Stop Wasting Solar: How to Make Shore Power the BACKUP on Your Boat | Victron Setup

Stuck in the marina but want to use your boat's solar power first? Tired of paying for shore power while your panels sit idle? In this video, we reconfigure our Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger to PRIORITISE our solar and battery bank, making grid power an automatic, conditional backup. We’ll walk through the two key advanced settings: AC Input Control and Prioritise Other Energy Sources. Learn how to set load and voltage thresholds so your boat runs as an independent "island," only tapping into shore power for heavy tools or when batteries are low. We even do a live test with a vacuum cleaner to show the seamless switchover in action. CHAPTERS: 00:00 The Problem: Shore Power as Default 01:15 The Goal: Solar & Battery as Primary Source 02:30 Accessing Victron Advanced Settings (VE Connect) 04:10 Key Setting #1: AC Input Control (Conditional Connection) 07:25 Setting Load & Voltage Triggers 09:40 Key Setting #2: Prioritise Other Energy Sources 12:15 The Override Button & Charger Behaviour 14:05 REAL-WORD TEST: Vacuum Cleaner Demo 17:00 Benefits: Cost, System Health, & Mindset 18:45 Important Considerations & Trade-offs CREDIT & THANKS: A special thanks to Jason Ellis for the crucial tip that pointed us in the right direction. If you're looking for expert marine electrical advice, you can contact Jason at captjasonellis@gmail.com. USEFUL LINKS ➜ Supporting blog post https://youngbarnacles.com/prioritising-solar-over-shore-power-victron-setup/ ➜ Want to go deeper? Access our detailed composites videos, project files, and community on the Youngbarnacles Members Hub: https://youngbarnacles.com/plans/all-access-memberships/ ➜ Need world-class engineering for your project? Learn more about our professional design and consultancy services at SYAS Performance: https://syasperformance.weebly.com/ ➜ Free Sailing Library: Check out our free guides on composites, systems, and seamanship: https://www.youngbarnacles.com/resources MUSIC YouTube Audio Library ➜ https://www.youtube.com/ SAFETY DISCLAIMER: PROFESSIONAL WORK This video documents professional marine work with significant risk of injury or vessel damage. This is NOT DIY instruction. You are solely responsible for your own safety and actions. We are not liable for any application of this information. Full Disclaimer: https://youngbarnacles.com/website-disclaimer/