Very well structured presentation (getting better all the time). Thank you for paraphrasing the questions. An enhancement will be to have more cameras to avoid turning at every question or widening the field for slides, but then it will need editing. Really appreciate the effort to recording and posting these invaluable presentations for deciding on electrical systems.
Thank you for another great video. You mention there's no such thing as 400w panels. I installed 3 x 400w lg bifacial panels that are 400w each and the back of the panel adds up to 30% extra power. In perfect conditions (read in the lab) each panel can output 520w. In the height of summer I'm seeing 1200w peak from the panels. Because of the back of the panel also collecting power from water reflected sun, they would be perfect on an arch that doesn't have a cover. They are large though at 2m2, but for larger vessels give a lot of bang for buck.
Thanks for sharing Craig. Wow... 400 watt panels. That's impressive. Bifacial panels is a great idea especially for an arch. Will include your story on my next presentation.
Since there is not much space on a sailboat I wonder if you could but a thin flexible or standard panel under the existing panel? Bifacial down side is they are bigger so per SQ FT they are not much advantage. Im sure the sun reflect off the water and any free power would be a bonus. Wonder if anyone has tried this or tested the idea?
Jeff you nailed it. I have these rigid panels from ten years ago hard mounted all over when I bought her and they ruin the beauty of the boat. I took them off to get flexible ones.
I am adding solar panel to a boat - two separate systems (one for each engine/battery) I am concerned about the main battery control switch( 1 -2 - both) batteries In the both position the boat batteries are in parallel - will this damage the two solar charge controllers? or are they designed for this application? I'm using Renogy
Make sure your solar controllers are directly connected to each battery. Putting your battery switch in both/all/combine mode, won't damage the solar controllers.
Thanks for this video. Very informative. You mentioned that in your area the average output of a panel have a factor of 4 (Daily AH) Do you know what that number would be in the Caribbean ?
Now that I am nearing retirement I hope to learn as much as I can about the living aboard and maintenance of larger boats. I have worked around the aerospace designing electrical design of physical harnesses. Can you give me two or three places to learn?
1) Read Nigel Calder's boatowners electrical and mechanical handbook, it's a true bible in this field 2) Read/see content from industry experts in the form of blogs/videos/articles 3) Apprentice with a real good team
at 20:10 - I've heard that all solar panels have a degradation factor of between 2 and 8% per annum. I'm interested that your panels after 8 years have no fall-off?
Hello jeff, i have run all my wires throught negative and positive bus bars on my center console and then i have to add my solar power controller to the battery, is it ok to wire my controller output cables straight to my bus bars? Thanks in advance
You can connect solar only to a unswitched positive distribution, make sure that when battery switch is off, you still have voltage at the point were you'll connect the solar controller.
Thanks for the reply, is it ok though to run my solar "charging" cables not fully directly to the battery but instead charging the battery through the busbars that my fuse boxes are fed from as well. In other words can i recharge my battery through the same busbars tha my boat runs accesories from while i have current draw from my accesories? Thanks in advance
You never fail to teach me something with every video. Thank you for always answering the far reaching emails also!
Thanks Mirage Sailing!
Great seminar thank you, still watching your videos they are extremely useful and a huge contribution to the international boating community
Thanks Es... much appreciated.
Very well structured presentation (getting better all the time). Thank you for paraphrasing the questions. An enhancement will be to have more cameras to avoid turning at every question or widening the field for slides, but then it will need editing. Really appreciate the effort to recording and posting these invaluable presentations for deciding on electrical systems.
Thanks Giovanni, life's a journey with full of potential for improvement. Appreciate the feedback.
the perfect boat is the boat you can go on !
absolutely.
Thank you after years of wanting; you provide such great information and something I can start to work on my boat with
Our pleasure!
As alway.. thank you so much for such great information
Thank you for your invaluable advice and information you share in your videos. Your presentations are easy to understand and appreciate
Thanks Mansoor, glad our content resonates with you.
Thank you for another great video. You mention there's no such thing as 400w panels. I installed 3 x 400w lg bifacial panels that are 400w each and the back of the panel adds up to 30% extra power. In perfect conditions (read in the lab) each panel can output 520w. In the height of summer I'm seeing 1200w peak from the panels. Because of the back of the panel also collecting power from water reflected sun, they would be perfect on an arch that doesn't have a cover. They are large though at 2m2, but for larger vessels give a lot of bang for buck.
Thanks for sharing Craig. Wow... 400 watt panels. That's impressive. Bifacial panels is a great idea especially for an arch. Will include your story on my next presentation.
Excellent presentation! Im not into boats, but i will be doing a box truck early this year. Greetings from sunny Jamaica.
Cool, thanks
Since there is not much space on a sailboat I wonder if you could but a thin flexible or standard panel under the existing panel? Bifacial down side is they are bigger so per SQ FT they are not much advantage. Im sure the sun reflect off the water and any free power would be a bonus. Wonder if anyone has tried this or tested the idea?
Jeff you nailed it. I have these rigid panels from ten years ago hard mounted all over when I bought her and they ruin the beauty of the boat. I took them off to get flexible ones.
Thanks for the feedback Jamie.
Thanks Jeff!
Glad to help.
“Barge can look ugly!” 🤣👌
Some of them, lol.
I am adding solar panel to a boat - two separate systems (one for each engine/battery)
I am concerned about the main battery control switch( 1 -2 - both) batteries
In the both position the boat batteries are in parallel - will this damage the two solar charge controllers? or are they designed for this application? I'm using Renogy
Make sure your solar controllers are directly connected to each battery. Putting your battery switch in both/all/combine mode, won't damage the solar controllers.
Thanks for this video. Very informative. You mentioned that in your area the average output of a panel have a factor of 4 (Daily AH) Do you know what that number would be in the Caribbean ?
No real world experience there yet, so my guess is factor of 5, just slightly less then the long sunny summer days in the northern latitudes, like BC.
Now that I am nearing retirement I hope to learn as much as I can about the living aboard and maintenance of larger boats. I have worked around the aerospace designing electrical design of physical harnesses. Can you give me two or three places to learn?
1) Read Nigel Calder's boatowners electrical and mechanical handbook, it's a true bible in this field
2) Read/see content from industry experts in the form of blogs/videos/articles
3) Apprentice with a real good team
You mentioned peel and stick for flex panels on hardtop…what tape do you use?
We use a 3M product called VHB (Very High Bond).
What output voltage is your solar rule of thumb built on?
at 20:10 - I've heard that all solar panels have a degradation factor of between 2 and 8% per annum. I'm interested that your panels after 8 years have no fall-off?
Hi Guy, well mine most be at the very low end, or it's getting sunnier overhere. Every season it surprises me to see how good they are.
@@PacificYachtSystems :)
Hello jeff, i have run all my wires throught negative and positive bus bars on my center console and then i have to add my solar power controller to the battery, is it ok to wire my controller output cables straight to my bus bars? Thanks in advance
You can connect solar only to a unswitched positive distribution, make sure that when battery switch is off, you still have voltage at the point were you'll connect the solar controller.
Thanks for the reply, is it ok though to run my solar "charging" cables not fully directly to the battery but instead charging the battery through the busbars that my fuse boxes are fed from as well. In other words can i recharge my battery through the same busbars tha my boat runs accesories from while i have current draw from my accesories? Thanks in advance