2. GX opportunity loads

Turn unused solar
into useful energy

On many days, solar panels produce more electricity than is needed right away. GX Opportunity Loads makes sure this surplus isn’t wasted, but directed to flexible loads such as EV chargers, heat pumps, boilers, and cold storage. Included with Venus OS, it increases self-consumption, reduces energy costs, and avoids grid export constraints. All using the Victron setup that’s already there.

  • Included with Venus OS

  • Works on grid-tied, off-grid, and mobile systems

  • Reduces grid-related energy costs

  • Helps to avoid grid export constraints

Where to buy
Downloads & support

  • Runs automatically

    Switches loads the moment there’s surplus.

  • Works with what’s there

    Victron components, Shelly devices, and more to come.

  • Easy to set up

    Configure it once, then let it do its job.

  • Always in control

    Change priorities and settings at any time.

Benefits

More value. Fewer limits.

Even with limited grid export or pressure on an off-grid battery, Opportunity Loads lets surplus solar add up.

Grid-connected systems

Keep profiting, as grid
rules tighten

In many countries, solar power is outgrowing grid capacity, leading to rules that limit export. Opportunity Loads allows home owners and businesses to keep getting value from the energy they generate.

  • Avoid lower export tariffs

    More self-consumption means less frustration about lower grid feed-in prices. Not to mention the export fee that some countries charge.

  • Escape capped grid exports

    Grid operators increasingly cap how much solar can be sent back. Opportunity Loads makes sure it’s used, not lost.

  • Bypass device choking

    Some markets let grid operators access EV chargers, heat pumps, and other devices to limit output and reduce network strain. With Opportunity Loads owners of solar panels can take back control.

Man with a phone leaning on an electric car outside a house with rooftop solar panels

In practice

Where surplus solar works best

EV chargers, water heaters, and other flexible loads can shift when they consume power. This allows them to use surplus solar on top of their normal routine or ahead of time.

  • Charging cable plugged into the charging port of an electric car

    EV charging for less

    EV charging follows its normal routine, while Opportunity Loads adds surplus solar without adding to the electricity bill. If the charger supports dynamic phase switching, a 1-phase session can run when there isn’t yet enough surplus for a 3-phase session. Connecting multiple EV chargers is also possible.

    • Car
    • Van
    • Company fleet
  • Heat pump outside a house on a sunny day

    Making full use of heat pump efficiency

    A heat pump turns each kWh of surplus solar into several kWh of heat, making it one of the most efficient ways to use Opportunity Loads. Depending on the model, it can take instructions directly, be monitored, or switched through a relay.

    • Air heat pump
    • Ground heat pump
  • Refrigeration fans in a cool room

    Using thermal storage as a battery

    Surplus solar is not just about storing energy in a battery. It can also be stored as heat in a hot water tank or boiler, or cold, in a refrigeration system or cool room. Running these on sunny days costs nothing, as the excess power would otherwise go unused.

    • Boiler
    • Immersion heater
    • Cold storage
Hand spraying paint with an air-powered spray gun

From workshop compressor to washing machine

If appliances or equipment can be plugged in, switched, and don’t need power right away, they qualify for Opportunity Loads. Home or business, stationary or mobile, grid-tied or off-grid, the principle stays the same.

  • Workshop equipment
  • Home appliances
  • Ventilation
  • Pumps
  • E-bike charger
  • Grid-tied
  • Off-grid

How it works

The logic behind
Opportunity Loads

Once set up, Opportunity Loads automatically detects surplus solar, then uses it to power the right flexible load at the right time. Here’s how every spare watt is put to work.

Heat pump, water heater, Shelly relays and an EV charger under the Shelly, EEBUS and Node-RED logos

  • Priority list

  • Control

  • Hardware compatibility

  • Surplus detection

Base loads first, flexible loads by priority

Lighting, refrigeration, and other base loads always get power first. Flexible loads, including the battery, are added to a priority list that can be reordered at any time. The algorithm directs power to the next load in line, unless it needs more surplus solar than is currently available. In that case, it will run a smaller load further down the list instead, so surplus energy isn’t wasted.

Active by day, passive by night

The Opportunity Loads algorithm is active during the day, without replacing existing settings. It’s always possible to take back control, switching a Shelly out of ”auto”, or using an EV charger’s manual mode. At night, it steps back completely, so other schedules can run freely. When the sun rises, Opportunity Loads takes over again.

Works with a wide range of equipment

Dedicated EV chargers, and equipment switched through Shelly devices all work directly with Opportunity Loads. The algorithm is also compatible with Node-RED and can read data from heat pumps using the EEBUS protocol, with full control on the way.

Identifies surplus across all PV systems

Opportunity Loads has been designed to detect surplus energy in any type of solar setup. It works with off-grid and grid-tied AC-PVs, even when there’s no direct readout option and grid export is not allowed. In those cases the algorithm will briefly draw from the battery, to determine if solar is still covering it. It can also check whether MPPTs are throttled to confirm surplus in DC-PV systems.

Setting it up

Running in three steps

There’s no need for rewiring, configuration files, or scripting. It only takes three simple settings to run Opportunity Loads on a GX device.

Venus OS on a GX Touch showing the Opportunity Loads device priority list

  1. Add the device

    Connect a Victron EV charger, a Shelly plug, or another device to the GX communication centre, so Venus OS can find it. This can be done manually or via automatic discovery.

  2. Set its power and run time

    Enter what the device can draw when it’s on, and how long it should stay on once it starts. That’s all the algorithm needs to plan around it.

  3. Set the priority

    Once enabled for Opportunity Loads, devices will appear in the priority list. Changing the order determines which one is powered first.

Case study

Two EVs. Two months of charging. 99.9% use of surplus solar.

The Opportunity Loads update for Venus OS was tested on site in Bavaria, Germany. Between 1 April and 31 May 2026, surplus solar covered 799.8 of the 800.9 kWh used by the site’s two EV charging stations. Water and space heating accounted for another 980 kWh, replacing roughly 100 litres of heating oil.

The installation

Cerbo GX, VM-3P75CT grid meter, three MultiPlus-II 48/5000/70-50, fifteen Pylontech US2000C, a SmartSolar MPPT RS 450/200, three SMA SB4000TL-21 inverters, two EV Charging Station 32A NS and a 9 kW controllable immersion heater.

Requirements

Most Victron systems include what is needed

A Victron-based system will usually have the components required to run Opportunity Loads. Check below to see if it does.

  1. A GX device and a Victron inverter/charger

    A supported GX device running Venus OS v3.80 or later, connected to a MultiPlus, MultiPlus-II, Quattro, Quattro-II, Multi RS, Multi RS Solar, Multi RS19 or Multi HS19.

  2. A battery monitor

    The GX device needs a SmartShunt, a BMV Smart, a Lynx Smart BMS, a VE.Bus BMS, or a supported third-party BMS to read the state of charge, before it can direct energy elsewhere.

  3. A Victron MPPT or a third-party PV inverter

    To make sure the GX device can detect surplus solar, it has to connect to a BlueSolar or SmartSolar MPPT, a Multi RS Solar inverter/charger, or a third-party PV inverter.

Monitoring

Complete control from
any device

Get a side-by-side overview of solar production and load consumption in real time. Configure Opportunity Loads, monitor battery status, reserve backup power, and set alerts, from any device. Victron’s management software continues to set the industry standard for system control, locally with Venus OS, and remotely with the VRM portal.

Explore VRM
VRM portal on a laptop, phone and smartwatch next to a Nucleo GX

Ready to turn unused solar into useful energy?

Check the system requirements above and download the Opportunity Loads information deck to get started. Need help? Feel free to ask the nearest Victron installer for advice.

  • In-person advice from a certified Victron specialist, not a call centre.

  • A Dutch family-owned business, leading the way for over 50 years.

  • Quality proven in extreme conditions

Getting you started

Ring-bound Victron Energy booklet titled GX Opportunity Loads manual

GX Opportunity Loads manual

A step-by-step guide to setting up and running this Venus OS function.

Download PDF
Ring-bound Victron Energy booklet titled Opportunity Loads presentation

Opportunity Loads presentation

An introduction to Opportunity Loads for dealers and installers.

Download deck
Victron GX touchscreen showing the Venus OS Brief page
Popular

What's new in Venus OS v3.80

Learn more about the release that brings Opportunity Loads and other updates.

Release notes
Laptop showing the Victron Community forum

Victron Community

Support is always at hand, with our active community of Victron professionals and users.

Go to the forum

Frequently asked questions

My GX device is a few years old. Will it work with Opportunity Loads?

Yes, unless it’s a ColorControl GX or Venus GX, both of which are now discontinued. All other GX devices will run Venus OS v3.80, the free software update that includes Opportunity Loads.

Solar export is already capped here. Does Opportunity Loads still help?

Yes. When export is capped, throttled, or paid less for, any solar that isn’t used on site goes to waste. Opportunity Loads puts surplus solar into a device instead, so it earns its value where it’s generated rather than being capped or sold back at a shrinking rate.

Which loads are worth running on surplus solar?

Any device that can be switched and doesn’t need to run at a specific moment: EV chargers, water heaters, heat pumps, pool pumps, and similar equipment. Loads that need to run immediately or can’t tolerate interruption aren’t a good fit.

What types of devices does Opportunity Loads support?

Shelly devices for switching and EEBUS for monitoring are already supported today. Devices outside those integrations can often still be added through Node-RED. Full EEBUS control, SG-Ready control, and S2, the emerging standard for energy flexibility, are on the way.

Does Opportunity Loads allow two cars to charge at once?

Yes. If the maximum charging power is limited for both chargers, there can be enough surplus to run them at the same time. Otherwise, the priority list applies, and the second car starts charging once the first one is full.

What happens with Opportunity Loads at night?

Opportunity Loads steps back entirely at night, since there’s no surplus solar to manage, so other schedules can take over. It picks up again automatically at sunrise.

Will it run loads off the battery?

No. Opportunity Loads is built to use surplus solar, not to run loads from the battery. Some brief battery use can happen in specific situations, but it isn’t designed as a general battery-powered load management system.

Is Opportunity Loads similar to a home automation system?

No. Opportunity Loads is built to put surplus solar to use, not to replace timers, scheduling, or smart home control.

Can Opportunity Loads run alongside Dynamic ESS?

No. Opportunity Loads directs surplus solar to loads; Dynamic ESS manages energy use and storage around live energy prices. Both operate at a system level, so only one can be active at a time.

Will my car definitely be charged by morning?

Opportunity Loads is opportunistic: it spends what’s spare, when it’s spare, rather than promising a state of charge or a finishing time. If the car needs to be full by seven, put the charger in manual or scheduled mode for that session and the algorithm steps aside.

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