- Joined
- Mar 17, 2012
- Messages
- 4,572
- Location
- Australia
- Vessel Name
- Insequent
- Vessel Make
- Ocean Alexander 50 Mk I
I moved house a few months ago and am in the process of planning an install of a bunch of panels (22 in all) on my roof. It will also be able to have a battery, and have a bi-directional interconnect with my PHEV car battery, once our regulatory authorities approve such connections. The technology to do it already exists.
The good news is that the residential battery is LFP, and not one of the more dangerous lithium chemistries. In doing a little checking i discovered the battery operates at "300 -660 V". The range in voltage is a puzzle but as we all know higher voltage allows for smaller wires, so I can see that benefit. Given our grid in Australia is 230V nominal there may also be advantage for the inverter and battery to operate at voltages in the same ballpark, rather than at 12 or 24V such as typical for boat solar+house bank configurations.
Now, there is a trend to move towards all-electric boats with large house banks. I can see advantages in having a large high voltage inverter bank to supply AC loads, allowing domestic AC appliances rather than low voltage DC ones that are usually far more expensive. A smaller low voltage DC bank for boat electronics might still be appropriate.
What I'm not clear about is whether ABYC, or other considerations, preclude batteries operating in the 300-600V range for recreational boats in our size range, Superyachts may already do it? The battery proposed for my house is an outdoor unit, IP 66 rated and an 8 kWh battery is only 70kg in weight. Having one or two of those batteries on the boat deck is feasible IMO.
I recall some members considering, and deciding against 48V DC house banks for a number of reasons, but why not go the HV battery route?
The good news is that the residential battery is LFP, and not one of the more dangerous lithium chemistries. In doing a little checking i discovered the battery operates at "300 -660 V". The range in voltage is a puzzle but as we all know higher voltage allows for smaller wires, so I can see that benefit. Given our grid in Australia is 230V nominal there may also be advantage for the inverter and battery to operate at voltages in the same ballpark, rather than at 12 or 24V such as typical for boat solar+house bank configurations.
Now, there is a trend to move towards all-electric boats with large house banks. I can see advantages in having a large high voltage inverter bank to supply AC loads, allowing domestic AC appliances rather than low voltage DC ones that are usually far more expensive. A smaller low voltage DC bank for boat electronics might still be appropriate.
What I'm not clear about is whether ABYC, or other considerations, preclude batteries operating in the 300-600V range for recreational boats in our size range, Superyachts may already do it? The battery proposed for my house is an outdoor unit, IP 66 rated and an 8 kWh battery is only 70kg in weight. Having one or two of those batteries on the boat deck is feasible IMO.
I recall some members considering, and deciding against 48V DC house banks for a number of reasons, but why not go the HV battery route?