Solar Installation Question

[Happy Place]

I'm adding 400 watts of solar to my hardtop, running into a Victron charge controller in the port lazarette.

Two questions.....

1.) Best idea to route the cables from the panels to the lazarette?

2.) From the output of the charge controller, where to wire the output in order to charge all batteries or...best to only charge the house bank?

 

[Cutwater28GG]

i used the existing cables for the solar install for my 340W panel. you need to do the math on the voltage of your specific panel and make sure the drop and current is supported by the cable.

again I used the existing cable from the morningstar unit that went to the house batteries. the ACR's will open once volts are high enough and charge all the batteries.

 

[Submariner]

I'm adding 400 watts of solar to my hardtop, running into a Victron charge controller in the port lazarette.

Two questions.....

1.) Best idea to route the cables from the panels to the lazarette?

2.) From the output of the charge controller, where to wire the output in order to charge all batteries or...best to only charge the house bank?

I'm doing the same thing. Our boat came with 6mm solar wire (which is close to 10awg marine wire). I'm hooking up both my 200 watt panels in series, not parallel. I don't have a shading problem on our roof rack, and the 6mm solar wire is existing for the 150watt factory panel. I'll be removing the factory panel, putting up two 200 watt panels for 400 watts total. The solar controller I already upgraded to a Victron MPPT Smart Solar 100/30 (100volts max from the panels, and 30 amps max to the batteries at 12volts).

I plan on not running any wires for this install as they're already ran from the factory. The morning star controller had a pair of wires going to the engine battery. I pulled the fuse on that leg and taped off the ends of the wire. The Victron MPPT 100/30 goes to the solar panel and to the house battery only. As Cutwater28GG stated, the ACR's will close and allow the solar to charge the engine and thruster banks once the house bank gets charged up enough.

 

[Wee Venture]

I'm adding 400 watts of solar to my hardtop, running into a Victron charge controller in the port lazarette.

Two questions.....

1.) Best idea to route the cables from the panels to the lazarette?

One way would be to run it in the port side channel directly over the row of cockpit lights. This is the channel that the overhead rails are screwed down to. You could then bring it down through the cabin ceiling right next to the aft wall and down the inside corner formed by that wall and the flybridge stair well. You could hide the wire behind cove moulding. Once down into the space behind the shore power panel, it would be fairly easy to get it to the port lazarette. (It is pretty easy to remove the monkey fur panel in the cave that is behind the shore power breaker panel to get access.)

2.) From the output of the charge controller, where to wire the output in order to charge all batteries or...best to only charge the house bank?

I’m pretty sure the Victron controller only has one charging output. Therefore, if you run it to more than one bank you will be unintentionally paralleling those banks together which you don’t want to do. If you run it just to the house bank, the ACRs will share the charge with the engine and thruster banks.

John

 

[Kevin Lamont]

I'm adding 400 watts of solar to my hardtop, running into a Victron charge controller in the port lazarette.

Two questions.....

1.) Best idea to route the cables from the panels to the lazarette?

2.) From the output of the charge controller, where to wire the output in order to charge all batteries or...best to only charge the house bank?

Hello,

If I was to route wires the easiest way and cleanest way would be to follow the existing wires and how they are routed. You will need to drop overhead panels but before diving to far into it get a good fish cable or wire that will assist in routing the cables. Sometimes you can route wires without removing too much with a good fish cable/wire.

Like it has been stated above the best way for this is to allow the ACR's to work as designed off the house bank. This will allow your house bank to charge all the way before switching to engine and thruster.

Hope this helps!!