is slightly bigger than I need.
The main display on VRM gives the best snapshot of what's happening. I like to watch the PV coming in and that battery SOC.
Eric's power system on Victron's free remote monitoring platform, VRM.
Change the timeframe to 30 days to see actual trends; the solid line is your average % SOC for that day. The light blue lights represent the battery's minimum and maximum SOC%. If you're not reaching 100% once every few weeks, you need to make some adjustments. Is there tree shading and wiping out your solar array? Do you need to look at adding another solar panel? You're not going to hurt the batteries by not fully charging them, but you're also not going to balance them if you're not fully charging them. Over the long term, this will result in less capacity. Of course, you can always get it back by charging your batteries but if they are significantly out of whack, say 12 months without a full charge, it will take up to 4 hours to get them balanced again.
Look at your consumption data on VRM as well. Is there anything you weren't expecting to see? If you use a generator, seeing the number of times your generator ran in a week or this month compared to three months ago might be important to you.
As an installer, looking at a homeowner's system from my home computer without going to them is pretty handy. I haven't done much of that yet. When these systems are set up correctly, they just work.
Anytime!
From early system design to final commissioning, Boulder Electric offers professional installation of off-grid home solar and backup power systems using Victron Energy components. To learn more about their services or request a free estimate, connect with them on their website, www.boulderelectricmt.com, or call at 406-600-9094.
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This story was originally published by Victron Energy
For Marty and his wife Leslie, living and working off-grid doesn’t mean making sacrifices. In fact, it hasn’t seemed to slow them down one bit.
Despite being tucked between the mountains in rural Montana, their expanding off-grid power installation has allowed them to pursue their many passion projects such as growing tender plants in a heated greenhouse, soft fruit in an irrigated orchard while running three-phase machinery for Marty’s timber equipment business. And it’s all powered by the sun.
When the couple bought the property just two years ago, the cost of bringing in public utilities was quoted at $35K. They decided to invest that money in an off-grid system which they’ve expanded over time, adding batteries, inverters, charge controllers and solar panels.
“When Marty first contacted us, he had done his research and had a good idea of what he wanted,” says Aaron Hanson, owner of Intelligent Controls, a technical distributor for Victron Energy. “We helped him choose the right equipment and answered his questions along the way, but Marty fully owns his system. He’s installed it himself. He’s hungry to learn all he can. He monitors his system performance data on VRM and is always looking out for ways to optimize his system.”
During a second phase of his installation, Marty doubled the capacity of his battery bank, which now offers 84kWh of usable power. “My SOC (state of charge) now stays at around 90%. When it does drop down, it’s back to full capacity by 9AM the next morning,” says Marty.
An electric fence protects Marty’s newly planted orchard and beehives from curious grizzly bears.
The roof of the house, now covered with solar panels, yields 24kWp, and this summer, Marty will add 46kWp to the ridge of his roof and another 40kWp on the south-facing side of his greenhouse. This oversizing of the battery bank and PV arrays allow for a significant increase in Marty’s loads and ensures his batteries stay charged on cloudy and snowy winter days without using propane or relying on the backup generator.
His system generates enough power to cover day-to-day domestic needs, pump water for orchard irrigation, and supply the workshop’s three-phase power tools with plenty of surplus energy for long, hot showers and soon – horticulture.
Surplus solar energy will be stored in a large insulated hot-water tank fitted with immersion heaters. Hot water circulated through underfloor pipes will provide heating for the greenhouse, allowing year-round cultivation of vegetables and fruit.
The greenhouse, warmed by solar hot water, will allow them to grow fruit and vegetables year round.
“There is a perception that living ‘off-grid’ means limiting your power consumption to the bare minimum and not being able to run the types of loads you ran when living on-grid“, says Laura Hanson, Head of Marketing at Intelligent Controls. “Marty’s system is ambitious, but it shows what’s possible with quality equipment and good technical support. He’s a capable person with a vision, and we get to help make it happen.”
Marty’s power installation comprises:
Intelligent Controls provides the products, training, and technical support their customers need to resolve their energy challenge. “We like to describe our business as a problem-solving business,” says Aaron Hanson. “The technology has changed, but our approach of digging in and identifying the best possible solution together – has not.”
Marty is pleased to have achieved independence in every area of his life – including energy independence, thanks to his reliable power installation: “It’s been so flawless that when the power went out in town, I didn’t know it,” says Marty. “If you buy Victron and you do it right…You won’t even know that you’re off-grid.”
Let’s take a look at Marty’s set up:
Related Reading >>> Going off-grid with Victron Energy: Q&A with homeowner & electrician Eric Enquist
Essential components of a home's water system, a well pump ensures that clean water is reliably pumped into the home, while the septic pump ensures that waste is safely removed. However, like any mechanical device, they can fail.
While talking to homeowners, Colin noticed this unaddressed issue: people rely on well pumps, grinder pumps, and septic pumps for water and sewer, but those pumps don't function during power outages.
“When customers would call and ask me what to do during a power outage, I told them to sit tight and wait for the power to come back on. Don't use any water," says Colin. "Other than that, I recommended that they buy a generator."
Generators have historically been the most common backup power source for pumps, but battery backup systems are rapidly becoming more common. A grinder pump connected to a backup power system will ensure that sewage is safely removed from your home until the power returns.
Colin started to install packaged inverter/charger battery backup systems for sump pumps, but scaling that aspect of his business was more complex than he'd hoped. "The problem was a lot of our electrical loads are ten plus amps. Then we have 240v pumps, and some of them have 120v controls. We needed a wider variety of solutions."
Looking through online forums, Colin started learning about Victron Energy power system. Their modular design fit the bill–easily scaled to meet the needs of a variety of pump systems.
While Colin drives a well point in the corner of Alice's basement with a post driver and pipe wrenches, Greg is threading cable through the joists for the dedicated power line for Alice's new well pump installation.
Alice, who also has a town water supply, has two main motivations for installing a private well: "I want to have a water source for an irrigation system that wouldn't cost me a fortune, and I want a reliable source of water in the event that something happens to the main water coming from the municipality." With water contamination events in Flint Michigan and PFAS contamination in many areas of the country, many homeowners are choosing to drive wells in areas with abundant groundwater as a backup plan.
A key factor in having a ‘reliable’ source of water is maintaining the ability to pump that water in the event of a power outage. That's where Alice's Victron Energy system came into play.
Alice asked Colin for a backup power system that would keep her well pump going during a power outage. Alice also wanted to avoid installing a generator, concerned about their reliability and wishing to avoid getting locked into a lengthy service agreement.
Grinder Pump Experts estimated that a single Victron Multiplus II 12v 3000W inverter/charger would provide more than enough power for Alice's pump and allow for the integration of several other circuits in her home, including her entire family room, network, security system, bathroom, and natural gas boiler. Alice was excited about having a backup for other critical items in her home. "I wasn't expecting to have my whole family room and my furnace on there, too."
Alice's system also has a Victron Cerbo GX device that enables data logging and access to her system through Victron's Remote Management portal.
Grinder Pump Experts can remotely monitor the health of Alice's battery bank and even perform remote troubleshooting, should the need arise. Alice can monitor her system from her phone and on her Victron GX Touch touch screen interface and see if her power is out, even when she is away from home. To round off the system's functionality, a Victron SmartShunt was installed to very accurately monitor the amount of power left in Alice's battery bank (state of charge).
Following the system's installation and approval by the local electrical inspector, several severe winter storms came through Clifton Park, NY. In one day, Alice had four brief power outages from 16 to 52 seconds, which would normally have reset her network and clocks. "It was great not to have everything flickering on and off… having my internet reboot… worrying about my electronics turning on and off. I wasn't expecting that to be such a big plus in installing this system," said Alice.
In a typical grid-connected system, the Victron Multiplus II is connected to both the utility power and a battery bank. When the utility power goes out, the Multiplus II switches over to the battery power almost instantaneously, under 20 milliseconds. This means that any electronic devices connected to the system, such as computers, servers, and other sensitive equipment, do not experience any interruption in power and continue to operate as usual.
Victron Remote Management system logs from the day Alice had several power loss events.
Colin and Grinder Pump Experts expect their integration of Victron Energy power systems to provide exponential value to their residential and commercial customers. Colin recently attended an in-person Victron training in Miami, Florida, to refine his understanding of Victron's split phase systems and has brought that learning back to the team.
"We have made a big investment in moving forward with this technology. I want to give home and business owners the ability to take control of their power supply and make it work for their needs, without compromise. We have identified many problems that can be solved with Victron Energy, but with a product line as versatile as this, I know we are just getting started."
Backup power systems for well and grinder pumps provide peace of mind, knowing that your home's water and waste systems will continue to function even in the event of a pump failure or power outage. To learn more about their services or to request a quote, reach out to Colin Smith and his team through their website, https://www.grinderpumpexperts.com.
]]>On a gusty -20°F February afternoon, Ben Gleason was setting up for winter car camping at an outdoor kite skiing event on a frozen lake in Minnesota (as you do). Jason Gilbraith was there, too; his camper van parked out on the ice. After discovering their shared passion for photography, Jason offered Ben the use of his dual monitor work desk inside his van so that he could edit and return a batch of photos for a client.
"When Ben opened the door to my van, it was about 72°F inside. I was hanging out in my hoodie and slippers, making a pizza," says Jason. All Ben could say as he stepped in was, "oh my God, what is this!?" That was a typical first impression of Jason's vehicle. "People wanted to know what I had done to make my van both truly 4 season and completely off-grid."
Jason Gilbraith (left) Ben Gleason (right)
Three months later, the pair were driving Jason's van to Northern Minnesota for a rock-climbing trip with friends. It was on that drive that Ben and Jason began talking about starting a different kind of van-building business. One that would set a new bar for quality and customization with a power system to match, removing common stumbling blocks to all-season van living.
Most camper vans are considered 'three-season.' As the temperature drops, they must be properly winterized and stored away. "When most of us hear the term 'four-season van' we may think of a vehicle you could drive into the mountains in the snow on a 32°F day. But that just doesn't cut it here in a North Dakota or a North Midwest winter environment," says Jason. A true four-season van would need to remain comfortable when the temperature drops to -30 degrees °F.
In the years after college, Jason's natural curiosity and background in renewable energy had taken him down a winding research path into all-things solar power and finding efficient ways to retain heat in cold environments. A four-season rig would require more power, a larger battery bank, great insulation, an adapted water system, and a heater that will keep up with the cold but remain energy efficient.
Looking at the vans friends had bought pre-built from big names in the industry, Jason couldn't help but notice the quality of the components and materials used. "After what they'd spent on the vehicle, they weren't very happy with it; the materials and components used were cheap and little things were falling apart all the time. It didn't make any sense. Why would you sell something this expensive and not use the best components?"
Jason also observed that while many van builders use a 90 amp hour battery, they also require propane to run the van's heater, refrigerator, or stove. Most vans need an onboard generator or rely on being able to plug into a 50 or 30-amp receptacle to get power. "Generators vibrate the van; they're noisy. They're polluting. And it's another fuel source that you have to worry about. It's a nuisance," says Jason.
As Jason and Ben launched Vanna Adventure Vans, they knew they could offer a better solution by combining high-efficiency A/C and heating systems with a more robust power system designed to maximize available solar and alternator charging.
For Ben, 'high-quality' is not a tired marketing buzzword. It's a strategy for building a successful business and a respected brand. "A lot goes into any one custom van build. Whether we're talking about the heating system, cabinetry, insulating material, or even the wire we use, we don't make those decisions based on the product's price. We make product decisions based on the highest quality we get."
The same is true for each van's power system, which should be worry-free and built to last for a very long time. "Our clients want the best on the market, And that's what we can provide with Victron power systems," says Ben.
Vanna rents out several different tiers of vans depending on the client's needs. The most basic system includes 330 amp hours of lithium iron phosphate and a 2,400-watt inverter/charger that runs fans, 12-volt lights, and a refrigerator. These systems use the Orion Smart 30 amp DC-DC charger to charge the battery using the vehicle's alternator.
Vanna's 24-volt systems provide 400 amp hours at 24 Volts of lithium iron phosphate. These rental vans usually have an air conditioner, an induction cooktop, and many small built-in features that take a little more power.
More advanced 48-Volt systems provide more power, and more options for the use of 48V appliances. Those systems feature a 48-volt, 3,000-watt inverter charger and a highly efficient 48-volt Nomadic air conditioner. When paired with a 48-Volt system, the air conditioner runs entirely off the Victron Energy power system.
A typical 48-Volt Victron power system on a Vanna Van includes:
Vanna Vans also implements a second alternator into their van builds. "If it's a Mercedes Sprinter, we install a second alternator. If a Ford Transit, we get it ordered with the second alternator. This provides a high amp alternator under the hood designated to recharge the Victron system, which easily runs the air conditioner and recharges the power system's battery without any external grid power, and again, without ever running a generator." Vanna's power systems also utilize WakeSpeed to communicate with the External BMS of the Lithionics battery so that clients can recharge their batteries faster. "We've had customers stay fully off the grid with their van running AC throughout the day and night for up to two days without having to plug in or even start their van," says Jason.
The ability to diagnose a power system error on a Vanna van using Victron's Remote Management portal (VRM)—from hundreds or even thousands of miles away—is no slight advantage for this fast-growing business. Every vehicle they set out on the road is set up to connect online with VRM.
"When clients buy or rent a rig from Vanna, they know that if anything goes wrong with any part of their power system, they can call us directly for a real-time perspective on what's going on," says Ben. Providing what is essentially a remote service call with more information on hand than a Vanna technician would have if visiting the vehicle on-site is much less stressful for both the client and the Vanna team. "We can see everything. They can see everything, too, but we keep it in layman's terms, asking the right questions to get to the root of the problem quickly."
VRM has become a valuable tool for helping Vanna van owners understand their biggest consumption areas and how to use their power efficiently while staying confident that their Victron power system is working properly. "A client had driven down to Texas and started to notice an issue. Their power was draining too quickly at the end of each day. Connecting their Cerbo GX device to a Wifi source, I could immediately see all the essential data points and trends over that week and month; their power draw, the times of day when consumption is high, and go from there to figure out what's going on. It turns out that running their induction cooktop for over an hour was eating up a lot of their stored power."
With VRM, it's obvious what the problem is when there is one, says Jason. "Again, we get to put our time and passion into designing and building great vans, not wasting time or pulling out hair to diagnose a problem."
Shortly after choosing Victron Energy for their design builds, Vanna Adventure Vans looked for a Victron Energy distributor that could help them deliver the best possible off-grid mobile power system for their vans. "It was clear that Intelligent Controls was not just a distributor sending us products. They have given us a lot of feedback on each system design. We would share schematics with them to review and discuss, asking, 'Will this work?' 'Is there anything we should add or take away to simplify the system?' Intelligent Controls was a huge help in training and getting us up to speed as we began installing and programming equipment, troubleshooting errors, and learning to use VRM."
Jason says there's no substitute for personal relationships and getting technical support from real people. "Having Jack visit our shop to see our builds and knowing how to contact him is super important to us. I can send him a quick text, 'Hey Jack, what do you think about this?' And he responds to me directly as soon as he can. With most companies, you're calling a company number, waiting on hold, and talking to four robots before you talk to a person. Then half the time, you don't get the answer you need anyway. So having that personal and business relationship is an immense value add for us as we learn, innovate, and continue to scale as a business."
As new products come to market or product updates come online, it creates new opportunities for advanced controls on Vanna's vans. "Intelligent Controls sent us a RuuviTag temperature sensor to try out since it can interact with a relay on the Cerbo GX and communicate with VRM. We tried it out on a van and saw how effective it could be for running fans to cool the power systems and the power boxes holding the batteries and other equipment." Vanna has since started including Ruuvi sensors in their new van builds. "We love how it all talks with VRM. If I want to know 'What's the temp in my van?' Should I go crack a window? 'What's the air pressure?' It's so convenient to have those data points on hand and in one easy-to-visualize display."
>>> Related: Monitor Temperature on Victron's Cerbo GX Using Ruuvi Sensors
Vanna and Intelligent Controls are also collaborating to implement a new auto-start feature. "This will allow us to use a relay on the Cerbo GX such that when the batteries reach a certain state of charge percentage, the van will automatically start up to recharge those batteries. This means van owners don't necessarily have to watch their system during the day to ensure everything will stay charged. It would be able to more or less maintain itself. All you'd have to worry about is your fuel level which is pretty remarkable."
The prototype of Vanna's next big undertaking is currently serving patients in northern Minnesota, says Ben. "Using big campers for mobile medical clinics presents a lot of challenges. Nursing staff often don't feel comfortable driving large vehicles or parking them in cities. You also can't use them in freezing temperatures. Meanwhile, anyone can drive a van. You don't need a full-time driver. They are compact, and you can use them all year, in any weather."
The first of their kind nationwide, Vanna's four-season off-grid doctor's office vehicles will enable in-person doctor visits to deliver essential services like routine physicals, blood draws, vaccinations, and behavioral health visits. "It has a modern medical interior finish with an exam bed, countertop, storage, and space to accommodate a wheelchair or a family of four, for example. We're meeting with many large medical providers, hospitals, and clinics, and in the new facility we're expanding operations into, we'll be able to build hundreds of these vehicles a year, which is very exciting."
Vanna is set to scale without many of the headaches plaguing competitors. "We get to focus on building great vans, not hiring a team of customer service reps to field complaints and process warranties. We like to tell our customers, 'We hope to hear from you… but we also hope to never hear from you," says Ben with a laugh. "Hopefully, they're too busy planning their next adventure."
You can connect with Vanna Adventure Vans via their website, https://www.vannavans.com, as well as Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.
For eight months of the year the Bellrose family are cut off from the rest of the world.
Their safety and survival depends on careful preparation, knowledge of the environment, and having the right equipment to get jobs done.
The challenges and rewards of living remotely, surrounded by nature, excites many of us who live in towns and cities, so from their mountain home Brendon, Alisa, and Alayah – supported by the younger members of the family – are making plans to share their paradise by welcoming visitors and adventurers.
Over the coming seasons they plan to build a hospitality complex, comprising: Bed and Breakfast accommodation; a mountain restaurant; a drone Helipad; a shop; and to construct a community of Tiny Houses for visitors who want a DIY adventure.
Among the adventures on offer amid the spectacular Montana Mountains are: Hiking, Wildlife spotting, Skiing, Snowmobiling, Fishing and Hunting.
Running a hospitality business which meets the expectations of visitors used to the convenience of having utilities on-demand means installing a reliable power system – and nothing makes more sense than solar energy.
In the clean summer air of the mountains, and from the irradiance of winter snow, Brandon’s homestead already harvests more than enough energy for all his power needs.
Energy storage, and load provision can be expanded into a micro grid as the business grows – or smaller autonomous systems can be established in multiple locations.
Brandon first encountered Victron Energy products in marine installations, and began learning all he could about them with a view to securing his mountain dream.
For his domestic use he has an Autotransformer 120/240|100 for split-phase balancing; and a Quattro 48/5000 Inverter Charger. The Quattro has two AC inputs – which can take power from two generators …or from the Grid and a Generator, for example. It also has two AC power outputs – the second of which will be dropped when AC power is no longer being supplied. Connecting heavy ‘non-essential’ loads to this automatically switched source means that battery power will be conserved, and only essential equipment will be powered from stored energy.
The GX Touch 50 user-interface presents system data in visual form – Brandon likes that kind of presentation because it shows, at a glance, his present power harvest and supply.
A Cerbo GX controls the whole system, reporting data to the internet via Victron Remote Management (VRM) – a free to use portal which also allows his off-grid specialist Intelligent Controls to work with him from their own office miles away – analyzing any difficulties Brandon has experienced, and even helping him to locate whereabouts in his system there has been an incident or accident. That’s extremely reassuring if you’re cut off by snow for the next 8 months!
Let’s hear from Brandon and his family direct, and take a look around their paradise homestead:
]]>Elev 8150’ will be an adventure destination for travelers interested in exploring the Flint Creek/Pintler mountains over looking Discovery Ski Resort and Georgetown Lake, Montana. The Elev 8150’ concept is to provide a remote bistro style restaurant, B&B, and tiny house village catering to backcountry skiing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, and 4x4 activities. To learn more, visit their website at https://www.elev8150.com/
Photo by Kieran Mclver, Polar Bears International
As temperatures drop and ice sheets form on the shores of Canada's Hudson Bay, polar bears waiting ashore can finally take to the ice and resume their favorite activity: hunting seals.
Meanwhile, Polar Bears International has been monitoring the shoreline from Tundra Buggy One, a roving research vehicle and broadcast studio used to study the bears and to share their story with the world via the Explore.org LIVE Polar Bear Cam and special broadcasts like this special on ABC's Good Morning America.
"Bear season is short, and Polar Bears International has a limited amount of time each year to communicate the story of the polar bear and climate change," says BJ Kirschhoffer, Director of Conservation Technology at Polar Bears International. "We also operate in a harsh climate where power failure or long downtime can be dangerous."
Intelligent Controls worked with BJ to double the onboard battery capacity of Tundra Buggy One. The new battery bank powers everything on board, including the networking and wireless communication equipment that allow video streaming; a full webcast studio, complete with an encoding computer, studio lights, and mixer; and an exterior PTZ camera to film the polar bears.
The new system includes eight 12 Volt Pylontech batteries and a Victron Energy Cerbo GX device. The Cerbo allows this mobile off-grid power system to be monitored online via Victron's remote management platform (VRM).
"Lithium batteries give us reliability, predictability, and longevity not seen by traditional battery chemistries," says BJ. Increased power capacity allows the Buggy to pull 600 watts for nearly six hours, powering lights, cameras, and encoders without stress.
"Since the Pylontech battery management system communicates with the Cerbo GX, I can easily monitor our energy draw and remaining capacity with a high degree of accuracy, relieving any stress relating to running out of power mid-broadcast."
To learn more about Polar Bears International or Tundra Buggy One, explore their website at https://polarbearsinternational.org. We've been eating up their great educational content on their YouTube channel (like this video about sea ice ecoregions!)
Sugar Loaf Lodge & Cabins accommodates up to forty guests – in the Montana wilderness – with all the comforts of home. Their new off-grid power system includes 12 Lithium-ion rack-mount Pylontech 3,000C 40 Volt batteries with over 40Kw of storage, tripling the nameplate capacity of the battery bank and doubling the output and charging potential of their Victron Quattro inverter/charger, all while reducing generator run time and saving money on propane.
]]>This story was originally published by Victron Energy
All year round and in every kind of weather, Sugar Loaf Lodge & Cabins provides a comfortable respite for hikers, bikers, fishermen, snowmobilers, and even kite skiers seeking adventure in Montana’s Anaconda Pintler Wilderness area.
“The Continental Divide Trail is about a mile from here“; say owners Jay and Monica Winfield. “Some of our guests have hiked for a few weeks and will stay the night to get a hot shower and restock with items they’ve mailed to us before continuing their journey.”
The cabins were built in stages, starting in 2002. Fifteen miles from the nearest town, there were no roads or existing infrastructure at the time. Today, the complex includes five cabins ranging from small, rustic cabins that sleep four people and a small kitchen to larger cabins that sleep 16 and include four showers, four toilets, and a full commercial kitchen.
Weather in Montana is unpredictable, and when running a small business at 7,000 feet and in a location where it snows every month of the year, reliable power is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. “When our cabins are full for a wedding or corporate event, there are upwards of 40 people staying on the property. That means every light, refrigerator, toaster, curling iron, and water pump for the showers needs to run.”
As batteries age, they become inefficient and take more power and time to charge. This past winter, Sugar Loaf’s AGM battery bank and inverter system first installed in the mid-2000s started to fail: long and frequent generator run times, poor solar performance, and low battery voltage under heavy loads were causing havoc. The transfer relays were suspect on the inverters, and the batteries were starting to heat up excessively—all bad news.
To charge these worn-out batteries, excessive absorption and float times were needed from the inverter. The sun is a rare commodity here in the winter, resulting in long generator run times. “We were wearing out generators at an alarming rate and racking up an unacceptable propane bill,” says Jay.
“The system was not only failing. It was also literally running blind,” says long-time friend, Dustin Donaldson. “No insight into power consumption. No indication of why the generator was running so often. We wanted to not only fix the system, but to partner with Intelligent Controls to implement a much more intelligent, higher-capacity system that is able to accommodate future growth of the business.”
Working with Victron distributor Intelligent Controls, the Sugar Loaf team designed a system that would more than triple the nameplate capacity of the battery bank and double the output and charging potential of the Inverter/Charger, all while reducing generator run time and saving money on propane.
The system includes:
The new Pylontech batteries are fully compatible with Victron Energy systems. “When the Victron equipment sees the Pylontech batteries, it knows exactly how to modify its performance in every situation, even as the batteries age. This is a major advantage when expecting a 16-year battery design life.” says Aaron Hanson, owner of Intelligent Controls.
In the colder months, the main Lodge is heated by wood stoves that need to be watched and fueled. “This means we’ve been away overnight just once in almost three years. A few hours in town is the most we’re ever away,” says Monica. Thanks to the Cerbo GX and Victron’s Remote Managing platform (VRM), the Winfields can now monitor the real-time performance of their system, even off-site. And by logging that data over time, they can watch the trends that matter to them, such as the number of days between generator starts, power usage in high-capacity time frames, and how much their batteries are charging. “It’s fun to watch from the portal (and we do watch it all the time). Our kids make fun of us for checking our power situation even when we are in town.”
VRM has become a critical tool for customer education, enabling them to become the true owners and overseers of their system. “One of the most enjoyable elements of the Victron experience is watching customers light up when they see their system online for the first time and start to monitor it’s performance,” says Aaron. “It’s one of those things that, once you have it, you can’t imagine living without it. It truly is the best remote monitoring access in the industry.” The bottom line: the more customers understand and visualize their systems with VRM, the fewer issues they will have. And, of course, it’s dramatically easier to provide advice and support.
Because of the unique location, Intelligent Controls added a custom soft-starting algorithm to Node-RED via the Cerbo GX, allowing the generator to warm up before it’s loaded up, and cool down after use. Thanks to VRM’s remote access to Node-RED, this was also added remotely and at no additional cost. “It’s amazing to provide high-end custom solutions to customers without spending the day risking your life on Montana’s highways in the winter,” says Aaron.
As the snow melts, the busy wedding season has begun. “We love our new system,” says Monica. “I used to hold my breath when I pushed the start button on our large commercial breadmaker. Since installing the new system, I haven’t overloaded the system once. Being able to focus on our customers and what we do best is a good feeling.”
As power needs increase or as the Lodge expands, scaling the size of the Pylontech battery bank, and the solar array is very straightforward. The 15,000 VA Victron inverter is large enough for significant growth. Sugar Loaf Lodge is ready for anything.
Related Reading >>> Going off-grid with Victron Energy: Q&A with homeowner & electrician Eric Enquist
Situated in a shady canyon near Missoula, Montana, the cabin experiences week-long periods of below-freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall during the long winter months.
When the water table is high, an underground spring nearby can leak into the cabin's dank crawlspace, resulting in mold damage. "It's not nice down there; spiders everywhere, and it's hard to see what's really going on," says Robin.
As a wannabe snowbird, she's concerned about leaving the cabin for 3 months at a time without being able to check in herself.
Now she can do both (spend more time in Arizona and know what's going on at the cabin). Robin has attached a RuuviTag Pro 3in1 to a long string that she can toss into the dark crawl space. "That Ruuvi is tough," she says. With the Ruuvi Station mobile app, she can monitor the real-time temperature and humidity data straight from her iPhone. "I love not having to get on my knees to poke my head in with a flashlight 10 times a week in the spring. I think Ruuvi should supply a string on all Pro sensors," she says with a smile.
Robin wants to monitor the outdoor and indoor cabin temperature when she's away in Arizona. Like many of our customers, she is already using Victron's remote monitoring service (VRM) to remotely monitor her Victron inverter system.
Integrating the Ruuvi sensors into this setup is a match made in heaven. Her Victron Cerbo GX talks to the Ruuvis seamlessly and reliably. A TP-Link Bluetooth radio plugged into her Cerbo USB port gives her the best Bluetooth signal possible.
Monitoring her system from Montana or Arizona, she'll be able to see live temperature and humidity data from the VRM dashboard. "When I'm away, knowing that everything is ok is worth a lot to me," says Robin.
This past fall, Robin noticed water under her washing machine that was getting into the floor. She's had the washing machine serviced, and the service tech told her that there was no issue to be found.
But Robin does not trust this serviceman. So for $35, she installed a another RuuviTag Pro 3in1 below near the water pipe to measure humidity under the washing machine, saving her floor twice. "I'm kind of attached to that washing machine. If they can't fix it, this is the next best thing."
For good measure, she also put a RuuviTag Pro 3in1 in a bucket under her kitchen sink and has set different alerts in VRM so that she receives an email notification when any of the sensors get wet or get too cold.
Not yet satisfied, Robin zip-tied a RuuviTag 4in1 to the water pipe under the sink in the far corner bathroom of the house. "The temperature under that sink is critical in the winter. That's the coldest spot in the house, so if it gets below freezing outside, that'll be the first plumbing to freeze."
She usually leaves the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors open while away, but sometimes invites the family in Arizona to come up and ski at the hill nearby. "Last winter, they left the cabinet doors closed, and when I got back in the spring, there was water everywhere. I either had to break ties with them or buy another Ruuvi!"
There you have it: Ruuvi keeps families together.
"Now, if only the Ruuvi could add some kind of shocking device, I could scare away those woodpeckers."
Think about, Ruuvi. Think about it.
>>> Related: Read our recent blog on how to set up alerts inside VRM and configure relays on your Victron Cerbo GX device to do something, like turn on a fan, in response to temperature data from the Ruuvi sensors.
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