Electronics, batteries and solar panels - advice very much appreciated...

[James H]

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are new to living on a narrowboat. We are going to be continous cruisers and we want to make sure we set up a decent electronics system on the boat. We are complete begginners so any advice is very much welcome.

So I would like to know which are the best solar panels to buy?! Info on batteries etc.

We dont want to be short of electric so we are going for plenty of solar panels, and we have a washing machine to run etc.

 

Any advice on the perfect set up for a 55ft narrowboat is hugly appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

 

James.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Welcome James.

If you aren't on a shore line, then keeping the batteries charged is everything. Read this:

Solar is great in summer, useless in winter. You need to get the batteries charged properly every couple of days at the outside to give them a long life. Otherwise you'll wreck them very quickly. Everyone new to boating seems to do this. Me included. Read up first and maybe you'll be one of the few who don't ! Everyone is surprised at just how long the engine has to be run to get Lead acid batteries fully charged. Everything else is secondary.

 

Jen

Edited December 18, 2019 by Jen-in-Wellies

[howardang]

9 minutes ago, James H said:

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are new to living on a narrowboat. We are going to be continous cruisers and we want to make sure we set up a decent electronics system on the boat. We are complete begginners so any advice is very much welcome.

So I would like to know which are the best solar panels to buy?! Info on batteries etc.

We dont want to be short of electric so we are going for plenty of solar panels, and we have a washing machine to run etc.

 

Any advice on the perfect set up for a 55ft narrowboat is hugly appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

 

James.

Hi and welcome. It may be helpful to say whether you have already purchased a boat or not. If you have, maybe a little more detail about the electrical installation would help to give you more meaningful advice.

 

Howard

Edited December 18, 2019 by howardang

[waterdog]

9 minutes ago, James H said:

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are new to living on a narrowboat. We are going to be continous cruisers and we want to make sure we set up a decent electronics system on the boat. We are complete begginners so any advice is very much welcome.

So I would like to know which are the best solar panels to buy?! Info on batteries etc.

We dont want to be short of electric so we are going for plenty of solar panels, and we have a washing machine to run etc.

 

Any advice on the perfect set up for a 55ft narrowboat is hugly appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

 

James.

Hi James, some more reading here,

 

http://www.tb-training.co.uk/

 

https://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/complete-packages/boat-kits

 

3 minutes ago, howardang said:

Hi and welcome. It may be helpful to say whether you have already purchased a boat or not. If you have, maybe a little more detail about the electrical installation would help to give you more meaningful advice.

 

Howard

this ^

 

more info will help you get better replies as Howard says. Is this for a future boat purchase or have you already got the boat? details of  existing set up will help, i.e. number and type of batteries, inverter type, charger, any generators or travelpower? any other electrical equipment ?

 

Welcome to the bottom of a very steep learning curve

 

 

[MtB]

20 minutes ago, James H said:

Any advice on the perfect set up for a 55ft narrowboat is hugly appreciated.

 

 

The subject it truly VAST so any advice is going to be random and general unless you can describe in detail the set-up you have now, and what about it you feel needs improving.

 

My general advice is as DMR sometimes says. Making your own electricity is easily the most challenging part of living on a boat and CCing. Do not underestimate the sheer amount of learning involved. Take it seriously. 

 

 

[mrsmelly]

If you are " continuously cruising " you will not need any solar. When we continualy cruise as we did again summer b4 last we have no solar fitted, the batteries get fully charged every day whilst cruising ?

[MtB]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

If you are " continuously cruising " you will not need any solar. When we continualy cruise as we did again summer b4 last we have no solar fitted, the batteries get fully charged every day whilst cruising ?

 

And so we immediately get down into the detail. 

 

If by being a 'continuous cruiser' you mean actually cruising at least three or four hours a day then I agree with Tim. If on the other hand you mean what most liveaboards mean by it, i.e. mooring up for 13 days then moving three miles and mooring another 13 days, solar is essential and a no-brainer not to have.

 

 

[waterdog]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

If you are " continuously cruising " you will not need any solar. When we continualy cruise as we did again summer b4 last we have no solar fitted, the batteries get fully charged every day whilst cruising ?

Yeah But...….

 

If you find a nice spot and want to stay for a few days then solar means you don't  need to run the engine.

[Tony Brooks]

After working out how to keep the batteries as fully charged as possible for as long as possible probably the next most important advice is to never ever consider any form of heating that relies on electricity to produce the actual heat whilst running on batteries. This includes things like immersion heaters, electric space heating, washing machine heaters etc. IF and only if your charging system can provide the full electrical demands when the engine is running, probably at 1200 rpm plus, then things like the washing machine heater, toasters, microwaves etc. can be used while the engine is powering them and not the batteries.

 

There is probably a 90% chance that you will destroy your first few sets of batteries by over discharging and under charging so install some battery monitoring equipment and learn how to use it and its shortcomings. I get by with a quality ammeter and voltmeter. That way you can get a good idea about  when and how long you need to charge your batteries for and when they need charging ASAP. I would also suggest that until you get your head around battery management you just buy wet open cell batteries. You will destroy expensive fancy batteries just as fast as cheap ones whie you learn

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, waterdog said:

Yeah But...….

 

If you find a nice spot and want to stay for a few days then solar means you don't  need to run the engine.

Yes, I think you all know what I meant hence the glasses. Mike is also right, it is awesome in the summer for most people, I used to have it. It is true to say though its not needed if move most/every day. Its impossible to have too much solar innitt.

[peterboat]

4 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Yes, I think you all know what I meant hence the glasses. Mike is also right, it is awesome in the summer for most people, I used to have it. It is true to say though its not needed if move most/every day. Its impossible to have too much solar innitt.

You are right Tim 4.6 kw and I could do with more!! I have bought a VAWT to make up for the missing solar in winter

[James H]

3 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Welcome James.

If you aren't on a shore line, then keeping the batteries charged is everything. Read this:

Solar is great in summer, useless in winter. You need to get the batteries charged properly every couple of days at the outside to give them a long life. Otherwise you'll wreck them very quickly. Everyone new to boating seems to do this. Me included. Read up first and maybe you'll be one of the few who don't ! Everyone is surprised at just how long the engine has to be run to get Lead acid batteries fully charged. Everything else is secondary.

 

Jen

Thanks Jen for those links. Very informative. I'm starting to build an idea of what I'll need now. May be worth having a small gene rather than running the engine for the winter months. I am hoping in summer we can get by mostly on solar.

[gbclive]

Top tip?

Read each and every reply you get carefully, then try to answer each and every question that is asked.

Progress will then be made efficiently

Failure to do this inevitably results in some inappropriate advice and eventually some frustration.

Good luck?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

4 minutes ago, gbclive said:

Read each and every reply you get carefully, then try to answer each and every question that is asked.

All right, I'll go first.

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, James H said:

Thanks Jen for those links. Very informative. I'm starting to build an idea of what I'll need now. May be worth having a small gene rather than running the engine for the winter months. I am hoping in summer we can get by mostly on solar.

Remember that if by "a small gene" you mean  a portable petrol unit you immediately get into Boat Safety Scheme, basic safety and possibly insurance complications.