General Info: Mounting solar panels

[Scottster]

And the mount to the boat


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[jbinbi]

Well, I started this thread last Nov, and my solar install is now almost done. The biggest issue was how to mount this, and now after doing it, I can now do it again for probably half the effort and cost! And probably better.

My boat is a new Lagoon 380, in retrospect, if I had the choice of having lagoon do it, I probably would have, but that wasn't an option for me as I purchased a boat already here in the states.

The conclusion I came to was to use brackets that mount to the davits, see the picture below. These are made by lagoon, and are used for their mounting. Unfortunately, lagoon uses older ineffecient panels, they need 3 panels to get what I get with 2.

The first picture is just the mounts on the davit running along the top of them.

The second picture is a frame welded up from aluminum. It was made from 3/16" L bracket, with a T running down the middle to hold each panel.

Two 1/4" T bars are running across the mounts to attach. The mounts came pre drilled, the holes are 22.625" apart.

Unfortunately, the 380 has the traveller across the back of the boat and not up on the bimini. So the length from the back of the brackets to the traveller is very short, and I limited this to being 8" to make sure the traveller can clear the frame (i am still worried about this, I have yet to really sail the boat with the frame on). The panels themselves are 66", which means I have more than 50% of the panel un supported by a cross bar. So some filets were added to provide some support.

Only have 1 panel on, need to get the other one from my shop. The panel when bolted in strengthens the frame, so a bit worried about sailing this week with only 1, but will see how it goes.

I did hook up the panel and tested it about 7pm, controller was saying about 2A out. The panel should put out about 22 at 14V in full direct sunlight, so don't know if this 7pm reading is good or not. Will post more after I get back to the boat. Hope someone can learn from what I did.

[careka]

this is what i made for our 380 Lagoon 380 Careka: Victron

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by JPS31

Hello
Please find the installation for 4 solar pannels at the same height than roof (when you put them on the davits, you do not see the sea anymore in the cockpit...) for a L400S2
Picture and mechanical drawings attached

BR

I like this installation. Adds up to 800 W, which is what i believe will suffice for our full time on board.

I currently have 2 x 180W panels & 2 victron 70/15 controllers. New installation would have 4 solar panels, and I am researching idea to have 4 controllers, 1 for each panel. In my solar newbie view, this should be more efficient & great redundancy & can add extra 2 panel installation based on existing working template.

One thing that bothers me: why all installations posted here have 2 controllers only ? Why not each panel its own ?

Anyone ?

[jbinbi]

Op here. I have 2 panels and the controllers. But my controllers are $110 each. If I was getting higher end controllers I would have only gotten 1. Each om controllers really only handles 20 a. My panels are 280, or 20a at 14v. So a good start. But this thread I started about how to mount panels on cats, I had another thread, and there are lots in the electronics forum about solar configurations.

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[PaulinOz]

One thing that bothers me: why all installations posted here have 2 controllers only ? Why not each panel its own ?

In my case each controller just shy of $1K AUD did not want to pay for six when 2 will do the job just fine.

[arsenelupiga]

ok thanks i get it. 1 controller will handle say 3 panels better than 3 smaller controllers, 1 per panel.

sorry for the drift.

[tuskie]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

One thing that bothers me: why all installations posted here have 2 controllers only ? Why not each panel its own ?

Anyone ?

We have 3 controllers, just to be different.

The 3 X 30A Powerteck MPPT controllers were cheaper than one 80A beastie.
Cheaper, added redundancy and the 3 circuits give less drop if partially shaded. More wires though.

[jbinbi]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

ok thanks i get it. 1 controller will handle say 3 panels better than 3 smaller controllers, 1 per panel.

sorry for the drift.

nope. 1 controller just makes it easier to wire.

For me the electronics was the easy part, the hard part was physically mounting it.

[Mike OReilly]

Our setup includes four panels (400 watts total), wired in parallel, all going to one controller. It's the controller that came with our windmill (Spreco Silentwind, 400 watt). I don't even know what kind of controller it is, but so far seems to manage things just fine.


Why go fast, when you can go slow

[Singleprop]

Thread drift:

Your 400W controller from Spreco might have been replaced with this version:

Shenzhen Huaxiao Technology Co.,Ltd.-High-tech company

[careka]

Originally Posted by careka

this is what i made for our 380 Lagoon 380 Careka: Victron

Well we sail with it from 2014 until may 2017, on our way home from Carib/BVI the davits broke, returned to Nanny Cay and got it welded back on.
and we returened to Norway.
But. i want more solar .. so
So now i want to make a Targa and put al solar panels up on it leave the Davits to just hold the dinghy.
Has anyone nice pictures of there targa ? on the 380.