We review VRM load profiles, check PowerAssist and AC input settings, analyse which appliances are causing the overload, and recommend the most cost-effective fix — load shedding, reconfiguration, or upgrade.
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When my GivEnergy battery started playing up it became basically useless and several companies I called said they couldn’t help. Solar Tech Support really knew their stuff, communicated very well and resolved the problem quickly. Without them I’d have had to buy a replacement battery.
My Givenergy system went offline, so I lost control of it. Ron from STS and Craig from Norfolk Solar were most helpful in diagnosing the problem by phone. Full marks for their patience and ability.
I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration. So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.
We reached out to Solar Technical Support after our solar energy system stopped working. As GivEnergy 'solar orphans,' we have been extremely pleased with the service from STS - our system was back up and working within a day of us contacting them. We found other solar engineers reluctant or unable to help us, so it has been great to find this organisation. We would definitely use them again and would recommend them to anyone, especially GivEnergy orphans!
Had issues with 10yr+ installation. 1 inverter going into alarm mode, unable to access monitoring apps and wanted someone to review and document worthiness of the 2 systems I have. As you will find with older systems, the original installers have moved on, other companies only want to replace and install new, or make up silly prices as they don't want the work, so struggling for 18 month plus trying to source someone to do this. Ronald managed to fit me in the day after contact as he was in the area. Spent a couple of hours on site, found issue with the inverter alarm and he monitoring this to find a total solution, got me back onto the monitoring apps, provided a report on the installations and identified potential areas of concern. These are the people you need for diagnostic reviews of your installations, long term industry professionals, who have a wealth of knowledge gained through working in the industry, know the differing systems and how to contact and approah the companies involved. These are the people you need if you are having issues with installers and / or product and/or supply companies.
Absolutely wonderful. Would recommend without hesitation. I had an issue I was thinking would never be fixed and they fixed it. Help, advice and support every step of the way. I can't recommend highly enough. Thank you so much ⭐
Overload vs. short-circuit. A Victron overload shutdown is not the same as a short-circuit trip. Overload means the load exceeds the inverter's continuous VA rating over a sustained period — seconds to minutes. Short-circuit protection is instantaneous and indicates a wiring fault. If the MultiPlus trips instantly the moment a circuit is switched on, check for a short on that circuit rather than following these overload diagnostics.
An overload shutdown protects the MultiPlus from thermal damage. The inverter shuts down, waits for a cool-down period, and then attempts to restart. If the load is still too high, it shuts down again — creating a frustrating cycle. These steps identify the root cause and fix it.
VRM logs every overload event with the exact power draw at the moment of shutdown. Navigate to the alarm log and find the overload entries:
Check the VRM power graph for the 5 minutes before each overload event. Look for the characteristic ramp-up pattern — a steady baseline load plus a sudden step when the offending appliance switches on.
Every MultiPlus and Quattro has two ratings — understanding the difference is critical:
The surge rating handles motor startup currents — fridge compressors, pumps, power tools — for a few seconds only. Any load running for more than 5 seconds counts as continuous. If your sustained load exceeds the continuous rating, the inverter will overheat and shut down. The shutdown is not instant — it builds over seconds to minutes depending on how far above the limit you are.
VA is not the same as watts. Most domestic appliances have a power factor near 1.0, so VA ≈ watts. But motors and some lighting have lower power factors, meaning they draw more VA than their wattage suggests.
If your system has grid input (hybrid mode), PowerAssist lets the MultiPlus supplement grid power with battery power during peak demand:
PowerAssist only applies to grid-connected or generator-connected systems. Pure off-grid systems with no AC input must rely entirely on the inverter's own continuous rating.
Sometimes the overload happens below the nameplate rating — two common causes:
If the unit trips at loads well below its rating, check the internal temperature first. A dusty or blocked air intake is a surprisingly common cause in systems installed for more than 2 years.
If the load genuinely exceeds capacity, you need either load management or a hardware upgrade:
Electric showers (7–10.5kW) cannot be run from any single Victron inverter in a pure off-grid setup. Either install a gas/LPG shower or use a parallel MultiPlus configuration with a minimum combined rating of 12kVA.
The UK has some of the highest domestic appliance wattages in the world. A standard UK kettle draws 3000W — double the typical wattage in countries with 120V supplies. Electric showers run at 7000–10500W. Immersion heaters are 3000W. These appliances were designed for unlimited grid power, not for inverter-supplied off-grid systems. When homeowners move to off-grid or hybrid Victron setups, they often expect to run every appliance exactly as before — and the maths simply doesn't work on a 3000VA or even 5000VA inverter.
The solution is not always a bigger inverter. Load awareness is the most cost-effective fix. Understanding which appliances draw the most power and staggering their use avoids the need for expensive hardware upgrades. For systems where high loads are unavoidable, Victron's parallel capability — running two or more MultiPlus units on the same VE.Bus network — provides a scalable upgrade path without replacing the original hardware.
Tell us your load profile and MultiPlus-II model. We'll review your PowerAssist settings, AC input limit, and load data to identify what's causing the overload and how to prevent it.
Due to unprecedented demand we’re currently only carrying out on-site work in Yorkshire, and replies are taking up to 7 days. Remote diagnostics continue for the whole UK as normal.
Every message is read and answered, so please don’t send it twice; that only slows the queue.
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