Solar panel / charge controller matchup

[LostDog88]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

LostDog,
Very good feedback, thanks. In my case, the cost of the panel is not an issue (within some limits), since it amounts to only a fraction of the cost of building even a simple arch and mounting it. The real limit is the available space.



I decided against rail or lifeline mounts because they would interfere with other stuff and boarding.

This is literally the statement of every sailor. I put mine on the rails outboard of the rails. Behind the boarding area. They pivot up and down on the outside of the railing. Building an arch is something I will do in time, and then will get more solar.

My statement stands. If money is no object buy as much solar as you can. You won't regret it. Especially during the day when you feel that you will be energy conscience in order to charge your battery bank. Only you won't. Why? Friends happen. Bourbon happens. Etc. Then you need ice, tv, whatever.

Get as much solar as you can.

[MHTinkler]

Biggest, highest voltage oanel that will fit. Connect to Victron controller that exceeds panel specs. (Like twice the voltage, controller doesn't have to work really hard). Will work as well as panel can push.

[Juice13]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

1. Depends on where the panels are to be located. If one is likely to get shaded 2 75/10s can make sense. I like to use separate controllers for panels on each side of a boat. Actually right in the middle of an install with 200 watts on each side to their ow Victron controller.

2. The Blue Sea mini ACR is a good choice as is the Victron Cyrix. Both good products but the Cyrix will probably cost less. An ACR is definitely worth it in my opinion.

I’m going with the Renogy DC-DC charger with built in MPPT. One device allows for solar charging of two banks, bank isolation and alternator charging of house bank when under way (however minimal on our Atomic 4). Also allows an easy path to upgrade the house bank from gel to Lithium when the gel dies. The idea is that the AGM starter battery takes the brunt of the dumb alternator while the Renogy manages house charging supplementing with solar as it’s available.

[pbmaise]

I had extremely limited space too and 3-300 watt panels. I elected to do something that few people will endorse, however, I had zero problems with the approach, and it saved both space and money.

I connected each panel into a dedicated circuit breaker. I then installed a charge controller for just one of the panels. The panel with a dedicated charge controller was left on all the time.

In the morning I would turn on the other two circuit breakers to activate the other two panels. On a very sunny day I would sometimes have to shut off one of the circuit breakers because charge voltage was getting too high. Rarely, I would have to shut off two breakers.

I learned that if I was going off the boat to shut off one of the breakers.

At night I would shut off the two breakers since there was no diode to prevent the panels without a circuit breaker from consuming energy.