300W+ Solar Panel

[Alpina]

I was looking to replace my solar panel with one putting out 300W+. I found several that would work (can’t recall the names off the top of my head). Issue is that I had to order a min of 4 or shipping was about the cost of the panel. For those that have upgraded where did you buy your panels? Was shipping high?

Franco


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fishheadbarandgrill]

It's hit or miss. I ordered an LG 330W panel and paid freight. Worth the money. It took me a couple of days to find a place that would let me order one panel. This was a several years ago.

 

[Alpina]

It's hit or miss. I ordered an LG 330W panel and paid freight. Worth the money. It took me a couple of days to find a place that would let me order one panel. This was a several years ago.

Any chance you remember where you bought it? I presume you changed the controller also?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[scross]

I was going to get this Panasonic for next season. It will allow me to go nearly indefinitely during the season without needing to ever use the engine for battery charging. Including keeping out new portable freezer/ice maker running full time.
These folks will sell just one but the freight is costly. They offer several warehouses around the country, depending on the panel manufacturer, that might be close. We were going to pick one up the next time we were headed south through Sacramento CA.

Panasonic HIT 330W Solar Panel 96 Cell VBHN330SA17 $353.29
62.5" x 41.5" x 1.5"
https://a1solarstore.com/panasonic-hit- ... panel.html

 

[bill46]

I bought a 300 W Panasonic from local solar installer. Cheaper than online delivered.

 

[Aaron1]

https://m.platt.com/platt-electric-supp ... px?cid=863

 

[Alpina]

Thanks all. What I suspected. Like $200 for shipping. I will call a local solar shop and see what prices are.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Severum88]

I bought two grape solar 190w panels online from Home Depot. It was even free shipping at the time. Plug and play with the MS Duo controller.

 

[Severum88]

I bought two grape solar 190w panels online from Home Depot. It was even free shipping at the time. Plug and play with the MS Duo controller.

 

[Severum88]

I bought two grape solar 190w panels online from Home Depot. It was even free shipping at the time. Plug and play with the MS Duo controller.

 

[Severum88]

I bought two grape solar 190w panels online from Home Depot. It was even free shipping at the time. Plug and play with the MS Duo controller.

 

[Submariner]

I just spent last night and today installing the first of two solar panels on my boat.

I went with a pair of Sunpower 200 watt marine grade panels. They were pricey panels. Mono-crystalline with a 23.7% efficiency rating. Shipping was $137 for the two of them (total). Having 400 watts up top should give us an average of 100 amps a day, and our average daily electrical usage is about 110 amps (If I don't run the hot water heater). Took the boat out today to try it out (we're in a covered slip). It was sunny out and saw 166 watts at 11amps at 3pm. Once I get that second panel up there those numbers will double.

The warehouse messed up my order and shipped me a 225 watt and a 200 watt. The replacement 200 watt is supposed to be here Monday with a return shipping label to send the 225 watt back.

They're really sharp looking panels. Same width as the factory panel, and a few inches shorter.
http://www.tugnuts.com/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=79434

Solar panel mount (Stainless clamp-on).
http://www.tugnuts.com/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=79438

All I had to do was crimp on some MC4 connectors to the boat wires hanging out of the back of the smokestack and mount the panels to the roof rack. I upgraded the solar controller to a Victron Smart Solar controller, 100/30 a few months back in preparation for today.

 

[fishheadbarandgrill]

It's hit or miss. I ordered an LG 330W panel and paid freight. Worth the money. It took me a couple of days to find a place that would let me order one panel. This was a several years ago.

Any chance you remember where you bought it? I presume you changed the controller also?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I purchased from Ecodirect. https://www.ecodirect.com. That was from 2017 for a previous boat. When I installed the same panel on my RT, I had the installer order the panel. I upgraded the controller to a Victron 100/30 MPPT controller with the 712 battery monitor.

 

[Alpina]

I just spent last night and today installing the first of two solar panels on my boat
.

To simplify the upgrade, I’d like to keep the existing wiring. Your install might be different because you added two panels ... did you keep the same factory wiring or did you upgrade it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Submariner]

I just spent last night and today installing the first of two solar panels on my boat
.

To simplify the upgrade, I’d like to keep the existing wiring. Your install might be different because you added two panels ... did you keep the same factory wiring or did you upgrade it?

I kept all the original wiring. I did NOT want to have to run any cables throughout the boat for this upgrade.

From the solar panel to the solar controller is 10AWG cable (4MM solar wire), by putting the panels in series, the voltage will max at 79 volts with the 2 panels (under 6.5 amps). On the battery side of the solar controller, I'm limited to 30 amps (due to the 10AWG wire already in place from the solar controller to the house battery).

The solar controller I upgraded several months ago to a Victron MPPT 100/30 Smart solar controller. It'll handle up to 100 volts from the solar panel and 30 amps to the battery. 400 watts at 14.6 volts would yield 27 amps.

Solar panel in use, sunny day, 3pm in May, 166 watts.
(single 200 watt panel, once my 2nd panel is installed, these numbers will double)
33.95volts at 4.9amps between the solar controller and the solar panel.
14.6volts at 11amps between the solar controller and the house battery.
http://www.tugnuts.com/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=79448

My install is as follows:
1) Upgraded to the Victron MPPT 100/30 controller. This was a drop in replacement for the Duo controller. Mounted in the exact same spot using the same cables. The set of 10AWG cables that went to the engine battery for charging, I pulled the fuse and wrapped the ends of the cables as I no longer need it.

2) Pulled the original solar panel off. I had to cut the wires from the boat to the solar panel. Mounted the new panel on the roof rack.

3) Crimped on a male and female MC4 connector for the boat + and - solar wire.
http://www.tugnuts.com/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=79451

4) Connected the panel to the MC4 connectors (they're quick disconnects). When the second panel arrives this week, I'll connect it in series so no additional cabling is required. The solar panels came with MC4 cables already.
Boat(+) to Panel1(+). Panel1(-) to Panel2(+). Panel2(-) to the Boat(-).

I know our daily electrical requirements on the boat to be about 110amp-hours daily.(1300 watts), if I don't use the hot water heater. A rule of thumb for the Pacific Northwest for solar panel sizing is to take the wattage of the panel divided by 4, and that's the amp-hours per day one can expect on average. 400 watts = 100Ah/day. On super sunny days it would be higher, on cloudy days it'll be lower.

 

[scross]

Thought about adding a second 180/190 watt Grape solar panel to increase my capacity as well. With the cargo box on the sports rack I just don’t have the 53-54” of width needed for two panels. The Panasonic 330 Watt panel is only 42” wide. All my existing wiring and Victron Energy 100/20 solar controller will handle the 330 Watt panel. It’s literally a plug and play replacement for my existing setup.

 

[gswearin]

The dangerous thing about reading these posts is I go "now I need that"! What are you all's thoughts on getting a second factory panel? Mine is 160w so another (perhaps one you all are taking off your boats) will give 320 in series. I think I'd need a new controller as the Duo is 30 volts max but that sounds like an easy swap out.
Thanks in advance. Gary

 

[Submariner]

The dangerous thing about reading these posts is I go "now I need that"! What are you all's thoughts on getting a second factory panel? Mine is 160w so another (perhaps one you all are taking off your boats) will give 320 in series. I think I'd need a new controller as the Duo is 30 volts max but that sounds like an easy swap out.
Thanks in advance. Gary

The Duo controller also only supports a max of 280 watts. Due to the higher efficiency of MPPT controllers over PWM, once you go above around 150 watts, an MPPT controller is best.

You could still connect in parallel using the existing boat wire. They make special MC4 connectors that are effectively a Y cable, so the Boat(+) can be split to connect to two panels.

 

[Alpina]

I bought a 300 W Panasonic from local solar installer. Cheaper than online delivered.

Thanks for the lead. I found a local installer ... kind of. They have a local install office. They are willing to ship a single panel to the install office for me to pick up. They will bundle it on the load for the next job that they are installing so I don't have to pay freight. A SunPower 335W panel for ~$200.

Franco

 

[Alpina]

The solar controller I upgraded several months ago to a Victron MPPT 100/30 Smart solar controller. It'll handle up to 100 volts from the solar panel and 30 amps to the battery. 400 watts at 14.6 volts would yield 27 amps.

OK, so I should have paid more attention during my engineering classes but electrical engineering was not my cup of tea. I'm pretty handy and get electrical wiring in a house but don't fully understand solar yet.

If I install a 335W panel, will a 100V/20A charge controller work? What's confusing to me is the various voltages and amperages that are quoted. The panel states rated voltage of 57V. Open circuit voltage of 68V. So do I divide 335W/57V to get amps 5.6A? But I know that the battery charges at ~13.7V, so is it 335W/13.7=24.5A?

Generally, I go bigger but $60 here and $60 there adds up after a while.
Franco