Venus OS 3.80 for Cerbo GX – Smarter energy management and new features for boat owners

Victron Energy has released Venus OS 3.80, an update that includes several long-awaited improvements for Cerbo GX and other GX devices. The focus is on smarter energy management, improved user experience and new features for both marine and real estate installations. The most notable news is GX Opportunity Loads, but boat owners also get several interesting improvements.

GX Opportunity Loads – use solar energy smarter

The big news in Venus OS 3.80 is GX Opportunity Loads. This feature allows Cerbo GX to automatically use excess energy from the solar panels to power selected loads instead of exporting the energy to the grid.

The system continuously monitors:

• Solar production
• Battery charge level
• Current energy consumption
• Available inverter capacity

When surpluses occur, Cerbo GX can automatically activate, for example:

• Electric car charging
• Water heater
• Pool pumps
• E-bike charger
• Other controllable AC consumers

The result is higher self-consumption of produced solar electricity and better economy in the system. The function supports, among others, Victron EV Charging Station and several Shelly devices with built-in energy measurement.

Major improvements for boat owners

For marine installations, Venus OS 3.80 introduces several improvements to the popular GX Boat Page.

Now displayed, among other things:

• Estimated range
• Temperature information
• Shore power status
• Information about regenerative charging

For electric or hybridized boats, this provides an even better overview of the status of the energy system and how far you can actually drive with available energy.

Cerbo GX can now receive NMEA 2000 alarms

A particularly interesting piece of news for boat owners is that the GX unit can now receive incoming alarms from the NMEA 2000 network. This allows important information from connected systems to be presented directly in the Victron interface.

This means better integration between battery systems, navigation equipment and other NMEA 2000 components on board.

Improved use via mobile phone

Remote Console has gained support for Portrait Mode, which allows the user interface to automatically adapt to landscape or portrait screens.

For users who often monitor their facility via phone, this means a significantly smoother experience with better overview and easier navigation.

Extended Bluetooth features

Bluetooth capabilities have also been improved in Venus OS 3.80. The system now supports direct reading from:

• VE.Bus BMS NG
• SmallBMS NG

In addition, there is the option to use compatible Shelly devices as Bluetooth extenders to increase range in larger installations.

Improvements for advanced users

For users who build their own automations via Node-RED, the update contains several new features:

• Event logging
• Virtual indicators
• Hysteresis control
• New virtual devices

The Signal K integration has also been updated and improved.

Summary

Venus OS 3.80 is one of the major updates for Cerbo GX in recent times. For solar systems, GX Opportunity Loads is the biggest news and can contribute to higher self-consumption and better energy economy. For boat owners, the update mainly means an improved Boat Page, support for incoming NMEA 2000 alarms and a better overview of energy consumption and range.

If you are already using Cerbo GX, the update is highly recommended, especially if you want to get even more out of your Victron system and take advantage of the new integration possibilities.