sailboat solar charger specs?

ebbtide
ebbtide Registered Users Posts: 4
Wish to solar augment battery charging system on 33' sailing cat. Sail in South Fl. Oct to May. We anchor out (i.e. no shore power) for days to weeks at a time. Have Honda 2000i, Xantrex 20Amp truecharger, Link battery monitor, 3 (gr. 27) 12 V. batt. located in port hull, 2house, 1 reserve or start. Daily Amp use.per Link monitor 25+or- 10 Amp/hr. per 24Hr. Yes, very frugal-no inverter, microwave, TV, etc. No large or prolonged loads. Reefer is propane. Yet, with this system can't fully recharge batt without running Honda for unacceptable time. (1) Suggest increasing batt.amp capacity so daily amp/hr useage is closer to 10% of batt capacity. Will replace( 2) gr 27 deep cycle AGM with( 2) 6 V. 220A AGM batt. placed midship,midline. Space is adequate for (4) 6V 220A batt.
58" x 24"X height only 8.5" so AGMs will be positioned on side. (2) Will mount one pv panel between davits on ss 1 1/4 inch ss tubing. Suggest Kyocera KP215GX-LPA 215watt. Max 26.6V @ 8.9 Amps. cc to pv panel is approx. 25 linear fl.(50cable fl.) suggest 2 AWG?
(3)Suggest T S MPPT. 45? Note: In future may go to 440A. TS 45 charging capacity is about 10% of batt. 440 Amp capacity. cc to batt distance is 2.5 fl. linear (5fl cable) minimal V drop. so no remote V. sensor needed? Need to fuse + pole on cc & batt. ? size?50Amp. ? specific fuse type?
Also need disconnect before and after charger. Which device is best,i.e. robust with least resistance? Note: will need to remove pv panel each hurricane season. MC4 connectors difficult to disconnect with the disconnect tool? I'm sorry if none of this makes any sense.I'm obviously not an ee, this is all new to me. Your forum is a great educational tool for us newbies. Have reviewed many, many helpful posts.
So I need a consultation. Are any of these suggestions unsafe? unwise? If you were to design the system, what would you change and why. Thank you for reading this long message.

Comments

  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: sailboat solar charger specs?

    Well if I've got the gist of it ...
    You're looking to recharge a 440 Amp hour 12 Volt battery bank, right?
    If you can get two of those Kyocera 215 Watt panels you might just do it:

    430 Watts @ 77% efficiency = 331 Watts / 14.2 Volts charging = 23 Amps or about 5% of the battery capacity.
    Same panels would "harvest" about 1.3 kW hours per day (+/- depending on total sunlight, temperature, and insolation). That would be the equivalent of about 110 Amp hours @ 12 Volt, or roughly 25% of the battery bank's total capacity.

    You wouldn't necessarily need any more charge controller than this: http://www.solar-electric.com/ps-30m.html
    But you probably would still have to run the generator from time to time.

    Just one idea. Others will no doubt have more.
  • ebbtide
    ebbtide Registered Users Posts: 4
    Re: sailboat solar charger specs?

    Thank you. I should have more clearly stated my suggestions.

    Wish to recharge 220 amp capacity at 12V... (2) 6V 220 amp AGM in series.

    In future may up grade to 440amps.

    Appreciate your advice.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: sailboat solar charger specs?

    First of all I apologize for making a big mistake: I forgot to check the specs on the Kyocera 215 panel. Its Voltage is higher than normal for a 12 Volt system: the Vmp is 26.6 which means you have to use an MPPT type charge controller with any system Voltage.

    For 220 Amp hours at 12 Volts you could use one panel and this little controller from Morningstar:
    http://www.solar-electric.com/mosumpsochco.html

    All the figures will be likewise reduced: half the battery capacity, half the charge current, half the Watt hours harvested. If you can keep your loads low enough it will work.

    If you expand to 440 Amp hours however you'll either need to add a second small charge controller of the same type or switch to a larger capacity unit like the Rogue: http://www.roguepowertech.com/products/mpt3024.htm
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,731 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: sailboat solar charger specs?

    Do you have refrigeration? I anchored out for the better part of 10 years and it is the driver for anything you do on an offshore boat or offgrid for that matter?
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • SirSparks
    SirSparks Solar Expert Posts: 43
    Re: sailboat solar charger specs?
    Do you have refrigeration? I anchored out for the better part of 10 years and it is the driver for anything you do on an offshore boat or offgrid for that matter?

    Like you I lived aboard sail boats for 10 years too. In my experience most 33ft Cat's (or there abouts) have twin small inboard diesels such as a Yanmar 7.5HP that run on fumes. I would consider fitting one or both of them with an oversized alternator, I purchased a 250 amp 12 volt alternator on Ebay for about $150.

    Of course some saileos are purists.
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,731 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: sailboat solar charger specs?

    Maybe even in the same anchorage? Either use the Yanmar for an oversize alternator or a refrigeration compressor. In the end you are either burning fuel or lifting/replacing batteries on DC compressors. Some places in the world batteries are just a long wait when you would rather be doing something else...
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • ebbtide
    ebbtide Registered Users Posts: 4
    Re: sailboat solar charger specs?

    Yes, we have refrigeration. power...propane when on the hook.
  • ebbtide
    ebbtide Registered Users Posts: 4
    Re: sailboat solar charger specs?

    Thanks for suggesting the M S Sunsaver. We will be in Flagstaff on Friday. Will get th pv panel and cc. Will wait on cable, wish to remeasure cable distances. Thanks again appreciate your taking the time to help me out.