How to find the right components for your on-grid or off-grid system.
Your Victron system, step by step
Victron System Planner: Configure your individual Victron system
in no time.
Dutch manufacturer Victron Energy has more than 50 years of experience and offers a modular system made up of many high-quality individual components.
Your advantage: exceptionally high flexibility. These systems are genuine all-rounders and can be expanded almost without limit. They can operate fully off-grid or on-grid, are highly robust and use market-leading software.
To help you find your way quickly, we guide you through component selection in five steps. If you want an even faster solution, our pre-configured complete systems already cover common system sizes from 5 to 36 kWp.
We are also happy to answer all your questions free of charge – including during installation and commissioning.
The 5 steps to your system:
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Choose your battery inverter
View battery invertersChoose according to your needs: MultiPlus-II as a single unit or grouped for three-phase operation, Quattro-II with an additional generator input, EasySolar as an all-in-one solution with MultiPlus-II, GX device and charge controller, or the lightweight Multi RS Solar with integrated solar charge controller for around 5 kWp.
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Choose your charge controller and/or PV inverter
View Victron charge controllersVictron MPPT charge controllers charge your battery particularly efficiently directly from the solar modules – with up to 99% efficiency. PV inverters (e.g. Fronius, SMA) can feed directly into the house grid and, when combined with Victron MultiPlus in an off-grid setup, continue operating reliably even during a grid outage. Both approaches can be combined flexibly for maximum flexibility and resilience.
Basic sizing rule: The charge controller's maximum PV power limits the number of modules – an RS 450/100 with 5.8 kW charging power handles around 6 kWp of module capacity. In addition, the string open-circuit voltage at low temperature must remain below the controller's permitted PV voltage. The most accurate way to determine how many modules fit into a string is with the Victron MPPT calculator.
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Choose your PV battery storage
View compatible PV battery storageAnother advantage of Victron Energy systems is that they are compatible with significantly more affordable, safe and high-quality low-voltage battery storage. Victron recommends choosing battery capacity at roughly twice the power rating of the battery inverter. For a 5 kW inverter, for example, this means around 10 kWh of storage capacity. This is technically sensible, significantly increases self-sufficiency and helps cover consumption peaks effectively.
Please note: Victron systems can use only 48 V low-voltage battery storage. High-voltage batteries cannot be operated with MultiPlus-II or Quattro-II.
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Choose your accessories
View Victron accessoriesVictron Energy offers a wide range of high-quality, perfectly matched accessories – from control devices and energy meters to safety components, connection cables and much more. Almost anything is possible. Easy integration, maximum safety and optimal system control are supported throughout. If you have questions, we are happy to help quickly and free of charge.
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Choose your preferred solar modules
View solar modulesFor use with Victron MPPT charge controllers, solar modules with lower voltage and higher current are ideal because they allow particularly long module strings. German-made Heckert Solar modules are well suited because they combine high quality and attractive pricing with the ability to build long strings. Q CELLS and Jinko modules also have comparatively low voltages and are therefore very suitable.
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No question left unanswered
Should I buy my MultiPlus with an integrated GX device (such as MultiPlus GX), or use an external GX device such as Cerbo GX?
At a comparable price, we clearly recommend the external Cerbo GX. It offers significantly more interfaces, connection options and flexible expansion possibilities. This gives you more room for future changes and additions to your system.
How do I connect my different Victron devices to each other?
You can connect your Victron devices easily by using a GX device – usually the Cerbo GX – as the central control unit. The GX device is the heart of the system and also provides LAN or Wi-Fi access.
Devices are connected in different ways:
- VE.Bus (e.g. MultiPlus, Quattro): Use standard network cables (RJ45), connect the devices in sequence and connect the final device to the GX device.
- VE.Can (e.g. MPPT, Lynx, BMS): Connect devices using network cables (RJ45). Fit a terminator at each end of the bus.
- VE.Direct (e.g. SmartSolar charge controller, battery monitor): Connect each device directly to the GX device using a VE.Direct cable.
- Bluetooth (VE.Smart): Some charge controllers can communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth. If a GX device is used, a wired connection is clearly preferable. A Bluetooth network can be configured easily in the VictronConnect app.
This gives you a clear overview and convenient access to your system at all times.
How do I find the right MPPT charge controller for my modules?
Two values determine which charge controller is suitable – power and voltage.
1. Power limits the number of modules.
Every MPPT has a maximum charging power. The RS 450/100, for example, provides 5.8 kW and can therefore process around 6 kWp of module capacity. Divide the desired module capacity by this value to estimate the number of controllers required.
2. Voltage limits string length.
The open-circuit voltage (Voc) of a module increases significantly in cold conditions. The total voltage of all modules in a string must remain safely below the controller's permitted PV voltage even in winter – for a 450 V device, therefore below 450 V with an appropriate safety margin. This is why modules with lower voltage and higher current are particularly suitable: they allow longer strings.
Calculate precisely: Victron provides a free calculator. Enter the current and voltage data for your module and you can immediately see how many modules are permitted per string.
Download the Victron MPPT calculator
You can find a more detailed explanation in our knowledge base:
How do I find the right Victron MPPT charge controller for my modules?
Unsure about sizing? Contact us – we are happy to check your module/controller combination with you.
Which PV battery storage systems are compatible with a Victron system?
MultiPlus-II and Quattro-II operate with a battery voltage of 48 V. The most important rule follows directly from this: only low-voltage battery storage can be used. High-voltage systems – such as BYD Battery-Box HVS/HVM/HVB, Pylontech FORCE, SolaX T-BAT or Sungrow SBH – cannot be operated with a Victron system, even with additional components.
In addition to voltage, CAN-bus communication is critical: the battery reports its state of charge and permitted charge/discharge limits to the Cerbo GX. Victron maintains an approved compatibility list by product series, so a 48 V battery is not automatically suitable simply because the voltage matches.
Approved products in our range include:
- Pylontech US3000C – 3.5 kWh
- Pylontech US5000 – 4.8 kWh
- BYD B-BOX Premium LVS – 4 kWh per module
All three are modularly expandable. Contact us if you would like to use another battery – we can check compatibility for you.
Should I connect my solar modules to a grid-connected PV inverter or to a charge controller?
Both solutions have clear advantages:
PV inverter (grid-connected):
Ideal if you want to use the generated electricity directly. The inverter converts DC power from the solar modules into AC power that flows directly to your loads.
Charge controller (MPPT):
Charge controllers can achieve excellent efficiency because they only adjust DC voltage to DC voltage and do not need to generate AC power. The stored electricity can later be supplied to your house grid (AC), for example via a MultiPlus inverter.
Combination of both:
Use the best of both worlds – combining a PV inverter and charge controller gives you high flexibility, direct self-consumption and efficient storage of your solar electricity.
What options are available for integrating a PV inverter into my Victron system, and what should I consider?
There are two basic ways to connect a PV inverter to your Victron system:
1. Connection upstream of the MultiPlus (grid-parallel)
The PV inverter is connected directly to the house grid. Victron systems can automatically recognise Fronius and SMA devices; other PV inverters can send their data to the GX device via affordable Victron SmartMeters.
One important point: the PV inverter automatically switches off when the public grid fails, so the battery can no longer be recharged through that PV inverter during the outage.
2. Connection to the AC output of MultiPlus-II (autonomous operation)
The PV inverter is connected directly to the AC output of the battery inverter. MultiPlus-II continuously supplies the PV inverter with power, voltage and frequency, allowing the system to continue operating autonomously even if the public grid fails.
The PV inverter's power rating must not exceed the total power rating of the battery inverter(s). For example, a three-phase PV inverter would not work on the output of a single-phase MultiPlus-II.
Recommendation: If maximum independence and supply security are your priority, we recommend connecting the PV inverter to the MultiPlus-II output. If you want to keep the setup simple and basic battery backup is sufficient, connecting the PV inverter to the house grid is usually the simpler option and avoids size or phase restrictions.
Why do I need to enter values in the VE configuration file (VEConfig) during commissioning, and how does it work?
The VE configuration file defines how your Victron system operates. It helps ensure that the batteries are protected and charged and discharged under the correct conditions, so it is important to enter the correct values during commissioning.
For single-phase systems, VEConfig can be edited remotely via the VRM portal using “VEConfigure”. Open the “Device list” menu and you will find the remote configuration link further down.
For three-phase systems, this one-time configuration is carried out via a network cable connected directly to the device.
VEConfig is also where you set the correct grid code. For grid-parallel systems in Germany, this is typically “DIN VDE AR-N 4105 with internal ENS”. Victron devices are configured for off-grid operation by default.
If you connect the system to the public grid, also install the ESS Assistant (“Energy Storage System”). It automatically controls whether the system uses electricity for self-consumption, feeds it into the grid or charges the batteries.
If you use the popular Pylontech PV batteries, you can find the relevant settings here:
→ Victron & Pylontech settings
What do I need a Lynx Distributor or Lynx Power In for?
The Lynx Distributor is the central DC distribution point in a Victron system. It connects the battery, charge controllers, inverters and other DC devices in a clear and safe way. It includes integrated fuse positions for VE-MEGA fuses and provides four separately fused connection points. Multiple Lynx Distributors can also be connected together, allowing systems of almost any size to be built in a structured and flexible way.
The Lynx Power In is a simpler connection and distribution point without integrated fuses. It offers three connection points and is particularly suitable when external fuses are already installed or for smaller, simpler systems.
For small systems, for example with one battery inverter, a small battery and perhaps an MPPT charge controller, you may be able to operate without Lynx components and connect the devices directly at the battery inverter.
Important: For a clear, safe and expandable installation, we generally recommend the Lynx Distributor. It offers a high level of safety, tidy distribution and flexibility for future expansion.
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As soon as you have sent us all required data and the information indicates that the issue is likely to be a warranty case.