Biggest Solar Panels...

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Rohan

Again, I think you have that reversed. In parallel, why would one panel dump charge into another one? They are all feeding power independently. It's in series that the power is running across one panel to another.

In my own experience, I wired my panels in series, didn't like the results I was getting, and this forum recommended I switch to parallel. The results were dramatically better.

Respectfully, you are wrong. I am an EE but not good in explaining. All the big arrays are in series.

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by odonnellryan

Another thought, I have used "flying" solar panels to great success. Flexible panels with extra wire that you lash down to your boat when you need them. You can tie them up basically anywhere on your boat, including the sides of your arch, and you can throw them around on passage, easily move them, etc..

I designed my arch system to accept two such panels, but consider what happens with parallel vs series wiring and solar to make sure you're not destroying your efficiency!

It's a great way to get another 600w (with just two). And you can position them to kinda-sorta be at a good angle towards the sun.

Brand, not sure: do your research. One thing is important: make sure you get panels that have grommets. You can't really install your own with much success, and drilling a hole in them is not a working solution.

The great part about this solution is it enables you to have less windage in most conditions - so size your arch to accommodate 80% of your situation or so, and then bring out the flexible in that 20% (rather than turning on the engine).

It also offers some level of redundancy, I am sure I am not the first one to have banged up a panel on a piling. Ugh.

I have been thinking of doing just this. I currently have 2x250W panels on my arch. Do you have a pic or diagram of your setup for the flex panels?

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Do you know Beau and Brandy on YouTube? They have two big panels on their really small boat

That is a huge yacht, about 35ft

I like the way he can tilt his panels which for an electric yacht they really need. I think they said there were a pair of 360w panels. However, just not sure how it would cope in a storm. Mine are bolted to the arch and has extra bars to brace it.

The shading issue is interesting. If all 3 panel strings of a panel are shaded then its not going to work, but if only one is shaded due to say the mast, the other two will continue to work as expected. Just depends on the shading.

Perhaps I should try switching to series to see if the daily output increases. Tricky to measure if we keep moving and switching from days in harbour to days at sea because the power requirements change so the panels spend more time charging rather than in float.

Pete

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Pete7

That is a huge yacht, about 35ft

If anyone is wonder what Jedi and I are on about, here is a link to Beau and Brandy's YT channel and their solar installation. They are doing pretty well on a limited budget showing just how far you can get with a low impact lifestyle..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyj4...dBrandySailing

[GreenWave]

Beau and Brandy is a great channel. Don't drink the kool aid though that they are hurting and on a limited budget. Youtube is definitely paying their bills and then some.

[MountainKing]

Originally Posted by HarrisonM

My radar is mounted on my arch so I cant get three across. I can only get two on it. One on each side... I tried to move the radar to the mast but it presented a host of technical difficulties to I kept it where it is.....

Is the radar going to be shading one of the panels where it is? Having complete shade across a portion of the panel can make the output drop to near zero depending on how the panel is wired up.

[jalmberg]

We have more than enough electricity with two 150W panels. What will you do with all that power??? Just curious.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by jalmberg

We have more than enough electricity with two 150W panels. What will you do with all that power??? Just curious.

Roast duck perhaps?

Pete

[Jim Cate]

RE Radar on your arch:

Depending upon how high above the panels the dome sits, the radar will be blinded to windward when the boat heels. When we bought this boat the radar was beneath the panels and was seriously blinded to leeward when heeled even a few degrees. We moved it to the mast...

Jim

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by jalmberg

We have more than enough electricity with two 150W panels. What will you do with all that power??? Just curious.

speaking personally : we have nearly 1.4kw of solar. all we have is 2 fridges + 1 freezer + watermaker (plus usual autopilot etc when sailing). all LED lighting

no air con or ice maker or crap like that

in a very sunny location...with a really good installation

and we find our solar just enough

how do you survive with 2 x 150w ??

cheers,

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by odonnellryan

I did lash this frame to the arch which I think is a good idea. Easier than bolting it down, and easier to remove, maintain, inspect. And my arch is aluminum.

There is a whole line of products that are used by the off-road crowd that work really well for attaching things to the arch while avoiding drilling holes or dissimilar metals. I used these to mount my solar on my 1.5" diameter arch. These may not be what you need, but once you are into the Amazon algorithm, they will give you lots of other choices too.

House Tuning Tube Clamps 4pcs 1.5 inch Mounting Bracket,Roof Roll Bar Cage Holder Bar Clamp 1 1/2" for Work HID LED Light Bar (1.5"- Clamp Mount kit) https://a.co/d/d9Us0ml

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by Rohan

If you don't have enough surface area for the solar panels you want, consider supplementing them with a wind generator.

I have individual amp meters on each of my charging sources. As a result, I could see how little my wind (D400) was making and how much it was costing my solar. I no longer have my wind generator! It is very difficult to mount a wind generator such that it does not shadow your solar, and in winds less than 15 knots, it makes very little electricity.

[Grith]

Hi All Not many pictures are being shared here about how to effectively mount such huge panels on a yacht.
I have mucked around with various attempts before coming to my current solution.
My yacht is only a 28 foot water ballast very shallow draft swing keel trailerable set up for long range inshore/inland waters cruising/ exploration.
The generally unshaded portion of the panels comprise 720w made up of 4 fairly small 180w thin frame hard panels removably mounted over my Bimini and off the back of my targa bar rear support for that (and other uses) using plastic thumb screw clamp style solar panel mounts from Ferris.
I have a further 280w via a port starboard tilt-able over cabin roof thin frame hard panel and two flexible panels one of which swaps between my dodger and boom cover at anchor and the other mounting on my second fold out Bimini which covers the remains cockpit opening only deployed when not sailing.
All but this final flexible remain insitu when the mast is down and the yacht is being towed between distant cruising grounds via tilting the entire Bimini forwards on sliding mounts and supports.
To date I have not had to remove the panels for extreme weather but they can be removed relatively easily and rapidly to stow below on berths if required.
My highest winds experienced to date with the entire array up are 35knots with a steep short chop on a huge (30 nm across) shallow lake.
Obviously my yacht is not for ocean crossing and as such very unlikely to need to survive a serious storm at sea.
Interested to see how others have tackled mounting significant arrays and really big panels and shading issues.
Obviously with such large panels they are likely to have to be fixed in place and on larger yachts be able to survive storms at sea much more significant than my close to shore adventures where a run to cover is always close.

[jalmberg]

Originally Posted by chrisr

speaking personally : we have nearly 1.4kw of solar. all we have is 2 fridges + 1 freezer + watermaker (plus usual autopilot etc when sailing). all LED lighting

no air con or ice maker or crap like that

in a very sunny location...with a really good installation

and we find our solar just enough

how do you survive with 2 x 150w ??

cheers,

Apparently we are still living in the ‘dark’ ages ;-)

We have a fridge, some fans, 2 laptops, iPad, 2 phones, and LED lights. Our 4 6v golf cart batteries rarely fall below 95% charge.

12 meter ketch.

I wouldn’t mind having a water maker, though!

— John

[Pete7]

Well not the greatest photos, but what started out as a second hand rib frame to support 150w of solar. This had to be strengthened for the 3 x 300w panels we now have. Have to admit, I didn't envisage mounting 600w when we bought the rib frame 6 years ago.

The extra supports worked and the frame is much more rigid even with 34kgs of panels. I used 3/4" support bars rather than one inch to keep the weight and cost down.

Panels join to the tube frames with pipe clamps, though the clamps Sailing Harry linked to above would be nice. The pipe clamps came with mild steel parts which were replaced with S/S.

Not sure how much bigger we can go. 2 x 400w Hyundai shingledmight be possible. They will be close to the maximum width of the yacht and I need to take into account rafting alongside another yacht is common practise in Europe.

Pete