Power

Know what your battery is doing

"It says 12.8 volts" is not an answer to "can I make coffee in the morning?" A percentage, a live current and a time remaining are - and there is more than one way to get them.

Which route suits you depends on what is already in the van, so start there rather than with our product names.

The SavvyVan3 power management screen showing 100 percent state of charge, a usage history graph, and live figures of 0.06 amps, 13.22 volts and 0.8 watts

Three ways to see it, in order of cost

Every panel does the first one already. Which of the others you need comes down to what is in the van - and two of the three cost you nothing.

  1. Already fitted

    The built-in voltage sensor

    Included with every panel

    Every SavvyVan3 reads battery voltage on its own, with nothing added. You get a voltage and a rough sense of where you stand.

    The catch. Voltage is a decent guide on lead acid. On lithium it barely moves until the end, so it tells you very little until it tells you everything at once.

    Fine if you mostly stay on hook-up and your battery is lead acid.

  2. No extra hardware

    Straight from the battery

    Free, if your battery is one of eight brands

    Fogstar, Roamer, LithiumPro, Teconnex, Skyenergi, TN Power, Titan and Koven batteries report themselves over wireless. The panel reads state of charge, current and voltage from the battery’s own management system - and, unlike a shunt, what each cell is doing.

    The catch. Only these brands. If your battery is something else, this route is not open to you - and there is nothing to fit to make it open.

    The obvious choice if you already own one, and a real reason to pick one if you are still choosing.

    See which batteries

  3. Works with anything

    A SavvyShunt

    From £120

    A shunt sits on the battery negative and counts every amp in and out, four times a second. That turns a voltage reading into a measured percentage, with history and time remaining behind it.

    The catch. It has to be wired in, and it must be the only thing on the battery negative - every load and every charger moves to the other side of it.

    The answer for AGM, lead acid, and any lithium battery that does not report itself.

    See the SavvyShunt

The difference on screen

Same panel, same page - what changes is how much it has to work with.

The SavvyVan3 sidebar with no battery source paired: a green battery icon filled to the level of the reading, and 13.3v underneath
Voltage only. What every panel shows on its own: a voltage, and a rough visual of where the battery stands.
The SavvyVan3 battery dial with a shunt paired: a segmented blue ring reading 87 percent, and 8.6 A with a green charging arrow underneath
With a shunt or a supported battery. A measured percentage, what is going in or out right now, and time left at that rate. Tap it for history.

Batteries that need no shunt

These report themselves to the panel over wireless. Nothing to buy, nothing to wire - pair the battery and the numbers appear. You also get to see what each cell inside the pack is doing, which a shunt cannot show you.

  • Fogstar

    The panel reads the battery itself - state of charge, current and voltage - so there is no shunt to buy or fit. If the pack is locked with a PIN, the panel asks for it and remembers it; there is no need to remove the password first.

    Fogstar setup guide

  • Roamer

    Reads the battery directly, no shunt needed. It appears in the pairing list with a name beginning ROAM.

    Roamer setup guide

  • LithiumPro

    Reads the battery directly, no shunt needed. It appears in the pairing list with a name beginning LPE.

    LithiumPro setup guide

  • Teconnex

    Reads the battery directly, no shunt needed. It appears in the pairing list with a name beginning TXP.

    Teconnex setup guide

  • Skyenergi

    Reads the battery directly, no shunt needed. It appears in the pairing list beginning SK12 or SK24, depending on your system voltage.

    Skyenergi setup guide

  • TN Power

    Reads the battery directly, no shunt needed. It appears in the pairing list with a name beginning TN-LFP.

    TN Power setup guide

  • Titan

    Reads the battery directly, no shunt needed. It appears in the pairing list with a name beginning Titan.

    Titan setup guide

  • Koven

    Reads the battery directly, no shunt needed. It appears in the pairing list with a name beginning DP04S rather than the brand name, which catches people out - that is your battery.

    Koven setup guide

Not on the list? A SavvyShunt works with any battery - lithium, AGM or lead acid, on 12V or 24V. See also everything else SavvyVan works with.

Still not sure which you need?

Tell us what battery is in the van and we will tell you - including when the answer is "nothing, you are already covered".

See the SavvyShunt Ask us

Questions people ask

Do I need a shunt if I have a Fogstar or Roamer battery?
No. Fogstar, Roamer, LithiumPro, Teconnex, Skyenergi, TN Power, Titan and Koven batteries report state of charge, current and voltage to the panel directly over wireless, so a shunt may add more accuracy but is a choice. Use one or the other, never both.
Can I fit more than one shunt?
No. A SavvyVan3 system uses one battery source: one SavvyShunt or one direct battery connection. The panel blocks a second source and names the one already paired.
What does the panel show without a shunt or a supported battery?
Battery voltage, and a rough visual of where you stand. Every panel has a built-in voltage sensor. It cannot show a true percentage, time remaining or current - measuring those needs a shunt or a battery that reports itself.