Awesome video! It’s great to have some of the technical stuff explained clearly and in laymen’s terms. Thank you.......... Go ahead and order the freezer. Got to have ice cubes......
Hey, how r U?? I am a fan of your channel, and truly believe that even though you say that you lack experience, you have a very natural way of doing things and showing to Us. Do not change your style, we like the way you are, and just keep on going. Thanks a lot
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE GREAT VIDEO!! Tim, you and Candice are amazing - having a great life and producing videos which entertain and galvanize your viewers. Electricity Consumption is a really great subject and one that I personally have worried about quite often as I try to determine what we will need on our dream boat. You have helped me greatly with just these two videos (Solar on a Sailboat and this one). I hope you will be so thorough and informative in all your videos - you will have us as viewers Guaranteed! Excellent Video!! Thanks!
@@LadyKSailing You miss waiting another month to get the boat in the water? The water is fresh though. I have to wait until April 28th before I can put my boat in at Fanshawe Lake. I'll bring my Mac 26D home this week and start building a solar arch. The list is long this year.
Thank you. As someone who built a solar home, it helps to have a good idea of energy consumption on a sailboat. I was wondering how people are getting by with so few panel watts.
Great video, when you break it down like that it becomes much easier to understand. I've been hearing about MPPT charge controllers for a few years now but when people try to explain what they are and what they do , it becomes a teck. geeks jargon fest. So thanks Tim for making it simple.
Hi, great video. Sailboat electrical consumption is a very interesting subject and thank you for your insight. I’ve just purchased 4 x 180Ah lead acids for my boat and presently have 380w of solar, looking forward to see how the new batteries workout. All the best John
So, I am new to the channel... looks great! Here’s a thought on your solar system. Have you thought of directing your dump load into a 12v or 24v heating element in your hot water tank? No sense letting that extra PV go to waste. You could get some nice warm water for washing up each day... free!
Lots of great data Tim. Depending on how your solar panels are mounted, the output may be exceeding the manufacturers rating because of light reflected onto the underside of the panels. You can actually buy solar panels that utilize this effect even more, they are called BiFacial.
I'm not sure if this bifacial would benefit boats? I found this statement "In general, bifacial modules are not recommended for flush-mount systems, because then there isn’t enough room to reflect light onto the backside. Even with a light-colored roof, there still isn’t room for reflection."
@@ilesfarms1314 BiFacial wouldn't work with flush mount, correct, but if you look at Lady K's setup they have their panels on their arch over the cockpit. And light reflected from the water and cockpit will reach the underside of the panels.
@@CraigOverend Yes, you are right, it would work perfectly on Lady k set up. I had forgotten about lady k set up. Bifacial would also work on boats that have rail mounted panels, especially when the panels backside are tilted towards the boats white gelcoat...
Hey, no the Victron 100/50 is rated for up to 100 volts and even way over rated, the panels are only kicking out about 73 volts max. Well withing the controllers ability. The key with solar is, always go bigger than you need.
Hi Tim, Have you try to wire your panel in parrallel to see how it would do. In series your panel act like a single panel and if there is some shadow on one of them your power should go down.I did some test with a 100 watt panel , in full sun it will produce around 5.5 amps , if i put my hand over the corner of the panel it will drop a lot ,like 1.5 amp. Do the shadow test for fun. Take care and have good winds. Sorry for my bad english , i`m from Québec.
Hey hey. Yes we routinely switch between series and parallel. Parallel gets more energy in the early morning and Kate evening when the sun only hits one panel, but less mid day. Series gets a huge boost mid day but less early morning and late evening. I find it actually breaks even so I just run in series. 😁
because your using ~50% of the bank capacity, not always, most days. You should get close to 4 years before needing to replace the batteries. If you have room for two more batteries, you should see the battery life time jump to 7 years, barring unforseen circumstances. Cheers
Hey, two rainy days in a row put us in a bad place. We have a little 1000w generator we use if needed and two battery charges that will run off it. We may need to run it for a few hours here and there if it's rainy. We can also run the diesel to charge so if were going somewhere we are fully charged,
Great info Tim, do you think there is any significant inverter losses you could reduce by getting devices that run directly off 12v , if available? Or is in not worth the effort? Cheers Warren
Hey thanks. When I built the electrical system I was very worried about inverter loss. I bought and wired three buck converters. We have a 19v circuit to charge laptops and run our monitor, a clean 12v circuit for the router and wifi antenna, and a 5v for a couple smaller things. Now that we’ve been using it for a year we just use the 120v inverter power for everything. The loss is minimal and I’m finding I was worried for nothing. We leave the inverter on 24/7 now.
This is really cool stuff. Now if you had the space could you add 2 additional batteries to your system or do you have to double what you have and add 4? It sounds like you panels/inverter could charge 2x your current capacity
But what if you aren't in the Bahamas? Did you get a chance to plot your generation and consumption back at the start of your odyssey? I currently (no pun) do not have a solar array sailing up here on Lake Superior but it is on the wish list. Also, what are you running off the inverter? Great How-to series btw.
Hey hey. We found the US east coast to not be so well with solar. We had to run a genny every few days but it was rainy season and much less sunlight. If expect better in the summer. We run our two computers off the inverter.
Thanks so much for this timely post! I am in process of building a solar mount that will collect rainwater as yours does. 2x 160W Renogy flexible panels mounted on rubberized plywood with athwartship supports where they will attach to the bimini frame, plus 2x 100W panels on swivels on the side of the cockpit. Question: what sort of hardware did you use to mount the water collection hose onto your panel gutters?
Hey Kendal. Sounds like a great system you’re building. I used a fitting that is barbed on one end for the hose and the other end is a 3/4 npt thread. I too a smaller piece of the flashing maybe four inches long and drilled the hole so could thread the fitting in. Then I drilled a hole in the flashing on the panels. I didn’t screw the fitting into the flashing on the panels. Only the little four inch piece to avoid creating a lip in the eves trough slow water flow down. It sounds confusing but I can send you pics if you like. Lastly I rivited the four inch piece to the bottom of the eaves trough.
@@LadyKSailing Thanks, that makes sense. Panel mounts are done, ready for a protective coat. Wound up sawing a few PVC pipes in half and using heavy duty cable ties to mount them on the boards, with a half elbow wedged under the corner, and likewise supported. Our Bimini frame will tilt the panels so the water runs out from the centerline and toward the bow, so we did only the outside and forward edges. Question: you've mentioned experimenting with series vs. parallel solar hookup, and it sounded like a manual process to change it over. Have you considered building a switch of some type that one could flip when the sun gets low in the sky?
MPPT takes the higher voltage, turns it down to 12 by increasing the amps. It comes in at 70v and about 9amps. It is turned into 12v at about 40amps. Hope that helps. Wind would need its own controller to make it efficient. To add wind, which we wont because the bang for buck is terrible, I would use a separate MPPT for the wind turbine. However a good wind turbine is about $3000 and you would only charge at around 8-10 amps in ideal conditions. Our solar is worth about $1000 and does 40amps in ideal conditions.
Thanks for the reply Food for thought Best of luck with you future adventure At the mo I'm in Grenada which I understand you are not doing perhaps next time 73's
So your solar panels are 550 watts each? Which is 1100 watts total? Or is it 225 each and 550 total watts. Oh by the, Thanks, I like these type of videos.
Awesome video! It’s great to have some of the technical stuff explained clearly and in laymen’s terms. Thank you.......... Go ahead and order the freezer. Got to have ice cubes......
Haha wish we could. Can’t get amazon orders here lol. Maybe when we get state side
Still a great video and would love to see an updated one!
Keep in mind when you raise that current you need wires to support the higher current rating.
You have been very helpful as we are starting down from Lake Michigan next year. Thanks
Well done cap! Even helpful for us with projects, stuck on the hill. A big thanks.
Hey, how r U?? I am a fan of your channel, and truly believe that even though you say that you lack experience, you have a very natural way of doing things and showing to Us. Do not change your style, we like the way you are, and just keep on going. Thanks a lot
Hey hey thanks so much for the great comment. It is very much appreciated. Fair winds my friend
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE GREAT VIDEO!! Tim, you and Candice are amazing - having a great life and producing videos which entertain and galvanize your viewers. Electricity Consumption is a really great subject and one that I personally have worried about quite often as I try to determine what we will need on our dream boat. You have helped me greatly with just these two videos (Solar on a Sailboat and this one). I hope you will be so thorough and informative in all your videos - you will have us as viewers Guaranteed! Excellent Video!!
Thanks!
Thanks Tim. Got my MPPT charger in the mail last week. Can't wait to get it on the boat. Ice out a Port Stanley today!
Yikes. Man I miss sailing the Great Lakes. Funny what you miss out here
@@LadyKSailing You miss waiting another month to get the boat in the water? The water is fresh though. I have to wait until April 28th before I can put my boat in at Fanshawe Lake.
I'll bring my Mac 26D home this week and start building a solar arch. The list is long this year.
Excellent video - I wasn't aware of the new mppt charge controllers so I learned a ton! Thanks, and keep these coming!
Thank you. As someone who built a solar home, it helps to have a good idea of energy consumption on a sailboat. I was wondering how people are getting by with so few panel watts.
Thanks Professor Tim Great presentation I enjoy learning from you
Really good information. Well done explanation.
The best explanation of battery usage management I've seen out there in years! thanks a ton.
Great video, when you break it down like that it becomes much easier to understand. I've been hearing about MPPT charge controllers for a few years now but when people try to explain what they are and what they do , it becomes a teck. geeks jargon fest. So thanks Tim for making it simple.
Super useful information well presented! Thanks and fair sailing, Ray.
Great system setup. That charge controller sounds awesome. Clearly explained as well!
Great video learned a lot. especially about MPPT. Thanks
Excellent vid
Hi, great video. Sailboat electrical consumption is a very interesting subject and thank you for your insight. I’ve just purchased 4 x 180Ah lead acids for my boat and presently have 380w of solar, looking forward to see how the new batteries workout. All the best John
Sounds like more than enough if you have similar draws as Lady K. Best wishes! Looking forward to hearing about how it works for you
good set u⁰😊
Great info. Thanks Tim
Great Video!
So, I am new to the channel... looks great! Here’s a thought on your solar system. Have you thought of directing your dump load into a 12v or 24v heating element in your hot water tank? No sense letting that extra PV go to waste. You could get some nice warm water for washing up each day... free!
Hey thanks great idea! I’m going to look into that!
Thanks That was a smart, intelligent video that was clearly explained and useful! What the heck is it doing on RUclips lol. Keep up the fine work
Thank you, excellent instructor. I learned a lot. I am a newbie to solar.
Lots of great data Tim. Depending on how your solar panels are mounted, the output may be exceeding the manufacturers rating because of light reflected onto the underside of the panels. You can actually buy solar panels that utilize this effect even more, they are called BiFacial.
I've seen these! Wow is that ever cool?! I wish they were around when we built the system. So cool for boats!
I'm not sure if this bifacial would benefit boats? I found this statement "In general, bifacial modules are not recommended for flush-mount systems, because then there isn’t enough room to reflect light onto the backside. Even with a light-colored roof, there still isn’t room for reflection."
@@ilesfarms1314 BiFacial wouldn't work with flush mount, correct, but if you look at Lady K's setup they have their panels on their arch over the cockpit. And light reflected from the water and cockpit will reach the underside of the panels.
@@CraigOverend Yes, you are right, it would work perfectly on Lady k set up. I had forgotten about lady k set up.
Bifacial would also work on boats that have rail mounted panels, especially when the panels backside are tilted towards the boats white gelcoat...
Great explanation of the power generation and consumption. Any worries about the 651 watts exceeding the rated amperage of the MPPT controller.
Hey, no the Victron 100/50 is rated for up to 100 volts and even way over rated, the panels are only kicking out about 73 volts max. Well withing the controllers ability. The key with solar is, always go bigger than you need.
Loved it.. thank you!
Thank you for clearing up a few questions I had, I'm currently planning out a solar set up and this helped a lot. Cheers!
Super educational guys, thank you!
Very good presentation guys.
Great video, Gene
Hi Tim, Have you try to wire your panel in parrallel to see how it would do. In series your panel act like a single panel and if there is some shadow on one of them your power should go down.I did some test with a 100 watt panel , in full sun it will produce around 5.5 amps , if i put my hand over the corner of the panel it will drop a lot ,like 1.5 amp. Do the shadow test for fun.
Take care and have good winds.
Sorry for my bad english , i`m from Québec.
Hey hey. Yes we routinely switch between series and parallel. Parallel gets more energy in the early morning and Kate evening when the sun only hits one panel, but less mid day. Series gets a huge boost mid day but less early morning and late evening. I find it actually breaks even so I just run in series. 😁
@@LadyKSailing Great, thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for the info!
Awesome video!
Cheers from a fellow Canuck living in Thailand.
because your using ~50% of the bank capacity, not always, most days. You should get close to 4 years before needing to replace the batteries. If you have room for two more batteries, you should see the battery life time jump to 7 years, barring unforseen circumstances.
Cheers
Thanks, wish we had the room. I'd love two more :)
@@LadyKSailing Then I hope the price of LiFePO batteries come way down. Then with care, should just about make it to your retirement.
Awesome video.....come to Nova Scotia.....have a Lobster cookout for ya....
tempting!!!
Yarmouth Nova Scotia is where it’s at.🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Hi Tim,
Nicely explained. What brand are your panels?
Hey, they are Canadian Solar 275w panels. We have two
Great video)) What refrigeration system do You have on board ? 3,5 amps seems efficient. Cheers
it's a compressor out in a locker an evap plate in the fridge. Very common
@@LadyKSailing Well, I don´t think it can get much better. Can You make ice ?
Tim - how does a few rainy days affect your power?
As if the weather sucks you watch move movies, light, etc.
thanks
Hey, two rainy days in a row put us in a bad place. We have a little 1000w generator we use if needed and two battery charges that will run off it. We may need to run it for a few hours here and there if it's rainy. We can also run the diesel to charge so if were going somewhere we are fully charged,
Great info Tim, do you think there is any significant inverter losses you could reduce by getting devices that run directly off 12v , if available? Or is in not worth the effort? Cheers Warren
Hey thanks. When I built the electrical system I was very worried about inverter loss. I bought and wired three buck converters. We have a 19v circuit to charge laptops and run our monitor, a clean 12v circuit for the router and wifi antenna, and a 5v for a couple smaller things. Now that we’ve been using it for a year we just use the 120v inverter power for everything. The loss is minimal and I’m finding I was worried for nothing. We leave the inverter on 24/7 now.
This is really cool stuff. Now if you had the space could you add 2 additional batteries to your system or do you have to double what you have and add 4? It sounds like you panels/inverter could charge 2x your current capacity
Hey good thinking. Dont have the space or cash to get two more but it would be nice.
But what if you aren't in the Bahamas? Did you get a chance to plot your generation and consumption back at the start of your odyssey?
I currently (no pun) do not have a solar array sailing up here on Lake Superior but it is on the wish list.
Also, what are you running off the inverter?
Great How-to series btw.
Hey hey. We found the US east coast to not be so well with solar. We had to run a genny every few days but it was rainy season and much less sunlight. If expect better in the summer. We run our two computers off the inverter.
Thanks so much for this timely post! I am in process of building a solar mount that will collect rainwater as yours does. 2x 160W Renogy flexible panels mounted on rubberized plywood with athwartship supports where they will attach to the bimini frame, plus 2x 100W panels on swivels on the side of the cockpit. Question: what sort of hardware did you use to mount the water collection hose onto your panel gutters?
Hey Kendal. Sounds like a great system you’re building. I used a fitting that is barbed on one end for the hose and the other end is a 3/4 npt thread. I too a smaller piece of the flashing maybe four inches long and drilled the hole so could thread the fitting in. Then I drilled a hole in the flashing on the panels. I didn’t screw the fitting into the flashing on the panels. Only the little four inch piece to avoid creating a lip in the eves trough slow water flow down. It sounds confusing but I can send you pics if you like. Lastly I rivited the four inch piece to the bottom of the eaves trough.
@@LadyKSailing Thanks, that makes sense. Panel mounts are done, ready for a protective coat. Wound up sawing a few PVC pipes in half and using heavy duty cable ties to mount them on the boards, with a half elbow wedged under the corner, and likewise supported. Our Bimini frame will tilt the panels so the water runs out from the centerline and toward the bow, so we did only the outside and forward edges. Question: you've mentioned experimenting with series vs. parallel solar hookup, and it sounded like a manual process to change it over. Have you considered building a switch of some type that one could flip when the sun gets low in the sky?
How does the mppt dump the excess, ? what if you add wind power to the mix? Thanks for the tip on ppt.
MPPT takes the higher voltage, turns it down to 12 by increasing the amps. It comes in at 70v and about 9amps. It is turned into 12v at about 40amps. Hope that helps. Wind would need its own controller to make it efficient. To add wind, which we wont because the bang for buck is terrible, I would use a separate MPPT for the wind turbine. However a good wind turbine is about $3000 and you would only charge at around 8-10 amps in ideal conditions. Our solar is worth about $1000 and does 40amps in ideal conditions.
Thanks for the reply Food for thought Best of luck with you future adventure At the mo I'm in Grenada which I understand you are not doing perhaps next time 73's
It scares me that I understand this video....
So your solar panels are 550 watts each? Which is 1100 watts total?
Or is it 225 each and 550 total watts. Oh by the, Thanks, I like these type of videos.
550 total
Correct - Canadian Solar 275w panels - and we have two for a total of 550w.
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