Sun Wize Solar Panels

[moonular]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share with you all my installation of 2 Sunwize 24w solar panels. Each one has a dedicated Morningstar controller and each one feeds a separate group 27 battery.

The trick "SS" clamps I used to attatch the panels onto the existing handrails were from Gemini and they easily clamp onto 7/8" and 1" "SS" rails.

The panels and clamps are available on the defender.com website.

I also added a Promariner ProSport 20 AC charger with a dedicated Blue Sea 30A breaker and a GFCI marine grade outlet for the charger to plug into.

The installation of both was pretty straight forward and both systems work flawlessly.

I'll send pictures once I figure out how to attach them.

C-Dream (previously C-Run) now lives in British Columbia

Dave

[rogerbum]

[thataway]

Are these to keep the batteries topped off? These solar panels are going to give about an amp each. I am trying to get some feel as to how much solar panel is necessary to be useful. I just put a single 145 watt panel on my RV, with a controller rated at 30 amp, and wiring which will handle 30 amps----145 watts gives me about 8 amps under ideal conditions. I figure that I will get about 50 amps max during summer sun without cloud cover. This is going to be maintain a group of 4 golf carts--about 280 amp hours of battery--and to run several fans, which are involved with the propane refrigerator--and draw about 1.5 amps. (24 hour draw 36 amps) I may have to go to two panels to get enough charge to maintain these batteries.

What does it take to run one of the Norcold refers which are used on the C Dorys?--probably a current draw of 2.5 amps an hour, or closer to 60 amps per day?

[jennykatz]

We bought a Coleman 10watt solar maintainer When I put a gauge on it it produces over 15-18 volts ?(667mamps @15 volts) I talked to sunforce(mfg by them) rep they said that it was ok ? because it was only 10 watts. This collector goes into a dc 12 volt plug or into a battery with alligator clips .
I thought about mounting it on the splashwell transom on the cc-23 It would fit and go directly into the series 27 battery ?If we keep the solar charger on what about when we start engine or if we put on shore power ?Will that kill the solar charger ?Do we need a switch? circuit breaker ?

We also added a 1000 watt west marine inverter with a 70 amp circuit breaker, probably to much power for what we need ,fans, computer , tv, maybe a small microwave ???500watt

my questions with shore power 115ac should we make sure inverter is off with circuit breaker ( I think so) Also with 2 If do most of you use battery switch on both or number 1 out and number 2 coming back ?

[Captains Cat]

Lots of questions here. Won't try to address all of them but here's some good information on INVERTERS . It's pretty old but the answers haven't changed!

Charlie

[Aurelia]

I don't have my draw chart handy but the 30watt panel we had on the boat did a good job of offsetting our use of the fridge in our northwest climate. I normally left the fridge on 4 during the day and turned it off while we slept. It significantly increased our anchoring time.

[Aurelia]

I am still waiting for someone to take a large solar panel and create a transom table out of it with a plexiglass top and low starboard sides.

Dual purpose is alway nice,

Greg

[Pat Anderson]

I am definitely going to put solar panels on Daydream when we retire and we go cruising for longer periods, but like Bob says, when you match the amp hours a panel or array is going to put back into your batteries against the draw of, say, your Norcold fridge, you realize pretty soon that you need a lot of output from the panels, either that or manage draw like Greg did by turning the fridge off. I think the Ranger R27s come with a 180 watt solar panel...I have room to match that with four 45 watt panels, which is the direction I am leaning right now, but I would love to hear more about what other people are doing with solar.

[thataway]

The use of watts (and it is used in solar panels) is a bit confusing.

Watts involve volts x amps. In our systems we generally have 12.6 volts, and then we measure the amp usage. For example I either use a digital volt /amp meter to measure low currents, or my Link 10 for larger currents, so I know how much "power" I have used. Most of these solar panels put out 18 to 20 volts--if there is much output, then you need a controller. The controller is more akin to a battery charger regulator. It reduces the voltage to a proper charging voltage, may have feedback from temperature of the batteries, and will regulate the charge so that the batteries are not over charged. Most solar panels also have a diode to prevent current running into the panel at night.

A 30 watt panel would have an ideal maximum output of about 2 amps--but this is only when the sun is shining and is directly at right angles to the panel. It will be less than that typically. In the PNW you would figure a 30 watt panel might give realistically give 1.8 amps, and in the seattle area a 10 hour bright sunlight day may give more typically 6.2 hour factor (since not direct sunlight)--so the 1.8 x 6.2 is about 11amps available for battery charging. figure 5.5 amps draw for the Norcold, and 30% run time (my experience is closer to 50%)--that would about 6.6 hours run time (if my math is correct). Yes some days are longer, but you are not tracking the sun, and the more oblique angle the less output of the solar panels. At a certain point they don't give much.

I have friends who have tried to run boats with pure solar power--it can be done--but it takes massive solar panels, for example a 45 foot cat with 20 foot beam, had the cockpit covered with panels, about 12 x 15 foot area--and they had to supplement with wind generators and occasionally the diesel generator. (This was using Glacier Bay 12 volt holding plate system and the vacuum sealed insulation--all very expensive). It can be done--but takes a lot of solar panels, and is expensive.

[Discovery]

We have 6 x 15 watt solar panels. Total of 90 watts. Our MPPT charge controller usually shows about 2.5 to 3 amps of charge into the batteries in sunny conditions. The 6 panels keep the Norcold ref. and the Waeco freezer running. They both draw from the port battery bank. 3 group 27 deep cycle batteries. When we cruise the Norcold and the Waeco are on 24/7. We have been out cruising for as long as 75 days without running the batteries dead. We do however occasionally spend a night in a marina with shore power, and that bank is also charged by the port motor. The stb. bank, 2 group 31 deep cycle batteries, run the electronics and house lights, and are charged by the stb. motor. The solar panels are on the cabin roof. The only drawback is you can't put the dingy up there.

We have a Honda 2000 but only use it if we use the microwave or toaster oven.

Brent

[thataway]

Brent sound like very logical real world numbers--a lot will depend on where you boat. If in Arizona it will be much different than BC.

We are going to run a Waeco on part II this summer--no solar panels. I our outboard only puts out 16 amps--so battery charging is slow. We plan to use a 30 amp charger to group 31 AGM batteries/EU 1000 honda when necessary--reason chosen is that it will accept a charge faster than flooded cells.

In AK with the 25, we never had to use the honda back up--just the engine kept and occasional dock power kept the batteries up for the norcold built in refrigerator.