Victron EnergySmartSolar MPPT Solar Charge Controller (Bluetooth) - Charge Controllers for Solar Panels - 100V, 30 amp, 12/24-Volt

So far this seems to be a very robust controller for my small off-grid system designed solely for keeping WiFi and a couple security cameras online. Very configurable using the app via Bluetooth although better descriptions of each setting would help, especially for those of us who are not professional solar installers. At first my system was underpowered but with the addition of a second 12v Lithium-Ion battery in parallel and replacing the 12v 100w solar panel with a 24v 200w panel, it seems to be keeping up quite well. The first full day after the additional battery and larger panel were installed which was very overcast, it peaked at 770Wh when prior readings in similar conditions were barely 180Wh.

These charge controllers are awesome. I'm using 4 of them currently with the bmv712 shunt monitor and I love that they all connect via Bluetooth and share data. I love that the chargers synchronize to work with each other. The ability to check on your system and set your charge parameters from your phone is definitely worth it. The MPPT tracking is fast. Their efficiency is phenomenal. Being able to use the VE port as a relay controller rather than "load" terminals is preferred in my opinion for dump load options.However the app isn't as polished as the controllers themselves. Sometimes the Bluetooth is laggy and glitches.I wish the app showed a little more useful data that it is capable of showing, but it doesn't because if you buy all victron stuff a different product will show you. For example "power being used". If the shunt monitor is showing how much power is going into the batteries and the charge controllers show your total network power, you can simply subtract the total power from battery power to show power consumption. What's annoying is you must first select the charge controller, then it connects via Bluetooth to one single controller. You can only monitor one single device via Bluetooth at a time. It takes 10-30 seconds each time you select a device. This makes it difficult to compare data manually.Sure it shows your average discharge and deepest discharge, but if you don't check right before the sun comes up, there's no way to see what you used last night. No way to see how much power you used that day, week, etc... once again you could do it all manually.The app should just have a system overview showing all the data available and atleast a months worth of history. Or have the app store some data on your phone and synchronize every couple hours if your within range. I realize if you buy a Victron brand inverter or some other fancy expensive data logger it shows a lot of this data. I did not though. It's annoying when it is capable of showing data, but to really be able to use these devices to their potential you need to buy all Victron...I wish the programs for the relay function were a little more flexible. Great for most situations, but not the best. Maybe add some time delay options? Select sun up/down triggers along with voltage triggers. Temperature triggers would also be cool too.There stuff is good, but a some extra lines of code is all you need to make this stuff a little more friendly for the experimenters or budget conscious DIYers.

Update (2/12/23): Current inventory of VE products: (2) 100V/50A, (2) 100V/30A, (1) 100V/20A, (1) SmartShunt IP67 (newer), (1) SmartShunt (older), (1) BatterySense. Best feature is the VE.Smart networking feature, which allows the components to work together to optimize charging of the battery bank.Update (8/2/22): Ordered a 2nd unit. Working great! iPhone app has many great features.Summary: I have evaluated quite a few MPPT controllers for Vine, and while all were decent, the Victron Energy (VE) has high ratings, so I decided to purchase one for evaluation. My solar/PV system specs: 1000W of panels; 24-volt, 270Ah marine battery bank (Optima); Voltworks 2000W inverter. Using the system to reduce our electricity bill. This review is for the 100V/50A, which is the 2nd VE controller I've purchased.Observations: The first thing to notice is that this one, unlike most others, does not have a control panel (just three LEDs); which means you'll need a smart device to read the values. There are two basic VE offerings: this SmartSolar (built-in bluetooth), and BlueSolar (requires a BT dongle). Between the two, I went with the built-in BT (SmartSolar). One great feature of the VE system, is that it allows the MPPTs to communicate with each other via BT; which is a great feature for a larger system.Recommendations: One reason to choose the lower cost BlueSolar over the SmartSolar, is if you do not need the additional features that the BT brings; but for me, I didn't mind spending the extra $30-40 (per controller) to gain those features.Pros: Industrial quality & features; good application support (firmware updated upon first connect); security (bluetooth); good/efficient charging algorithm; good data and graphs.Cons: No built-in display (offset by the much better app and graphs).Conclusion: At $225, rating this 5-stars. Of all the MPPT controllers I have reviewed, Victron is the recommended brand.Related Products (lised in ORDER of HIGH to LOW rating):VICTRON ENERGY MPPT 100V 20 amp 12-24-Volt (Bluetooth) ~ $160 (5-star)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075NPQHQKEPEVER MPPT Solar Charge Controller 10A 60V PV 1206N ~ $60 (5-star)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094JCG6Y1ACOPOWER Midas 40A MPPT ~ $180 (4-star)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQB8RYKACOPOWER MPPT Solar Charge Controller 30A ~ $140 (4-star)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NB1KOOZRenogy Rover 20/30/40 Amp ~ $112/170/168 (2-star)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRWTAB5

Great product, works beautifully! Bluetooth interface is really nice, allowing you to easily monitor your solar power application.

This solar charge controller is my go-to controller for my solar generator builds. I use a 12 volt system and these are Bluetooth ready and connectivity is good. These controllers all well built, small in size and the connections are easy to locate. I have purchased at least six of these for my solar generators that I have built and I have had no issues with installation and connectivity. Anyone that is building a solar generator will be happy with this product because the app software provides information in regards to watt hours are being used and All battery functions are listed on the app. There are no negatives in my opinion with the solar charge controller. High quality controller.