Sailboat Power

[D_e_n_n_i_s]

Sunking - Great to hear from you !! I completely cracked up when I read your "So you Want To Go Off-Grid Battery" article - so hysterical because it's so true. I suspect that folks reading about 6-8 West Marine MasterVolt 8D batteries have no idea what they cost. For me, it's not about cost savings, but convenience to have electricity while I take my home around the world with me ... I'm looking for that kind of cold-hard-facts approach about how to connect everything up - put gently to me though ...

Yep, JEA is a LOT cheaper than going solar, but again I really do realize the costs - or, at least, what I've priced out with 6-8 Kyocera 300 watt solar panels, MPPT controllers (figuring 1 per panel at this point), 6-8 MasterVolt Super 8D batteries, am bracing for outrageous wiring costs to get the gauge marine wiring I'll want to have ... oh yeah, so true. Hec, the pair of DuoGen Industrial wind generators were $6K, just dropped $5500 on an Aries windvane shipping out next week ... I'd be happy to go back to each week thinking that BOAT meant Bring Out Another Thousand ... those were the good old days .. lol

I know you're very knowledgeable about all this stuff since I've seen your name for years and I seem to recall it was in various forums unless my mind is going too these days ... What do you think is the best way to hook all this stuff up, given the fact that I'm willing to spend the bucks to make it happen ?? Thanks !!

[Sunking]

I've looked into diesel generators (you don't want a gas generator onboard as diesel is MUCH safer) and even the VERY expensive ones that are highly efficient would be very expensive to use for powering A/C or Heat overnight - Figure 10 hours/night and not only is it ridiculously expensive (ignoring the purchase price), but replenishing the diesel would be a huge issue.

Wait until you figure out how expensive solar will be. Diesel will be a lot less expensive, not to mention you will need another boat to tow around to carry all the panels and batteries.

[D_e_n_n_i_s]

Mike90250 - Thanks for the quick reply !!

I will have a high-power alternator on the engine if I absolutely must put a charge on the batteries and will also have a pair of DuoGen wind generators, but I have already replaced my bow lights with an LED they make that replaces the standard bulb without replacing the whole fixture and have done the same thing to my stern light. I will do the same for all of my running and anchor lights. Just one 8D battery could power all of these small LED lights for years without a charge so that should not be an issue for me.

I've looked into diesel generators (you don't want a gas generator onboard as diesel is MUCH safer) and even the VERY expensive ones that are highly efficient would be very expensive to use for powering A/C or Heat overnight - Figure 10 hours/night and not only is it ridiculously expensive (ignoring the purchase price), but replenishing the diesel would be a huge issue.

Most people don't buy enough batteries to be fully self-sufficient, but I've done some serious power takeoffs and based on my numbers am putting a lot of money into buying many batteries. I plan to never let them drop below 50% charge and the 35% charge over that should be quicker than the final 15%, but I should have plenty of charging capability available to fully charge them, preferably before putting them back into the mix for "house" power.

I'm really trying to understand the best way to hook up solar panels through MPPT controllers and how that when these are connected in different configurations how they interact and how to prevent them from sensing the other loads and/or prevent impacting charging and so that the batteries are always protected !! With different banks of batteries, multiple solar panels, multiple MPPT controllers, not to mention the wind generators (wind generators don't benefit from MPPT controllers the way that solar panels do so these will be hooked up with a load diverter instead for safety), I want to understand how best to hook everything up.

[Mike90250]

...
- I will not have a generator onboard, but will have an inverter to provide power for ....

Plan on buying a new set of batteries every year.

At night you have to have running/anchor lights, and in a cloudy week with no solar, you will murder the batteries.
Please consider even a small honda eu1000 to power a backup battery charger. Yes, there are gasoline storage issues, but they can be dealt with. At some point dead batteries will not boot up the solar charger, and then you are goner.

[D_e_n_n_i_s]

I've been digging through posts trying to get a handle on MPPT controllers, how they vary voltage to put the most amps into batteries as efficiently as possible as well as high quality solar panels that I'm hoping can stand up to the harsh marine environment of sailing at sea. I'm hoping for some thoughts and guidance as I'm very new to this, but about to outfit my sailboat soon for a circumnavigation and would like to add a serious solar panel array to my pair of DuoGen wind generators. I'd like to be totally self-sufficient with just the solar panels and not consider any additional input from the wind generators other than how to hook the two systems together so that the MPPT controllers don't sense the additional load and cause inaccurate charging so that I always protect my batteries.

Power for all needs on a 50 ft. sailboat:
- I will have a total of between 6-8 MasterVolt AGM Super 8D batteries installed soon (12-volt, 270AH each)
- I’m considering purchasing 6-8 Kyocera 300 watt solar panels (or larger as this changes quickly) to provide ample solar charging for these batteries based on my power consumption (1 panel per battery)
- I’m considering purchasing 6-8 Morningstar TS-MPPT-45 controllers (1 for each panel at this point), some other MPPT controller, less than 6-8 if possible?
- I will not have a generator onboard, but will have an inverter to provide power for a few A/C needs, but most items are D/C

Configuration:
1. Multiple battery banks to pull batteries out of the mix for house power until they are charged (Batteries prevented from dropping below 50% charge)
2. Charging can happen for batteries both in and out of the mix for house power
3. I’m willing to shell out bucks for heavy gauge wiring to provide a wider range of voltage for the MPPT controllers to facilitate charging from panels to batteries

What is the best way to hook up multiple panels and multiple MPPT controllers to create an ideal system?