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How much solar for Newbie widebeam liveaboard?


antiquearcher

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6 minutes ago, Col_T said:

Er, the picture does not show DC breakers between the panels and the MPPT.

It does on mine.

It even says "DC Breakers in Positive cables"

 

It shows a schematic with a breaker in the 'green line' (between the MPPT and the battery) and another on the red line (between the battery and the Inverter)

 

MPPT-setup-design.png

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

It does on mine.

It even says "DC Breakers in Positive cables"

 

It shows a schematic with a breaker in the 'green line' (between the MPPT and the battery) and another on the red line (between the battery and the Inverter)

I can’t see a breaker between the panels and the controller.... and you don’t mention one either?

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33 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

I can’t see a breaker between the panels and the controller.... and you don’t mention one either?

the only time you need breakers on the panels is if you have multi strings like I do, that according to Midnite anyway

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7 minutes ago, peterboat said:

the only time you need breakers on the panels is if you have multi strings like I do, that according to Midnite anyway

Nobody is talking about “needing” a breaker. Merely that it makes life a bit more convenient when you want to disconnect the panels from the controller.

 

I have one which I use occasionally for a few different reasons.

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1 minute ago, Richard10002 said:

Nobody is talking about “needing” a breaker. Merely that it makes life a bit more convenient when you want to disconnect the panels from the controller.

 

I have one which I use occasionally for a few different reasons.

It does Richard, but in my case I do need them I dont know about you but it was a search for the proper breakers that does over 75 volts DC

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4 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

Nobody is talking about “needing” a breaker. Merely that it makes life a bit more convenient when you want to disconnect the panels from the controller.

I agree :)

 

Otherwise you’ll struggle with blankets and cardboard whenever you need to change anything downstream of the controller. 

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Panels in series are not as good at coping with partial shading, as panels in parallel, it may be better to put two in series and then parallel all the pairs. Panels are DC and DC over 60 V comes under different regulations and over about 100v can make very good electrocution devices. You will need multiple controllers for that amount of power as well.   Put in loads of panels but forget about using electricity to heat water or rooms for most of the year, especially in winter, in summer for a few months the story is different.

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5 hours ago, David Mack said:

I walk on the roof all the time when singlehanding through locks, in order to move between the back of the boat and the lock ladder. Much easier than trying to squeeze along the gunwale between the cabin and the lock wall without smearing wet slime on my clothes. And except for the deepest locks it means my hands only have to grip the clean dry part of the ladder, above the upper water level.

So did I, as a single hander. All the above is true. However, I tried weening myself out of the habit to use the gunnels instead, so that I could consider using the roof space for more solar. It's been working out ok - I do get the occasional slime on me when things are tight, but at least I don't have to worry about slipping off the roof. Slimey ladders on the other hand though.

It's all a compromise!

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1 hour ago, peterboat said:

It does Richard, but in my case I do need them I dont know about you but it was a search for the proper breakers that does over 75 volts DC

Care to share?

You’re not wrong - they are like hens teeth?

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1 hour ago, Detling said:

Panels in series are not as good at coping with partial shading, as panels in parallel, it may be better to put two in series and then parallel all the pairs. Panels are DC and DC over 60 V comes under different regulations and over about 100v can make very good electrocution devices

 

1 hour ago, peterboat said:

It does Richard, but in my case I do need them I dont know about you but it was a search for the proper breakers that does over 75 volts DC

 

So, I'm in trouble with my 120v panels ?

 

On 5/6/16 I was getting 103v at 0.8a out of my panels and going into the MPPT, and 14.7v at 5.9a out of the MPPT

 

 

05-06-16.jpg

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3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

So, I'm in trouble with my 120v panels ?

 

On 5/6/16 I was getting 103v at 0.8a out of my panels and going into the MPPT, and 14.7v at 5.9a out of the MPPT

 

 

05-06-16.jpg

Alan I see 160volts does worry me hence all the correct rates MCBs

27 minutes ago, gbclive said:

Care to share?

You’re not wrong - they are like hens teeth?

Opposite my old garage are some panel builders ,they used to do a lot of DC work, so they gave them me after the best I could find were 120 volts 

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1 hour ago, peterboat said:

It does Richard, but in my case I do need them I dont know about you but it was a search for the proper breakers that does over 75 volts DC

I only have 2 x 245w panels, which I paralleled so can use a breaker that handles up to 45V, (I think that's what it is).

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I'm on a widebeam about the same size as the OP's, not that boat dimensions are really a factor here apart from roof space for solar panels.

 

I have a washing machine and a small dryer, but would never run them off the inverter/batteries. I'd use the generator for that. I'm not sure why anyone would want a dishwasher on a boat but each to their own. I've never liked dishwashers even in houses.

 

I still haven't fitted any solar yet but will fit a couple of panels at some point.

 

Whenever the question of electrical power is posted by people new to boats the premise always seems to be "how can I generate enough power to cover the same requirements as I had on land?" Many seem to think they can live exactly the same power hungry lifestyle off grid as they did on in their flats or houses. The only way to do that on boats as far as I know would be to fit a proper water cooled marine diesel generator at some eyewatering cost (£8-10k).

 

Few newbies come at this from the other angle and ask how they can reduce their power consumption to enable them to live aboard off grid.

 

For me the trick to being off grid is all about reducing one's electrical power consumption. I'm away at the moment running a small gas fridge and the boat has LED lighting. I just use my phone for internet. I'm moving every day and sitting around in the evenings watching about 5 hours of TV (draws about 2 amps including freesat box), and I'm struggling to get the batteries down below 90% each evening. When I woke up this morning the domestics were reading 12.7v. So in theory without moving I could go 4 or 5 days without starting the engine or generator/charger to recharge the batteries. I could do the same in winter as my lights aren't drawing much and I have an instant gas water heater as well as calorifier.

 

The key is the gas fridge. It wouldn't suit everyone but it suits me. When I walk to the local village pub for a pint my boat's not drawing any power from the batteries.

 

If I added solar to this setup it would get even better.

On 16/08/2019 at 14:17, peterboat said:

Why would you want to walk on the roof? 14 years of boat ownership has seen me going on the roof to put centerline ropes on and take them off afterwards

 

I'm on and off the roof all the time. I take it you don't move your boat single-handed?

Edited by blackrose
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3 hours ago, blackrose said:

Whenever the question of electrical power is posted by people new to boats the premise always seems to be "how can I generate enough power to cover the same requirements as I had on land?" Many seem to think they can live exactly the same power hungry lifestyle off grid as they did on in their flats or houses. The only way to do that on boats as far as I know would be to fit a proper water cooled marine diesel generator at some eyewatering cost (£8-10k).

I think boaters tend to use between 70Ah and 120Ah per day, the more frugal obviously at the lower end of the range. When we had an electric monitor thing at home, I think we used about 10kwh to 14kwH per day - gas cooker and gas central heating - so not a huge difference at the upper end of the range.

 

The only things that I dont have on the boat, that I have at home, are the washer and dishwasher, but that is more to do with space and not really needing them, than power. If I had one, or both, I'd run some kind of generating facility when using them..... but this could be engine or portable genny, and wouldnt need to be the inboard one mentioned, (nice to have, not critical).

 

The thread is about solar so the question boils down to how do I provide about 120Ah per day from solar. On a nice reasonably sunny day, (March to September), this can be done with 500w. In the other half of the year, probably 10 times this. There will always be days when the sun doesnt shine enough, so you need something to produce additional capacity.

 

It doesnt seem to be rocket science :) 

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On 16/08/2019 at 07:35, Alan de Enfield said:

Have a start by reading a bit on the Bimble website, I have had some great deals from them, some folk find them 'not so good'.

 

have a flick-around their website.

 

Their prices tend to be competitive, but you may end up buying something that you don't need.

 

I have purchased some of their 2nd hand panels (perfect working order for a fraction of the cost of 'new'

 

https://www.bimblesolar.com/beginnersguide

 

 

These would look to be a bargain :

 

https://www.bimblesolar.com/solar/255w-amerisolar-used

Alan, Nice read with he "Bimble solar" site. Trying to read as much as possible about 12 Volt systems, this was good. Half way through "The boaters Bible to 12 volt" also. Great forum here.

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4 hours ago, jeff thompson said:

Alan, Nice read with he "Bimble solar" site. Trying to read as much as possible about 12 Volt systems, this was good. Half way through "The boaters Bible to 12 volt" also. Great forum here.

Another resource worth a read (not specifically solar or narrow boat) 

 

https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Book-Energy-Unlimited-EN.pdf

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