Victron Energy released Venus OS v3.80 firmware for the entire GX device range on 22 September 2026. The version introduces GX Opportunity Loads, a flexible load manager that shifts deferrable consumption into PV surplus windows, and adds the EEBUS stack for native readout of heat pumps and EV chargers with no dedicated meter.
GX Opportunity Loads: priority-based surplus management
The GX energy coordinator continuously evaluates four variables: instantaneous PV production, battery bank charging requirements, site consumption and available inverter/charger capacity, along with grid status. From that balance it determines the actual surplus power and allocates it to the declared flexible loads, following the priority order set by the installer.
Unlike a fixed-threshold relay automation, the allocation is dynamic: if the surplus drops, the coordinator reduces or withdraws power from lower-priority loads before compromising battery charging. Use cases covered by the manufacturer: EV charging with current modulation, domestic hot water and thermal storage, pool and filtration pumps, charging of battery-powered equipment and, in general, any switchable AC load with power metering.
Requirements and limitations to check before offering it
- Interface: requires the new GX UI. The feature is not available on the classic interface.
- Switching hardware: currently supports the Victron EV Charging Station and Shelly devices with power metering (Plus Plug S, Pro 1PM, Pro 4PM and equivalents).
- Metering is mandatory: Shelly units without a built-in meter are not valid. The algorithm needs per-load power feedback to close the control loop.
- Mutually exclusive with Dynamic ESS: Opportunity Loads and Dynamic ESS cannot both be active on the same system. On installations with a dynamic tariff already optimised by DESS, a decision has to be made on which strategy prevails.
Customer expectations should be framed accordingly: the feature raises the self-consumption ratio without extending the array or the storage bank, but its performance depends on genuinely deferrable loads being present and properly instrumented.
EEBUS: native integration of heat pumps and EV charging
Venus OS v3.80 adds support for the European EEBUS standard for native readout of compatible heat pumps and EV chargers. The appliance announces itself on the local network and reports its consumption directly to the GX, so a separate energy meter per appliance is no longer required in order to represent it on the energy diagram.
In practice this removes hardware, wiring and a point of failure in boards that previously had to accommodate an additional meter for each heat pump or charging circuit.
Interface: portrait mode on the Remote Console
The Remote Console rotates into portrait mode and reflows the interface into a single column. The improvement had already been prepared on the application side: VictronConnect v6.40 shipped portrait mode support pending this Venus OS release. For field work it means reviewing a system from a phone without rotating the handset or zooming in.
Marine package: GX Boat Page with range estimates
The GX Boat Page adds range estimates, calculated from instantaneous propulsion consumption and the energy available in the batteries. Temperature data, regeneration information and shore power status have also been added.
On the integration side, the GX device now receives inbound NMEA2000 alarms raised by other equipment on board, and the Signal K integrations have been updated. Together these reinforce the use of the GX as the vessel's central display rather than purely as an electrical system monitor.
Other relevant additions
- GX Switch pane: broader Shelly device support and the addition of indicators, to reflect the status of every switched item.
- Secure EVCS pairing: new password-free pairing method between the EV Charging Station and the GX device, complementing the support already introduced in VictronConnect v6.40.
- Bluetooth: direct readout of VE.Bus BMS NG and Small BMS NG, and the use of a Shelly as a range extender to widen Bluetooth coverage on large installations.
- Node-RED: event logging, virtual indicators, hysteresis control and new virtual devices, widening custom automation options without resorting to external integrations.
Update procedure
The recommended route is the online update from Settings → Firmware → Online updates, reachable from the device's local display or remotely through the VRM portal. The device downloads, installs and reboots unattended; the full cycle completes in a few minutes.
For units without internet access, updating from a file on a USB stick or microSD card remains available. The full procedure, including scheduled automatic updates, is documented in section 9, Firmware Updates, of the GX device manual.
Recommendations for the installed base:
- Schedule the update with generation available and the battery bank at a high state of charge, never during a grid incident.
- On critical installations (off-grid, medical backup, vessel under way), stagger the rollout and update with physical access to the equipment.
- If an incident occurs during the process, do not remove power: the GX retains the previous image and allows a rollback from Settings → Firmware → Previous version.
- The update menu only offers the version to supported models, so there is no risk of installing an incompatible image.
For compatibility queries on a specific installation or support during rollout, the Techno Sun technical department is available to distributors and installers.
Venus OS v3.80: GX Opportunity Loads, EEBUS and marine improvements