nmeyrick
New Member
Hi, this is my first posting here, although I've been reading the forums for a few months now and found the advice amazingly helpful in setting up my lithium battery install which I completed a couple of weeks ago. I'm now turning back to my solar as part of my array is not functioning correctly and needs to be replaced.
All of this is on a boat, but the question is not really boat specific hence I figure it will get more engagement here. The question really is about finding a decent panel that will fit the very specific space I have available. I'm looking for a pair of 200w panels that will be fitted to the railing on my sail boat, they will be mounted on NOA swivel mounts which clamp onto the rail and allow them to be rotated between horizontal and fully vertical. I've attached a picture showing the panels currently in this location - these are no-name panels I picked up in Italy 2 years ago specifically just because they fit this space. But from new they never gave anything like 200w output, and now they are down to around 10w between the two of them. I recently pulled the wires to test the panels individually with a multimeter, and got very low current out of either panel.
The panels currently in this location are around 46 inches wide by 35 inches high. I can't go any higher than this as otherwise they will hit the deck when rotated vertically. And in terms of length I can push to 50 inches per panel maximum before they will start hitting other deck gear that cannot be moved. So the two options I've seen so far that look like they could fit the bill are these:
www.renogy.com
Or these:
https://www.bougerv.com/products/topcon-16bb-200-watt-solar-panel
Both panels are similarly priced, and both are around 50 by 30 inches which will just fit my space. The Renogy panel sounds like it is quite tolerant to partial shade which is a big plus on a boat, while the Bouge panel is bifacial which could be helpful as the panels will be over the water so likely to get a decent amount of reflected light. In the case of the latter I would need to order the "high voltage" version as the boat system is 24v (more details on the system below if anyone is interested). For both panels the optimum operating voltage is around 31v which is a little low to work with my Victron MPPTs so I will likely run the two panels in series. The shade tolerance of the Renogy panel should be a benefit in this scenario.
I've recently crossed the Atlantic from Europe, and am now in the Caribbean so am not so familiar with the solar panel brands available on this side of the pond. Does anyone have experience with either of these panels, or with the suppliers and can recommend one over the other? Or can anyone suggest a better 200W 24v panel that would meet my 50 by 35 inch maximum size requirements?
Additionally I'm looking to get an extra portable panel that we can stow away when sailing and pull out and fit when we are anchored. I'm looking at these two options but again an alternative recommendation for something similar would be much appreciated:
www.renogy.com
www.renogy.com
In this case the suitcase panels look much more solid and rigid, and have a higher IP67 water resistance rating. However they are relatively bulky, and the metal frames will make them more complex to place on the boat. The solar blanket is only IP65 rated, but I understand that should still be ok to be outside in a rain shower. It packs much smaller making it easier to stow when not in use, and also looks to be easier to fit as we can drape it over our boom with bungees on the corners to secure it. I'm leaning towards the blanket even though I suspect it will be less robust and long lived, I also realise that this unit has not actually started shipping so I wont get specific feedback on it but I'm hoping someone can comment on the robustness of this type of solar blanket more generally? If the blanked would hold up well for even a year it would be a pretty decent buy at the price, but if the consensus is that they are only suitable for occasional use and would not stand up to being put up and down every day for a couple of months we may be better with the suitcase option or a similar alternative.
Any feedback or suggestions would be very much appreciated
Details on our current system for anyone who is interested:
The system is installed on a 53 foot sailing boat, which I live on with my family. We are sailing for months at a time, usually at anchor and without any power hook up. We do have a large 175A alternator on our main engine as well as a 7KW Onan generator which can charge our batteries at about 150A when running both our multiplus and a second charger. However we are trying to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels as far as possible and move to primarily charging using solar. We currently have a 400W residential panel fitted to a frame at the back of the boat, 540W of flexible panels fitted on the Bimini sun shade and two 200W rigid panels fitted to the side railing using NOA swivel mounts. These are currently unusable and I am looking to replace them as well as to provide some additional capacity that we can deploy when at anchor.
All panels are wired to Victron smartsolar MPPTs which are networked with a cerbo and the multiplus using DVCC (without any BMS control) to co-ordinate charging. Batteries are 690AH at 24V of Epoch Elite V2 batteries (3x 230AH) that I just installed.
All of this is on a boat, but the question is not really boat specific hence I figure it will get more engagement here. The question really is about finding a decent panel that will fit the very specific space I have available. I'm looking for a pair of 200w panels that will be fitted to the railing on my sail boat, they will be mounted on NOA swivel mounts which clamp onto the rail and allow them to be rotated between horizontal and fully vertical. I've attached a picture showing the panels currently in this location - these are no-name panels I picked up in Italy 2 years ago specifically just because they fit this space. But from new they never gave anything like 200w output, and now they are down to around 10w between the two of them. I recently pulled the wires to test the panels individually with a multimeter, and got very low current out of either panel.
The panels currently in this location are around 46 inches wide by 35 inches high. I can't go any higher than this as otherwise they will hit the deck when rotated vertically. And in terms of length I can push to 50 inches per panel maximum before they will start hitting other deck gear that cannot be moved. So the two options I've seen so far that look like they could fit the bill are these:
Renogy 200W ShadowFlux™ Anti-Shading N-Type Solar Panel
The Renogy 200W ShadowFlux Solar Panel is a revolutionary off-grid power solution. It is 7% smaller and 10% lighter than traditional rigid solar panels. Featuring N-Type solar cells and 16BB technology.
www.renogy.com
Or these:
https://www.bougerv.com/products/topcon-16bb-200-watt-solar-panel
Both panels are similarly priced, and both are around 50 by 30 inches which will just fit my space. The Renogy panel sounds like it is quite tolerant to partial shade which is a big plus on a boat, while the Bouge panel is bifacial which could be helpful as the panels will be over the water so likely to get a decent amount of reflected light. In the case of the latter I would need to order the "high voltage" version as the boat system is 24v (more details on the system below if anyone is interested). For both panels the optimum operating voltage is around 31v which is a little low to work with my Victron MPPTs so I will likely run the two panels in series. The shade tolerance of the Renogy panel should be a benefit in this scenario.
I've recently crossed the Atlantic from Europe, and am now in the Caribbean so am not so familiar with the solar panel brands available on this side of the pond. Does anyone have experience with either of these panels, or with the suppliers and can recommend one over the other? Or can anyone suggest a better 200W 24v panel that would meet my 50 by 35 inch maximum size requirements?
Additionally I'm looking to get an extra portable panel that we can stow away when sailing and pull out and fit when we are anchored. I'm looking at these two options but again an alternative recommendation for something similar would be much appreciated:
Renogy 400W Lightweight Portable Solar Suitcase
Renogy 400W Foldable Solar Panel is durable, reliable, and portable, catering to various power needs like home backup, RV camping, etc. With ≥IP67 protection and ETFE coating, it withstands harsh conditions, delivering a stable output of 1300Wh daily.
www.renogy.com
Renogy 400W Solar Panel Blanket
Renogy 400W Solar Panel Blanket is compatible with most portable power stations and capable of charging batteries with ease, it offers versatile power solutions for your energy needs.
www.renogy.com
In this case the suitcase panels look much more solid and rigid, and have a higher IP67 water resistance rating. However they are relatively bulky, and the metal frames will make them more complex to place on the boat. The solar blanket is only IP65 rated, but I understand that should still be ok to be outside in a rain shower. It packs much smaller making it easier to stow when not in use, and also looks to be easier to fit as we can drape it over our boom with bungees on the corners to secure it. I'm leaning towards the blanket even though I suspect it will be less robust and long lived, I also realise that this unit has not actually started shipping so I wont get specific feedback on it but I'm hoping someone can comment on the robustness of this type of solar blanket more generally? If the blanked would hold up well for even a year it would be a pretty decent buy at the price, but if the consensus is that they are only suitable for occasional use and would not stand up to being put up and down every day for a couple of months we may be better with the suitcase option or a similar alternative.
Any feedback or suggestions would be very much appreciated
Details on our current system for anyone who is interested:
The system is installed on a 53 foot sailing boat, which I live on with my family. We are sailing for months at a time, usually at anchor and without any power hook up. We do have a large 175A alternator on our main engine as well as a 7KW Onan generator which can charge our batteries at about 150A when running both our multiplus and a second charger. However we are trying to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels as far as possible and move to primarily charging using solar. We currently have a 400W residential panel fitted to a frame at the back of the boat, 540W of flexible panels fitted on the Bimini sun shade and two 200W rigid panels fitted to the side railing using NOA swivel mounts. These are currently unusable and I am looking to replace them as well as to provide some additional capacity that we can deploy when at anchor.
All panels are wired to Victron smartsolar MPPTs which are networked with a cerbo and the multiplus using DVCC (without any BMS control) to co-ordinate charging. Batteries are 690AH at 24V of Epoch Elite V2 batteries (3x 230AH) that I just installed.
