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Our Off Grid Boat - New Arch with 3.2kW of Solar!

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Fellow boaters - I'm thrilled to share my latest project with you: MaintenanceROS! Crafted from my experiences aboard Starry Horizons, it's designed to simplify vessel and maintenance management, making life on the water even more enjoyable.
Explore MaintenanceROS... and enjoy an exclusive 20% discount for the first 6 months using promo code 'outchasingstars'. Seamlessly manage your boat's upkeep - let's embark on this journey together!
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Our refit has been centered around one thing: adding solar, lots of solar! In this episode, the fabrication of a new solar arch is completed and we mount 5 of our new 450w bi-facial solar panels. That brings our total solar capacity up to 3.2 kilowatts!
We'll walk through the design of the arch, the wiring of the panels and the entire design of the solar system to integrate into our Victron electronics.
With this completed, we should truly become an off grid boat. No longer will we rely on our generator for power. Everything we need will come from solar!
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Опубликовано:

11 ноя 2022

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Комментарии : 81

@dune_tech 8 месяцев назад

the solar arch looked amazing.

@jeffreyelders4737 Год назад

Great job, I like your work. Everything very aesthetically pleasing!!

@bryhan67 20 дней назад

Nice install. 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?

@graywalker1272 Год назад

Very nice!

@douglasmontgomery6315 Год назад

Great job David !

@catamaranmentor Год назад

Great video and happy to see you guys YouTubing again!

@michaelzakharoff946 6 месяцев назад

I was wondering if you could post a link to the solar panels you bought. In particular, the sizes and voltages. Thanks

@elysiumsailing Год назад

Very nice work! I hadn't thought about adding an on off switch on the positive side of the cables coming from my solar, that is a really good idea and I am going to add that. I crimp all of my own cables, so it should be easy to do. As always, nice work! I can really appreciate the amount of effort that has gone into this! You are going to be so happy you did this.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

I'll happily admit that I found that idea from someone else when I was researching the set up. I do really like it and it's not too bad if you can crimp everything yourself. And yes... I CAN'T WAIT to see how this all works in the Bahamas!

@bill2292 Год назад

Pretty sure that having a CB on the positive side of the solar panel is a code and ABYC requirement.

@Maxtcee1 Год назад

@@OutChasingStars being in the Bahamas are you only using one 12v AC unit or did you swap out all your AC units for 12v?

@eduardomeirelles5390 Год назад

really impressed....

@MK-gr9qz Год назад

Really nice done🏋🏻‍♀️🤟🏋🏻‍♀️

@gidge34 Год назад

Great job💪🍾

@dhamma58 Год назад

I can only imagine the time in planning and then executing this bit of technological wonderment....very admirable indeed. I did see a comment about heat in an enclosed space which is always the bane of electronics of all sorts. Of course the salt air is nothing to be sneered at as well. (one does hope to be forgiven for various armadillo and barbie peccadillos when you reached Texas these many moons ago)

@OutChasingStars Год назад

There was definitely a LOT of research over many, many months that went into this. That made it even more rewarding to see it all come together like I'd planned! Fortunately, all the equipment is in a pretty protected location and we haven't had too many issues with other equipment on the boat so far. But I always keep an extra close eye on things right after a new install!

@julien.pubert Год назад

Hi, your video is very interesting. We Learn a lot of thing thanks to you

@julien.pubert Год назад

Where are you put your power bank in the helia 44?

@OutChasingStars Год назад

When we did our lithium swap, we moved the batteries into the salon under the couch. We like it because the weight is fairly centralized and it moved the batteries out of their original location in the engine rooms where I was always concerned about heat.

@julien.pubert Год назад

@@OutChasingStars do you work with 12 or 24 volts?

@patrickbrown3678 11 месяцев назад

Great video. We are about to add an arch to our cat and the one you built seems sturdy and well built. So you mind sharing where Chris is located? Thanks again.

@patrickbrown3678 11 месяцев назад

Sorry I just saw I’m the recap video you did if this Gail out that you were in Rhode Island. Unfortunately we won’t be that far north. Thanks again.

@wow.sailor. Год назад

Wow Sailor, 👍

@mikeferguson2828 Год назад

I have had problems before with a single USB hub and a few Victron ve direct to usb cables . They seem to use the same address and conflict and don’t all work. I ended up having 3 usb hubs with a Victron ve direct to usb wire in each hub. This was to a PC. When I fitted a cerbo unit you get the ve direct to ve direct straight to the cerbo and it worked well.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

I haven't had any experience doing VEDirect to a PC, but fortunately doing the VEDirect to USB cables to the powered USB hub, and then a long USB cable to the Cerbo seems to be working just fine!

@catamaranmentor Год назад

You array is going to work so fantastic we have 4.3 kw of solar but some of that is faded flexible. In Fiji we only use the generator on average for 2 hours per week. And can go 3-4 weeks with out using gen. Each day we do 2 dishwasher loads Induction cooking and electric jug full electric galley Three fridges/freezers 1 load in the washing machine due to lots of washing with a toddler Make 100-300l of water And more. All solar powered. Makes around 12-15kwh per day. Love not relying on generator and love having lots of fresh water.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

We're not going full induction at the moment and I'm still the dishwasher on the boat. 😂 So I'm confident that our new solar production will cover what we want in terms of hot water/air con/watermaking. And if we end up with full batteries every day anyways, then induction cooking is likely next on the list!

@catamaranmentor Год назад

@@OutChasingStars yip order the induction now you will be covered. But it’s the electric oven versus gas oven that’s the real upgrade. Gas versus induction is so so in my view. But yogi loves the induction cooking. Keep up the good progress.

@geoff850 Год назад

It would be interesting to test see how much output there is when the upper side of the panel is covered up, with the dingy underneath.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

Our minds work very similarly! That is one of the experiments I'd like to try! I have heard though that the dingy is only so/so at bouncing extra light back up to the solar panels. We've been wanting an aft sun shade for a while, so this was the perfect opportunity to have one made in white that will go from the aft end of the coach roof down to our dinghy davits. Hopefully that will help the underside performance!

@JohnBraman413 Год назад

where did you get the solar panels?

@JeffreyFay Год назад

A dab of hot glue for temporary mock ups.

@bill2292 Год назад

Hi David and Amy, sweet video! Things are coming together nicely for your "boat V2.0"! I noticed that your panels are about 1/3 over the coach roof. Do you think that this will limit/inhibit the power from the underside of the bifacial panels? I'm also wondering why you needed both the CB panel on the positive IN and the e-series switches on the other side of the MPPT's.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

I'm sure that having part of the underside of the panels covered by the coach roof will limit the extra bifacial performance, but the array was already large enough without it sticking even further aft! We did have a white sunshade made up which will attach to the aft end of the coach roof and go down to the davits and will hopefully bounce some more light up to the bottom side of the panels. We'll see how well that works out. Having the e-series switches allows me to isolate the controllers if I need to do any work on them. There is a lot of voltage coming through on those wires and I didn't want to just have them hanging out in the compartment.

@nicokypreos Год назад

Clean! What did whole install weigh?

@OutChasingStars Год назад

Each panel is 28.4kg/62.6lb. And we estimated the frame at 90kg/200lb. So in total 232kg/513lbs. Which is just about the same weight as the shore power frequency converter that we removed!

@nicokypreos Год назад

@@OutChasingStars that’s a great result, will be interesting to hear if that weight added up high is noticeable in the way the boat moves or rocks… great work btw!

@BarracudaHawk Год назад

Nice work. Hope you’ve insulated the panels from the arch assuming the panels are aluminium..

@OutChasingStars Год назад

Yep! We did!

@allynonderdonk7577 Год назад

You might consider silicon or black rtv in and around the grommets of the frame so that water really doesn't get in. I really loved the professional video, and the diagram. I've seen some people use the dc breaker panel like you installed in the space as a shutoff for the panels. I'm not sure they really need to be "fused", as well I have never done so, but hey I just thought I'd pass it along. I would think the only problem might be if they produce more voltage or amperage than the controller can handle, which what are the chances of that happening...practically zero.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

Water ingress is definitely something I'll keep an eye on. It's a pretty tight fit already. And you know me... I always fall on the side of caution, especially when it comes to electrical stuff! Plus the manual does actually call for a fuse/breaker to be installed.

@javiermorales4068 Год назад

Hi David Beautiful video, I’m always interested in your technical videos. How did you draw the electric scheme? Did you use a tablet app or pc application? Thank you

@OutChasingStars Год назад

I used diagram.net. It integrates in well with my Google Drive so it's easy to save the diagram and come back to keep editing.

@bill2292 Год назад

Hi David and Amy, What diameter is the main and secondary tubing? Your solar arch turned out great!

@OutChasingStars Год назад

The main frame is 2" and the dropdown lower and vertical rails on the aft end are 1.25". We're quite pleased with how everything has turned out!

@bill2292 Год назад

@@OutChasingStars Thanks!!

@en8581 Год назад

Awesome install- congratulations! Do you think the MPPTs will get hot enough in that enclosed space that you will need/want to install one or more temp controlled 12v computer type fans, e.g. CoolerGuys, to suck cooler air in and blow hot air out?

@OutChasingStars Год назад

I'm not worried about the MPPTs getting too hot, but what has been a surprise has been how hot the air con contactor has gotten since we've been back in the water. Granted we're running our Mabrus almost constantly in reverse cycle heat mode since it's getting cold in Rhode Island! I have added a temporary fan to help at the moment and will be installing a 12v computer fan that will run with the contactors are activated.

@en8581 Год назад

@@OutChasingStars I wonder if another option is to just remove the contactor and then you can just use an easy to open/reset breaker. So if you won’t be using it for weeks the breaker is off. If you are needing it turn the breaker on and then turn the AC/heat unit on and off at the AC control touch panel.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

The contactors let me use switches at our main 12v panel to control the air cons/watermaker. I really like having everything centralized there and we'll be using those systems pretty regularly, so having to dig under the couch to access a breaker would also get pretty annoying.

@frayedknot21 Год назад

David, could you share where you bought those panels from.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

Hi Frank. Sorry I somehow missed your question. We got them from A1 SolarStore.

@elmer665544 Год назад

Another awesome video. Here is a comment for the algorithm. Keep up the good work. Question: is there a technical reason you picked the Schenker watermaker over the Spectra? Both have the efficient energy recovery pump.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

There were a couple of reasons. The biggest technical one is that Spectra doesn't offer a 12v watermaker in the 30GPH/113LPH range. Their Newport 700 is 24v and I didn't want to have to mess with DC-DC conversions just for the watermaker. We were generally happy with our previous 30GPH/113LPH production capacity as it fit well with our lifestyle. The new Schenker Zen100 is a bit below that at 26GPH/100LPH but is 12v. The other reason is that we've had a great relationship with Rich and Charlie at CruiseRO. So when they became Schenker dealers, it was kind of a no brainer to go that way! And greatly appreciate comments for the algorithm! 😂

@elmer665544 Год назад

Thanks for the follow up. I am a retired engineer with an electronic degree so I am very interested in the power consumption and off grid decisions. We are thinking of going from RV’s to sailing. I know if you can take care of water and power everything is easier!

@RobertJones-uj2kw Год назад

Superb and very helpful video as always David. Can I ask, did you have an electrical background at all or are you fully self-taught? I was a mechanical aeronautical engineer back in the day so working that aspect of our boat - when we hopefully get there next year - will be fine. But for the electrics, my knowledge is fairly limited. Thanks for the great content

@OutChasingStars Год назад

I wish I had an electrical/engineering background! My career was in finance/commercial negotiations, so I've definitely had a lot to learn! I've been very fortunate in that we've worked with some incredible people who were extremely patient with me as I asked a million questions.

@alcibiadesmarcialneto922 Год назад

The two round equipments close to the charger controles are relays?If yes, are their coil to be permanent energized?

@OutChasingStars Год назад

Good question! They are technically called 'contactors' but are extremely similar to relays. And the coil is "NO" or normally open so I have them set up to be activated via a switch at our 12v switch panel.

@alcibiadesmarcialneto922 Год назад

@@OutChasingStars thanks for your answering. Relays and contactors are pretty much the same equipment. Relays are used in control circuit and contactor in the main circuit. The firs usually switch low electrical current and the second high currents. “NO” and “NC” are related to the main contact, not the coil. Some contactors are not designed to have its coil permantly energized, like cranck contactors for instance. If it happens they will be to hot, fail and the fire risk is possibe too. That was my concern, because I’ve already seem it happening.

@Maxtcee1 Год назад

Sweet setup. What size inverter are you using?

@OutChasingStars Год назад

We took our old Victron Multiplus inverter/charger and are now just using it as an inverter. It's rated at 3000W which has been more than enough for our AC power needs.

@rodyeomans Год назад

Hi, Can I ask you how much the solar arch weighs c/w the panels and if you determined if it might move the COG back?

@OutChasingStars Год назад

Each panel is 28.4kg/62.6lb. And we estimated the frame at 90kg/200lb. So in total 232kg/513lbs. Previously, Starry Horizons was a bit bow heavy. So by removing our generator and shore power converter and adding the solar array, the net effect is moving the weight distribution a bit aft. And SH now looks like she sits much more level on the waterline, which is great!

@TOMMYTANKERB32 Год назад

Im using the same victron controller 100/50. I have to say that is pricey overkill to have a controller for each panel. But it does allow you to troubleshoot problems with the panels not producing. Are you using LiFePo batteries? How much storage do you have?

@bill2292 Год назад

This is a typical setup when panel shading is an issue.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

I won't argue with you that a controller for each panel is overkill. There are definitely other ways to plan out the system and we know lots of other people who make that work. But I'm pretty relentless in terms of my search for maximum efficiency and since we can afford it and have the space, we decided to go for it. And yes, we do have LiFePO4 batteries on the boat. We have a 12kW system with 1,000 amp hours of batteries at 12v.

@MOTORVESSELFREEDOM Год назад

What is name of Chris’s company

@OutChasingStars Год назад

We worked with Chris through Safe Harbor New England Boatworks, where we were hauled out. But he has his own company as well: www.legendmetalco.com/home.html

@DRB68 Год назад

How much did the arch and solar panels weigh ?

@OutChasingStars Год назад

I mentioned this in another comment but each panel is 28.4kg/62.6lb. And we estimated the frame at 90kg/200lb. So in total 232kg/513lbs.

@DRB68 Год назад

@@OutChasingStars thats the equivalent of 3 people permanently perched at the back extreme of your boat... do you not think this might effect performance and motion on the water ?

@OutChasingStars Год назад

Actually, we've been a bit bow heavy in the past with the generator/anchor chain and our water tanks all up front. By removing the genset and our shore power converter and adding the arch, the boat looks better balanced than before. So I'm not particularly worried about it.

@sergey_sovetsky Год назад

Why 12V??? 48V is the only way to go in this otherwise great setup.

@OutChasingStars Год назад

If I were starting from entirely from scratch, 24 or 48 would be the way I'd go. But we were doing enough other work that I didn't want to take on a complete conversion of our electrical system away from 12v as well.

@sergey_sovetsky Год назад

@@OutChasingStars Well, you've done so much work anyway, it's sad to see 12V system at the end. You could use 48-12V DC-DC inverters for some loads to make conversion cheaper, but that system would have huge potential, wouldn't require big gauge wires, had lower currents etc. BTW - having separate controller for each panel is best decision in my opinion, I really like it.

@andrebauer576 Год назад

That electric array on a chipboard? No insurance is going to pay for it in case. No chipboard on a boat. Never ever and even not with air condition. Real bad workmanship.

@anthonyellis9804 Год назад

What are you saying, didn't see a clipboard

@andrebauer576 Год назад

@@anthonyellis9804 What about the USB hub? All the function of the battery bank relies on an unprotected hub used in households. And I doubt USB plugs are a suitable solution corrosion wise, but this must go to the manufacturer of the solar controller. All cables on an nmea network are of IP66 class. And so should be any electronic plug. Electric cables are easy to watch for corrosion, fine electronic plugs are impossible to check for that. And the switch box is mounted on a white chipboard, clearly visible in about 2:40. Chipboard is not to be used on boats at all and for sure not as base for electric installations.