Time is flying and already four weeks have passed since our last newsletter. There are various updates & new blog posts, keep on reading for the details.

We have (finally!) received and shipped out lots of SmartShunt 500As, Cerbo GX-es, Smart Orions and also the first complete batch of the new Inverter RS. Production is back to a normal situation.

Then, our online courses and exams have all been translated and the videos subtitled. Unlocking this great learning resource to a much wider audience. See here in Victron Professional, and share with your customers.

To finish, a warning regarding phishing. Recently we received an increased amount of reports about criminals trying to impersonate us, and reaching out to you in our name. This time, the conversation started with questions about accounts and open invoices. And, in case you as a customer would enter into the conversation, they will first gain your trust and then explain you that we (Victron) have a new bank account and to please wire all open amounts to that new account. In previous attempts they have sent emails pretending to be Matthijs, asking you for a personal favour or similar. Or impersonating to be your account manager. All fake, but also showing that the criminals take serious effort to scam you. Be vigilant!

At least one customer has been victimised, and lost near 25k USD in the past few days. Probably impossible to recover.

So, as said before, please be very careful and vigilant. Instruct your finance department to keep a clear list of verified bank account numbers - and do not accept information about updated or changed bank accounts without verification by phone with someone you know, ie. your sales manager. We have not changed bank accounts in the last 10 or 20 years, and we are not planning to do any changes either.

Also you can protect your email by using DKIM and DMARC, contact your sales manager for a PDF with detailed instructions.

And, a last tip around email communication: please try and communicate to us from one company domain name. Do not use gmail (or other platform-) addresses, as they make it very hard for our Orderdesk or Finance staff to spot fake addresses. And make sure to use 2 factor authentication on all your email.

Yours sincerely,

Reinout and Matthijs Vader

VictronConnect v5.26

Released two weeks ago, VictronConnect v5.26 adds a feature internally dubbed the “MPPT off reason”, which explains to the user why their solar charger is not charging. This is a frequently asked question and one that is not often easy to answer. To answer it properly, multiple parameters need checking, as well as detailed knowledge about the installation; requiring a lot of back-and-forth communication between the user and the technician.
Not anymore! Now, VictronConnect indicates precisely why the solar charger is not charging. And where relevant assures that there is nothing to worry about – or hints at what to check when a fault is suspected.

Read this blog post for more information.

SmartShunt video

Webinar recordings

Many of our past webinars are now available to watch on Victron Professional. Also in case you didn't register for the original webinar. Look for the "Past event videos" link on the top of the Events page, or, go there directly with this link: https://professional.victronenergy.com/events/event-videos/

New and updated documents

In all manuals for SmartSolar MPPT charge controllers we have added a note to the LED table. 

•  SmartSolar charge controller MPPT 75/10, 75/15, 100/15, 100/20 & 100/20-48
•  SmartSolar charge controller MPPT 100/30 & 100/50
•  SmartSolar charge controller MPPT 150/35
•  SmartSolar charge controller MPPT 150/45 up to 150/100 & 250/60 up to 250/100
•  SmartSolar charge controller MPPT 150/70 to 150/100 & 250/70 to 250/100 VE.Can

The table in the datasheet and manual of the BlueSolar MPPT charge controller 100/30 & 100/50 the power terminals has been corrected from 13 mm² to 16 mm².
This has also been corrected in the datasheet and manual of the BlueSolar MPPT charger controller 150/35.

In the manual Lithium iron phosphate batteries Smart section 3 Installation, the 12,8/200Ah model has been updated.

The article code in the manual Inverting remote on-off cable has been corrected to:  ASS030550120
 
In the datasheet - GEL and AGM Batteries - the article number and weight has been corrected of the Deep Cycle AGM 12V/14Ah battery.

Certificates
The following new certificates were added to the Cerbo GX page:
Certificate IEC 62368-1 Cerbo GX
Certificate IEC 62368-1 Cerbo GX (CB Test Certificate)

For all latest documentation we refer you to our website.

Victron training events

Sign up for one of our training events or webinars and learn more about our products.

• June 30^th and July 1^st, Formation installateur – Module 2 Supervision et autoconsommation in Sainte Tulle, France
• July 6^th – July 9^th, Formation Technique Conakry – Systèmes photovoltaïques autonomes et hybrides in Conakry, Guinea
• July 7^th – July 8^th, Module 3 Configuration avancée et batterie lithium in Sainte Tulle France

Make sure to always check our website.

Webinars

• July 1^st, System design, calculations and commissioning (English)
• July 1^st, Consejos sistemas híbridos (Spanish)
• July 1^st, Victron Energy Q&A Webinar Series North America (English)
• July 2^nd, Victron Energy and BYD Technical training – BYD Premium Batteries (English)

For more training events and webinars, see Victron Professional.

Upcoming exhibitions

Check our exhibition schedule online if you are interested in visiting an exhibition in your area over the coming months. Please refer to our website or the event's website to check if the event's date has been changed or cancelled:

•  August 20^th – August 21^st, The Solar Show in Johannesburg, South Africa
• August 26^th – August 28^th, Solartech Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia
• September 3^rd – September 5^th, Solarex Istanbul in Istanbul, Turkey

NICE TO KNOW

Hartmandrifting – sliding into a pro career

Life on the road with Drift Master Pontus Hartman
Motorsport and cars have always been a big part of Pontus Hartman’s life – so a couple of years ago he and his girlfriend made the decision live the dream …to the max.
Off the race track Pontus and his family travel to events in a Eurocruiser. Admiring Pontus’ passion and dedication, Victron decided to help with the power set-up of his Eurocruiser.

Private Island, Private Power

The private island of Noa Noa, in the Philippines, offers exclusive breaks for those in search of deep relaxation.
Noa Noa’s old power system has just been replaced. The ‘back up’ generators were doing a lot of work – costing money and making noise.
Victron Energy dealer JK Solar Powerhouse in Puerto Princessa Palawan have installed a new off-grid system.

Off-Grid, 3-phase, 24/7

Motorway maintenance team working all hours
One of the contracts serviced by the UK company Jackson Civil Engineering is to provide twenty-four hour maintenance for the M11 Motorway.
A team of 20 work around the clock from a base near the motorway which consists of offices, workshops, bedrooms, showers, and a canteen – but which cannot be connected to the national grid without huge expense because the power line is routed on the other side of the road!
An intern spotted this anomaly and contacted Ian Hewson from Off Grid Engineering to design and cost an alternative power supply.

BYD Battery Box Premium LVL installation

Big power harvest at Spanish Farm
The first photovoltaic installation in Spain with the new generation of BYD batteries is up and running.

The installer Efigalia, in collaboration with Krannich Solar, carried out the installation of the BYD Battery-Box Premium LVL batteries.

Read the blogpost. 

Navette 68 – Glass bridge integration success

Absolute – the Italian luxury yacht maker – sets out to create innovative craft which introduce the latest technologies. Take, for example, the stylish Navetta 68 which boasts a multi-function display (MFD) which allows at-a-glance energy management information to be viewed alongside navigational information right there on the vessel’s Glass Bridge instrumentation. From now, the skipper has all operational information concerning his/her craft right at their fingertips.

Olympic workout with Annemiek and Annette

Train for success during lockdown
World Champion sailors Annemiek Bekkering and Annette Duetz, who will represent Holland at next year’s Olympics are working hard during the lockdown to maintain themselves at peak fitness.
Want to know how they do it?