solar panel GC600

Bonoborider · Oct 19, 2021

Hello everyone. I have a quick question for GC 600 panel pocessors with solar panels: is your solar setup working? have you checked it?
in fact, I ask you this question because it does not work on my GC 600. the panel has been tested and seems to be ok, the solar regulator too (I connected another panel on it), but if I connect the installation original, it does not deliver any voltage! I contacted a French campervan solar panel specialist to try to understand, and according to him, the choice of regulator made by VW is a mistake! for the small 104w panel of the 600, it would take a PWM regulator rather than a mppt like the original one!
I therefore wonder if all GC600s equipped with a solar panel have the voltronic MPPT regulator, and if so, does it works?

Eber123 · Oct 19, 2021

Hello,

I believe that all GC 600 / 680 will have the Votronic MPPT device installed. Is the solarpanel installed by VW the best on the market - I don't think so, but I don't believe none of the standard solarpanels installations original from campervan manufacturer are very good.

As far as I know it is not possible to see from the Camper Control Unit if, and how much, the VW solarpanel generates electricity and saves it into the battery.

I thought that is important information, so I got from Votronic the Bluetooth Connector S-BC. Now I get this information onto my phone. Following this information for a while it is interesting how little electricity on a normal day the solarpanel actually produces. This afternoon (bit cloudy but enough sunshine) it was O.5 A (Watt I can't remember). So it will take a while before the battery is full again.

Have I said all this, so far it was not nesscary to connect to a landline. But we haven't spend to many nights in the camper, because during the last 3 month it spend more time with the VW dealer than with us. But that is another story.

Happy electric Grand California,
Eberhard

Holidaymaker · Oct 19, 2021

Hello and yes is my Solar panel functions excellent.

Can seeing toilet wall control window is put 3A energy to my battery, is not so much but is sunshine weak now and next summer is better.
I must 1 day each month attaching electric plug to back side and make boost battery house electric when is sunshine comes back again next year.

far.landscape · Oct 20, 2021

Bonoborider said:
Hello everyone. I have a quick question for GC 600 panel pocessors with solar panels: is your solar setup working? have you checked it?
in fact, I ask you this question because it does not work on my GC 600. the panel has been tested and seems to be ok, the solar regulator too (I connected another panel on it), but if I connect the installation original, it does not deliver any voltage! I contacted a French campervan solar panel specialist to try to understand, and according to him, the choice of regulator made by VW is a mistake! for the small 104w panel of the 600, it would take a PWM regulator rather than a mppt like the original one!
I therefore wonder if all GC600s equipped with a solar panel have the voltronic MPPT regulator, and if so, does it works?

I have a 600 with Solar and the MPPT voltronic controller. I can confirm that the leisure battery does charge while the panels are getting sun. I have confirmed this by direct voltage measurement on the leisure battery. See attached for a recent day voltage trace. The van was unattended the whole time so the voltage fluctuations can only be solar.

The van was on hookup this whole time and the battery was already fully charged… whether one “should” deliver this much voltage to an already charged battery is a different question…..

T3Z-GB · Oct 20, 2021

Eber123 said:
Hello,

I believe that all GC 600 / 680 will have the Votronic MPPT device installed. Is the solarpanel installed by VW the best on the market - I don't think so, but I don't believe none of the standard solarpanels installations original from campervan manufacturer are very good.

As far as I know it is not possible to see from the Camper Control Unit if, and how much, the VW solarpanel generates electricity and saves it into the battery.

I thought that is important information, so I got from Votronic the Bluetooth Connector S-BC. Now I get this information onto my phone. Following this information for a while it is interesting how little electricity on a normal day the solarpanel actually produces. This afternoon (bit cloudy but enough sunshine) it was O.5 A (Watt I can't remember). So it will take a while before the battery is full again.

Have I said all this, so far it was not nesscary to connect to a landline. But we haven't spend to many nights in the camper, because during the last 3 month it spend more time with the VW dealer than with us. But that is another story.

Happy electric Grand California,
Eberhard

Thanks for your post, I’m just about to embark on my solar upgrade and have ordered a Victron mppt. To get that data, how did you install the Bluetooth device? Did you need a shunt? Is there cable connections between the device and the Votronic mppt? Can you please send a pic of your install.

Eber123 · Oct 20, 2021

T3Z-GB said:
Thanks for your post, I’m just about to embark on my solar upgrade and have ordered a Victron mppt. To get that data, how did you install the Bluetooth device? Did you need a shunt? Is there cable connections between the device and the Votronic mppt? Can you please send a pic of your install.

Hello,

The installation is straight forward. The Votronic Bluetooth device is very small. It will be connected with a network type / similiar cable. That is all. Installation takes 1 minute. Install the Votronic app and connect via Bluetooth both devices.

I will take a picture later in the afternoon and will post it in the evening.

Regards,
Eberhard

T3Z-GB · Oct 20, 2021

Eber123 said:
Hello,

The installation is straight forward. The Votronic Bluetooth device is very small. It will be connected with a network type / similiar cable. That is all. Installation takes 1 minute. Install the Votronic app and connect via Bluetooth both devices.

I will take a picture later in the afternoon and will post it in the evening.

Regards,
Eberhard

Thank you Eberhard.

Eber123 · Oct 20, 2021

Hello,

Here are some pictures from the Votronic Connector S-BC. It is just a cable from the Votronic MPPT (the red arrow points to the connector) to the Votronic Connector S-BC.

After the Votronic app is installed you just have to press on the small key (under the LEDs) and the device will connect to the app on your phone. That's it.

Here is a reading from this afternoon (cloudy). It is not a lot that comes in. During the "darker" times the solar panel is not that helpful.

With a 92 A AGM battery and no booster it remains to be seen how good the setup from VW is. I believe here is room for improvements. I need to make a list of things that I think must be changed / added, but I don't believe there are many companies in Ireland who are willing to work with me on the improvements of the GC 600.

Regards,
Eberhard

T3Z-GB · Oct 20, 2021

Thanks for the post very informative.
I’m heading down the path of upgrades this month, Iv ordered in a Victron mppt 75 15 and a 100watt panel that just fits on the roof. (Flexible)
I believe after hours of research that the best method in this instance for additional solar is 2 mppt controllers and 2 panels charging the battery simultaneously.
If this works I’ll purchase a second of the above controller to replace the Votronic and use Victron wireless networking to connect the two together to get the stats and the combined charge rate etc.

Next step is to install a Victron DC 2 DC converter under the drivers seat and connect that to the same witless network. That combination should keep the battery topped up during the winter months.

Later I intend dropping a Renogy Smart Lithium with self heating where the current AGM sits under the bonnet, hopefully we will get the 200ah Victron with self heating by then. (First choice)

These are all expensive upgrades I believe should have been in the current build, or at least an upgrade option, however as we live and work full time in the van it’s worth the money to us.

Thanks again for you’re post.

Eber123 · Oct 20, 2021

Hello T3Z-GB,

Interesting plans.

Next year we plan to travel to Scandinavia (up to the Northcap) back through Finland, Baltic States, Frankfurt and then home. The following year to Romania and a wee bit to Turkey. After that we will see. At the moment we talk about a very extensive travel trough Canada and America.

The reason why I mention this is, that I don't belive that the technical setup, as is, will be enough for everything. I haven't thought it through in detail, but I belive we need to add / change the following:

1.) 100 or 120 A licium battery
The licicum batteries are very expensive, also it seems that the installation (just swap the original AGM against the licium battery) is not that easy and will "upset" VW electronic.

2.) Booster
I believe the Grand California has no booster. With a battery that has more capacity I believe it is nessecary to ensure to charge the licium battery within a reasonable amount of time. So one has to be installed.

I am no expert in this field. So the the second biggest challange (beside the finace) will be to find somebody to install it reliabily and robustly.

Talking about change, latest for the Canada tour, I plan to have a full spare tyre. I would like to get a spare wheel holder onto the left (passenger) side of the rear door. My VW dealer already said he will install it. But they are rather expensive.

We will go for a week to Frankfurt (in the camper), but when we are back I will look for the best tap to replace the standard VW tap. Also we will change the pump with a wee bit of more power.

Last thing, according to my VW dealer at the end of the month, there will be new software available for the Camper Control Unit. This should prevent the unit to "freeze". We plan to install it and hope for the best (hope dies last).

Happy traveling Grand California,
Eberhard

T3Z-GB · Oct 21, 2021

Hi Eberhard,

Sounds like you have some amazing trips planned. We to are heading towards the artic circle next year around May, we have no onward travel planes from there we will see where the road takes us. Hopefully by that time all these little issues will be resolved and we have enough power to last 3ish days without running the engine or sunshine.
Thanks for your post, it’s really interesting to hear other peoples travel plans and upgrade path.

Weather and COVID permitting we should spend a week in Ireland over Christmas. (Hopefully)

Regards.

mpill990 · Oct 24, 2021

I think everyone is massively over complicating the issue here.
What is the problem with running the engine on it's fast idle for a few minutes if the sun isn't out.
Surely when you factor the cost of a few litres of diesel vs the thousands you could spend on extra lithium batteries and converters etc this makes more sense?
I am genuinely very perplexed

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

T3Z-GB · Oct 24, 2021

mpill990 said:
I think everyone is massively over complicating the issue here.
What is the problem with running the engine on it's fast idle for a few minutes if the sun isn't out.
Surely when you factor the cost of a few litres of diesel vs the thousands you could spend on extra lithium batteries and converters etc this makes more sense?
I am genuinely very perplexed

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

For a couple reasons actually, it takes more then a few minutes to top up the battery and somebody needs to be in or near the car. It’s really that simple.