Charging Electric Outboard

[fritzdfk]

I have a new ePropulsion outboard, the 3hp model. It will be used on the dinghy. Our boat is a small trawler. The boat is kept on a mooring so no shorepower. We have 2 50 watt solar panels with a Genasun mppt controller on each panel. I want to be able to charge the outboard battery while the boat is on the mooring using the solar panels but I don't want to drain the house bank when doing so.

Either set up the OB battery to be charged only by solar panels or limit the charging somehow via the house bank. The house bank could charge the OB battery via 12 volt charger or via 110v charger using my Victron inverter. I think the standard 110v charger will run on my Victron 500 watt inverter.

The Genasun solar controllers have a load output, 5amp max. So perhaps I could connect the controller load output to the 12v OB battery charger. That way the OB battery would only be charged when the panels ar making power. One question would be, can two controller load outputs be connected together?

Epropulsion actually makes a mppt solar controller that charges the OB battery but then I would lose house bank charging.

[Mirage35]

It might turn out to be six of one and half a dozen of the other: if you set up the controller so that the o/b battery is only charged by solar, it will still reduce the charging current available to the house bank by the amount being used. So your o/b battery won't be draining the house bank, but everything else will be until it's charged.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by AnglaisInHull

It might turn out to be six of one and half a dozen of the other: if you set up the controller so that the o/b battery is only charged by solar, it will still reduce the charging current available to the house bank by the amount being used. So your o/b battery won't be draining the house bank, but everything else will be until it's charged.

I agree.

I have a Torqeedo, and charge it from the house bank. It only draws at about 3A charge rate, using the automobile-type 12v charge adapter sold by Torqeedo. You mentioned you have a trawler, so that implies you've got good engine-based charge systems, too. It's just a moderate incremental load on the house bank when charging.