Illustrated Guide to Solar Installations on Boats

[gscriba]

Still needs some tweaking and the aluminum will be anodized but a few pics for you. Over under design with the top two 370 watt panels fixed and always on. The lower panels slide and lock in or out adding an additional 500 watts while on the hook.

[David B]

Originally Posted by gscriba

Still needs some tweaking and the aluminum will be anodized but a few pics for you. Over under design with the top two 370 watt panels fixed and always on. The lower panels slide and lock in or out adding an additional 500 watts while on the hook.

Interesting idea with the sliding supplementary panels

[SSgtPitt]

Outstanding!!......must be an engineer. ;-)

[aybabtme]

Originally Posted by gscriba

Still needs some tweaking and the aluminum will be anodized but a few pics for you. Over under design with the top two 370 watt panels fixed and always on. The lower panels slide and lock in or out adding an additional 500 watts while on the hook.

Where are you getting the aluminum anodized? I'm in Berkeley and have similar needs.

[gscriba]

EPS, Hayward is the plan.

[Oldwheels]

For you DIY folks,
To build the arch or mounting for panels I suggest carbon fiber tubing and tne tube fittings. Advanced erector set construction but sturdy and durable.

There are several companies selling components. I am currently using rockwestcomposites.com .

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Oldwheels

For you DIY folks,
To build the arch or mounting for panels I suggest carbon fiber tubing and tne tube fittings. Advanced erector set construction but sturdy and durable.

There are several companies selling components. I am currently using rockwestcomposites.com .

Thanks for the link. There are some amazing off the shelf parts available there.

What was in the past custom, mega dollar, and hand made for racing boats only, can now just be ordered from a catalog like most other parts.

Very nice

[aybabtme]

Yeah redoing it, I'd probably use some composite instead of DIY'ing a SS arch. The solar panels are already pretty heavy, all that stainless tubing is making the stern dip pretty low.

[davil]

[QUOTE=kas_1611;2320230]Our small scale set up to

Panel Location:
Panels are tied onto the top of the bimini with one on the rearward sloping panel and one flat on top. Relatively easy to put in place and secure. No windage problems and minimal shading issues except when sun off the bow.

Hi
like your set up for simplicity should I worry about too much heat generated under and in contact with the bimini canvas?

[kas_1611]

[QUOTE=davil;3122454]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

Our small scale set up to

Panel Location:
Panels are tied onto the top of the bimini with one on the rearward sloping panel and one flat on top. Relatively easy to put in place and secure. No windage problems and minimal shading issues except when sun off the bow.

Hi
like your set up for simplicity should I worry about too much heat generated under and in contact with the bimini canvas?

Hi Davil,

I haven't noticed any particular heat build up issues with our panels over the years we have been using them and there has been no issues with the bimini that I can see (other than the usual age related UV degradation of zippers but that has nothing to do with the panels).

As it happens we have upgraded from the 2x35w fully flexible panels after one of them gave up the will to live a couple of years ago (it was used overwinter to trickle charge the house battery so had seen a lot more solar hours). We replaced it with a semi flex 100w panel that we still tie on to the bimini as before. Again no noticeable issues with heat but there is always a slight breeze wafting over it and it is never totally tight against the bimini which itself will dissipate heat well with a breeze. Thinking of replacing the other flexible panel with a second 100w semi flex in the near future.

Hope that helps

Keiron

[davil]

thank you very much, Keiron

all I needed to know

take care
David

[Iains boatyard]

Question guys
I have 5 x 265w 12 v panels all the same brand and age, 2 x 40 amp solar controllers same same, wired in parallel to my 800 a/h 24 volt battery bank.
Currently two panels are are wired in series to each controller.
I want to add the 5th
Do I wire 3 in parallel and two in parallel and connect them in series to supply both controllers.
The output of each panel is theoretically 8 amps plus which I get on a good sunny day. In series two panels produce 66 v .The controllers can handle that.
Is my thinking correct.
Or can I just drop the 5 th panel in parallel across one pair?

[kas_1611]

Originally Posted by Iains boatyard

Question guys
I have 5 x 265w 12 v panels all the same brand and age, 2 x 40 amp solar controllers same same, wired in parallel to my 800 a/h 24 volt battery bank.
Currently two panels are are wired in series to each controller.
I want to add the 5th
Do I wire 3 in parallel and two in parallel and connect them in series to supply both controllers.
The output of each panel is theoretically 8 amps plus which I get on a good sunny day. In series two panels produce 66 v .The controllers can handle that.
Is my thinking correct.
Or can I just drop the 5 th panel in parallel across one pair?

Parallel will double the amps but keep the voltage the same. So 2x 265w, 12v panels in parallel will give 530w @12v (well 14v but you know we all talk 12v). Putting them in series doubles the volts but keeps the amps/watts the same so in this case you get 265w @24v.

3 panels in parallel will give 790w @12v. In series you'd get 265w @36v so unless I am mistaken neither option works for your 24v system. And I can't see how you get 66v from 2 panels in series, that's 33v per panel or did you mean amps? 265w at 24v is 11amp maximum output.

I can't see how you can add a 5th panel into your system given the mathematics of volts, amps, series and parallel. However someone will almost certainly correct me

[Copacabana]

I think these are 30v panels, not 12v.

[kas_1611]

Originally Posted by Copacabana

I think these are 30v panels, not 12v.

OP does state 265w 12v panels and I've never seen anything other than 12/24v systems for sale through a number of various retailers, including specialist solar installers.