Solar + Batteries for R-29 CB at Anchor?

[mlanger]

I'm in the process of buying a 2019 R-29 CB, which seems to be pretty much stock. No generator or air conditioner. I'll be putting it on the Great Loop and expect to spend at least 2-3 nights a week at anchor, traveling at a medium pace for the entire winter.

I'd like to know if the stock solar controller can be used with more than just the provided solar panel. Can I swap out that solar panel for a more powerful one? Add a second panel? Are there enough house batteries to store all the power generated? Do you have some sort of reference document or Web link I can look at to learn more about optimizing my solar power setup, preferably without spending a fortune for an all-at-once upgrade?

My biggest concerns are keeping the refrigerators running -- I'm from the RV world and am not accustomed to DC refrigerators (most RV refrigerators have a propane option) -- and being able to run/charge small electronic devices if I spend two or more consecutive nights at anchor.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Maria

 

[Scuba Too]

I have the same boat and have been able to go 2-3 days without running the generator, though that goes down as the battery ages. You can also run your engine for a bit to recharge.

 

[mlanger]

I have the same boat and have been able to go 2-3 days without running the generator, though that goes down as the battery ages. You can also run your engine for a bit to recharge.

That's definitely reassuring. My ability to keep things going while at anchor is going to make a huge difference on this trip. I'm hoping to find anchorages I can stay at for a few days to relax away from crowds and save some money. I'll be on the boat at least 5 months straight starting in December.

 

[Scuba Too]

I should add to use DC as much as possible. For example use a cigarette charger for recharging phones and not AC.

 

[scross]

Your soon to be R-29CB is probably the NorthWest edition which rarely had a generator and A/C installed.

Before doing anything else please see the Power Management webinar produced by Ranger Tugs staff. All the webinars can be found here:
https://www.rangertugs.com/ownership-ex ... e-webinar/

Our Journey is definitely not a R-29 CB so our always DC draw may be less than yours. We have a single 340 watt solar panel, Victron Energy MPPT solar controller and four 110 AmpHr flooded house batteries. With that our solar input on sunny days averages 80-90 AmpHrs. Our normal for us DC consumption on the house batteries is 110-120 AmpHrs a day. This gives 3-4 days of DC power in a row without engine or shore power charging.
When we add a portable freezer, which we do for longer cruises, that consumption jumps to 165-190 AmpHrs day. At best that gives me two days without running the engine. We never run the inverter as we would run out of DC power in hours, not days!
The first step in solving your problem is to figure out how much capacity power (in AmpHrs) you have in your house bank. That’s equal to the total of your house battery bank AmpHr rating times the amount of usable power you can remove from the system without damaging your batteries. For flooded batteries that’s about 25% of the rated AmpHrs of each battery. For AGM batteries it’s a different (higher) percentage. For lithium batteries it’s a much higher percentage.
Solar panels with a good MPPT controller will give you (as a rule of thumb) about 25% of the rated panel watts in AmpHrs. So a 400 watt panel will give you 100 AmpHrs on a sunny summer day.
Starting with your usable capacity subtract our a days worth of consumption then add back your solar contribution. Do this for every day until the result is at zero or slightly negative. Say you have 110 AmpHrs of usable capacity in your house bank and use 110 AmpHrs a day at anchor. Without solar you only have a single day without needing engine or shore power to recharge the batteries. If you take those same numbers and add back in 55 AmpHrs from solar a day you now have enough for 2 days without recharging. With a solar contribution at 110 AmpHrs a day from a 440 watt panel you could theoretically go forever on sunny summer days without engine or shore power recharging.
Hope this very simplified explanation helps.

 

[Rocky]

I have a 2018 R29. I added a second solar panel to my system. I was advised to upgrade the Controller. I went with a Victron 100/30 controller. The change out is straightforward. (Watch you tubes from "Lets Go Channel Surfing.") An MPPT controller is much more efficient than the PWM controller that RT installs anyway.

Now I have 310 watts of Solar Panel and it is impressive how much electricity that adds to my batteries. I can stay on Anchor virtually indefinitely (for power) in the PNW. It works well with clouds in the spring and summer. I haven't been out in the depth of winter with yet......

The Victron Controller has the Bluetooth app so you can see exactly how much your solar system is producing. I la so have the Victron BMV-312 battery monitor. With these 2, i fee like I know exactly what is going on in the battery bank.

One difference is that the Victron controller will only charge one battery bank - So you lose the capability of charging 2 battery banks. I didn't feel that was a big factor.

I hope that helps!

Rocky

 

[Submariner]

I should add to use DC as much as possible. For example use a cigarette charger for recharging phones and not AC.

For recharging small devices such as phones, also consider those portable lithium batteries like what Anker sells. Those 20,000 mAh battery banks sell for around $70 and will charge your phone 3-4 times. They're a great way to conserve power on the boat as they are charged off shorepower.

 

[mlanger]

I should add to use DC as much as possible. For example use a cigarette charger for recharging phones and not AC.

Yes, I know there’s a loss of power when you convert DC (battery) to AC (inverter). You’re right: makes much more sense to plug DC devices (like USB charger cables) into DC outlets to avoid that extra power drain.

 

[mlanger]

I should add to use DC as much as possible. For example use a cigarette charger for recharging phones and not AC.

For recharging small devices such as phones, also consider those portable lithium batteries like what Anker sells. Those 20,000 mAh battery banks sell for around $70 and will charge your phone 3-4 times. They're a great way to conserve power on the boat as they are charged off shorepower.

I have a bunch of 10A battery banks that I use with my GoPros and constantly charge them when on shore power, so they’re always available to charge smaller devices. This is a great tip for anyone. Store power wherever you can. Thanks!

 

[mlanger]

Thank you, everyone, for the excellent replies to this. You have given me a lot to consider and follow up on. I admit that I’m also considering a small wind generator, which should add power to the system at night. But I think that’s only after I optimize the solar and battery system.

In my RVing days, which are ending when I take delivery of the boat next month, I spent up to 2 months off the grid on public land with occasional trips to dump black water and get fresh water. So my expectations can be pretty high. It’ll be a challenge to see how well I can do on a boat. Your advice is greatly appreciated!