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Old 04-12-2020, 08:53 AM   #1
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solar system

im thinking of adding a solar system to my boat for extended anchoring . I have a43 ft President with twin ford lehman 275 hp diesel engines .. I have house bank and starting batteries …. ive never had or used solar panels so I know nothing about them . What type of system should I be looking at ??? thank you
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Old 04-12-2020, 09:18 AM   #2
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Well I’ve been through this. Not knowing anything to having a system that works for me. You really have two (interrelated) issues: making enough power with your solar system, and storing enough power to do the things you want.


There are some articles I got from TF: “Designing and Installing a Large Solar Panel System” “Sizing a Solar Panel/Battery System” a thread by dhays “more solar questions”. A thread by foggysail, “solar panel users, and a thread by dhays, “time for a new house bank.”

That will get you started. Also axiom “no one complains about having too much power”

John
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Old 04-12-2020, 10:30 AM   #3
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Kevmar,
It also depends on your overall goal with the solar. For example, maybe you want to meet all of your boat's electrical system's demands with solar. If so, then you will need to carefully plan out all of your electrical needs (use including loads, amp hour demands etc.) and ensure that your 'end' electrical system can meet those needs without having shore power, generator run time, etc.
However, if you are like me, I wanted to reduce generator run time without having to "redo" the entire system. I have a NT 37 and my main electrical draws are 12v (Novakool) fridge, separate additional small freezer, and misc. like lighting, anchor alarm, some TV at night, etc.

In my case, I decided that more ability is better when it comes to solar. I have never heard anyone say, I should have installed less solar capacity . So I installed 2 large panels on my pilothouse roof. For my boat, this was the best location to avoid (at least some) of the shading. My panels total 570 watts. Next, invest in a good quality MPPT solar controller. This is the "brains" of the system and is not an area to go low quality. Some good brands include Outback, Morningstar, Blue Seas, etc. (there are others). If your boat (location for solar panels) suffers from a fair amount of shading, you will be better to have a solar controller for each panel to ensure you get the "most" out of your system.

My system ensures that my batteries (house bank, not connected to start) get back to 100% full charge almost every day with no generator run time. On days with very heavy overcast or fog in the morning, I may run the generator every second day.
I hope you find at least some of that useful
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Old 04-12-2020, 10:49 AM   #4
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“no one complains about having too much power”

Amen to that. As mentioned above, there are good articles at this site to get you going on solar. Two that were helpful to me as a starting point are written by Bob Cofer and Dave Marchand. A first step for you might be to decide where you're going to put the panels and how much room you have. I have a hardtop and was able to mount 2 x 350 watt panels. In retrospect, if I had more room, I'd just keep adding panels until I ran out of space. My setup gives me about 30 amps, which is an always-on float charger for the batteries when the sun is out....maybe half of that when cloudy. You will hear the argument that there are other charging options that are more cost effective on a cost / watt basis, and I'm sure that's true. But with solar, It's always on, makes no noise, needs no fuel. Those attributes are worth a lot. My genset use is much less now, and many days I don't start it at all.
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Old 04-12-2020, 11:04 AM   #5
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The articles referred to above can be found in the Library/Systems section. Click on the Library tab on the upper right of your screen to get there.

David
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Old 04-12-2020, 11:09 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KEVMAR View Post
im thinking of adding a solar system to my boat for extended anchoring . I have a43 ft President with twin ford lehman 275 hp diesel engines .. I have house bank and starting batteries …. ive never had or used solar panels so I know nothing about them . What type of system should I be looking at ??? thank you
I have a 41’ President and am thinking about a solar system for it. I have a hardtop over the flybridge that could hold a fairly large system. I am trying to find a way to run the wiring down to the bilge. Not sure how I can get it down the cabin side from the back of the radar arch. I can’t see any way to access the area without cutting some access holes.
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Old 04-12-2020, 12:08 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Comodave View Post
I have a 41’ President and am thinking about a solar system for it. I have a hardtop over the flybridge that could hold a fairly large system. I am trying to find a way to run the wiring down to the bilge. Not sure how I can get it down the cabin side from the back of the radar arch. I can’t see any way to access the area without cutting some access holes.
Dave: if it’s going to make that much of a mess by trying to put holes through everything and run it inside, forget the idea and use some of the PVC or plastic ducting for exterior wiring. The peel and stick type may not adhere like you would like it to in Florida heat but you can also use industrial adhesive for that. Stainless Steel clam style rub rail can also make a good wire race if it can accent your arch (but don’t ground it). Run it down as close to the deck as you can and buy or build yourself a waterproof box before running it through the deck, the location only to be determined by where it comes out below and where you want your controller. The higher voltage you utilize from the panels the smaller the wires need to be. Step down converters from 24 V to 12V are cheap and no issue matters.
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