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  • New boat installation

    Hi there,

    New to the forum, seeking some expert advice on a solar installation for a boat I am turning into a family home.

    Some background: My partner and I and our small baby already live on a small narrowboat, we love it, but want more space for our baby, and in order to expand the family in the future. Current boat has a 12v system, with 345AH battery bank, and 330w of solar, this is enough power during 6 months of the summer, and we have a small suitcase generator to top it up in the darker months. For a few months in the winter we turn the fridge off and keep food outdoors.

    In order to expand, we have bought a 50' dutch barge, along with a mooring. It is currently an empty shell, so we can make all the decisions about electrical system, devices etc. The new boat has no engine, so will remain in the same place permanently. The only issue with this is the large oak tree which leaves us in shadow between about 12 and 4pm. I have done a preliminary power audit, and (over estimating) would like to use about 100AH (@12v) per day.

    Now, I have read through this forum a bit, and learnt that 12v is not the most efficient place to be. So I am happy to 'get out of the box', and install a 24v system, my power requirements therefor become 50AH per day.

    I am thinking I will use 6v deep cycle batteries (I'll take advice...)

    Big thoughts are on how to configure the solar to work with the shadow of the tree, and before anyone get's clever and starts making suggestions involving chainsaws, this is what i have to do. I have to make a system that will work with this tree. It is a beautiful tree, many hundreds of years old, far more important than me wanting to charge my phone or get a cold beer from the fridge.

    * My thinking is to have three pv arrays, each routed through it's own MPPT. One focussed for the early morning sun (we get direct line of sight from the horizon), one focussed for late morning/midday sun, and one focussed for late afternoon, once the sun reappears from behind the tree.
    * I assume that the late morning one will generate the most energy. Is there a logic to oversizing this one, or undersizing???
    * In winter the afternoon array will get no sun.
    * Of course I am happy to keep running genny...
    * In order to be able to use 50AH, I have to figure on putting back 60AH.

    Really interested to hear your thoughts on sizing, controller configuration, what sort of kit I should use etc etc.

  • #2
    Much depends on the size of panels you get, and what their output voltage Vmp is. At the least, to enable a MPPT to work for battery EQ, you need about 40V Vmp (50-60V would be better though) to have enough voltage overhead, to insure the controller has enough to control.

    Otherwise, getting panels with 32v Vmp would be "just OK" using a PWM controller. But --

    >> I have done a preliminary power audit, and (over estimating) would like to use about 100AH (@12v) per day.

    Wow, Thats going to make it tough. 1200wh daily, @ 3 hours, would need 400w of harvest, in sun. Sadly, morning and evening hours contain very little energy to harvest.
    (going to talk in watt hours, not volts-amps) Your power rich noon hours, are thwarted by a tree. Just need more panels, or float a "raft" with an array and power cord into the sun,
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

    Comment


    • #3
      Hahaha. Yes I had thought of floating a raft, but as we are on a bit of river which has fairly heavy traffic in the summer, and can flood in the winter, I am not sure it'd work. I have also considered climbing the tree and mounting panels above the top of the canopy...

      No, realistically the only place I can put panels is on the boat.

      "Sadly, morning and evening hours contain very little energy to harvest"

      Are you saying you don't think my idea of morning and evening facing arrays is not worthwhile? Or just that they will yield less?

      Comment


      • #4
        they will yield a LOT less. Try shifting your current panels for a day or 3 and measure how that works out.
        And with a little one, you are going to increase your power budget, but you figured that already.
        Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
        || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
        || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

        solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
        gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

        Comment

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