solar charging for battery, some practical advice needed?

[Scott]

I know there have been lots of posts and lots of answers in different posts, but wanted to get a direct answer.

Have 2 group 31 batteries.

Am considering adding 100w of solar panel on top of bimini. 

I have not yet chosen my panels, but these look really interesting for ease of putting up http://www.solarfuture.com.au/marine/marine-packages/ but haven't compared cost of kyocera panel and installation.

I need to use a regulator/controller, was looking at this http://www.emarineinc.com/products/ProStar-PS15--15A%7B47%7D12V--Solar-Controller.html

Boat is on a mooring, want a trickle charge to keep batteries fully charged when I am not using the boat. Boat is used mostly on weekends.

Batteries have charger for 120 AC and of course alternator.

Do I just wire the solar controller in parallel with the AC charger? Do I need a switch so both can't be on at the same time? Looking for some practical advice on hooking this up.

Also,  if someone has done solar recently and has better suggestions than what I showed in the links above, pls by all means let us know. Thanks, Scott

[Bill Jarvis]

Scott,

 

I note that the link for the cells is Austrailian. Are you in OZ or do you know if they have a US distributor?

 

Bill

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[David Hutchings]

Hi There

I just fitted a solar panel on my B351 and did quite a lot of research. I concluded that the solar charge regulator is the most important part of the setup. You need to make sure that BOTH the panels and the batteries are being driven at their optimal settings. This gives yo 30% more output from the panels and means you need an MPPT controller. This is the on I bought which also has a meter to tell what is going on.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/20A-MPPT-Solar-Charge-Controller-Regulator-12V-24V-2215RN-150V-INPUT-W-Meter-MT5-/111039049367?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19da716e97

It has smart charging algorithms and has worked really well. I also bought 2 x 50W panels and connected them in series with each other. This means that the voltage across both panels can be optimised, often at above 40V. The MPPT controller looks after the conversion to battery voltage and it also means that the current in the wiring from the panels is less, reducing losses.

There are lots of articles about MPPT controllers which I suggest you read. Beware some MPPT controllers are fake.

Yes just wire it up in parallel with any existing chargers.

Hope this helps

David

[Scott]

david, thanks! Bill, I am in the US. No clue if they have a disty here. Just started my research.

[Kidd, James]

I just did the Spring commissioning of the fresh water system on my B 473, and noticed a distinct water pressure difference between the hot and cold, throughout the boat.

All HOT water is at a much lower pressure, even at the swim platform. You can easily hear a different tone in the pump. It seems that there is a restriction somewhere, but I can’t seem to find what this is.

 

When you turn on the cold, the pump  comes on immediately.

When you turn on the hot, it takes 3-5 seconds for the pump to come on, as if there is a pressure build up….strange, but these are good clues I cant figure out.

 

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

James A. Kidd

Adventure Galley, B 473

 
 

[Dan Barac]

David,

 

The attached .jpg shows how I have wired the panels into my system. It is probably not the only way, but it has worked well for me. It would be desirable to get an MPPT controller if you can.

 

Best regards,
Dan

 

From: benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Scott
Sent: Tuesday, 21 May 2013 4:10
To: benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} solar charging for battery, some practical advice needed?

 

I know there have been lots of posts and lots of answers in different posts, but wanted to get a direct answer.

--

[Ben Campbell]

Scale deposits in the water heater?

[bjgr...@verizon.net]

Did you bypass the water heater when you put her to bed? If you have checked filters I would bypass the heater then check pressure at your faucets. I would think from your description the heater is probably the problem. Maybe a seal slipped and blocking. Bruce (Breezy)

May 21, 2013 12:26:41 AM, benetea...@googlegroups.com wrote:

===========================================

Scale deposits in the water heater?

[jkr...@aol.com]

I just had to replace the water heater on my 331, and found out the hard way that there were two directional pressure valves on the heater. One on the inlet and one on the outlet. Sounds like one is not opening properly. It could be clogged partially shut.

 

Ron

S/v Esprit

B331#227

[Kidd, James]

Interesting….this valve is inside the water heater I gather?

I wonder if I can do any service type operation to unclog or get these moving.

 

Does anyone have any experience in this?

 

James A. Kidd

Regional Manager

Kaydon Bearings, Northeast Office

Office / Cell: 617-448-2575

jk...@Kaydon.com

[jkr...@aol.com]

There were two EXTERNAL presure valves installed by Beneteau on the cold and hot. They were the first piece of brass screwed into the heater before any other adaptors. One was approx 1 1/2" long with a directional arrow, and the other just looked like a coupler with no markings. Both were rubber (?) spring loaded one direction valves. Of course I found out about it because I put them in backwards and got no hot water pressure what so ever.

[Mark J Wilme]

are they matching male/female threads ?  I ask because you could remove them to see if that resolves the pressure issue - just to test - then you know what to replace

Mark Wilme
Mark....@Gmail.com

+1 (508) 826 5607

www.linkedin.com/in/markwilme

[Kidd, James]

Thanks, Ron.

Great info….I will check this out.

 

james

[jkr...@aol.com]

Nope !

One is male-male and the other is male-female. On my boat the male-male one was marked by a directional arrow, while the other had no markings what so ever.

Only when I looked for blockage did I find them.

[Mark J Wilme]

OK, forget that then unless one can jury rig them

Mark Wilme
Mark....@Gmail.com

+1 (508) 826 5607

www.linkedin.com/in/markwilme

[Kidd, James]

So you can unblock these… if that is the case?

Take them apart and see if there is any crud inside?

 

I didn’t disconnect anything over the winter layup…just filled the water heater with Pink anti freeze, then drained it out last weekend.

 

Thanks for the input

[jkr...@aol.com]

They are not able to be taken apart, but you can clearly see the rubber plunger and blow through them to see if they are free.

It's just a royal p-i-t-a on my boat to get to them and remove them. Hopefully yours is more easily accessable.

Worst case you can leave them out as long as you can make the proper connections.

[Kidd, James]

I actually wonder what function they perform?

Cold water does not have these pressure control valves…why does the hot?

[Bill Jarvis]

Probably to stop the hot water from back flowing into the cold water feed line.

 

Bill

[Scott]

Dan,

Big thanks for this. Scott

Practical Sailor did a review of charging controllers a while ago. I will take a look at them. MPPT is the way to go.

[Kidd, James]

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

James A. Kidd

Regional Manager

Kaydon Bearings, Northeast Office

Office / Cell: 617-448-2575

jk...@Kaydon.com

[rob]

we put solar on Avant a couple of years ago, and added 320W of rigid panels with an MPPT controller. this meets all of our power needs when aboard and keeps the batteries perpetually at 100% (and makes us incredibly smug). we have a 440AH main bank.

there are 2 types of controllers, PWM and MPPT. the MPPT type are more expensive and are superior at wringing the last amp out of the panels. make sure you can match the battery type (wet, agm, gel) you have aboard to the charging system to ensure you do not overcharge.

for wiring, just wire it in as if the other charging systems were not there with appropriate fuse protection.

rob

avant

first 435