Battery topping up via small solar Panel

[Bigplumbs]

Soon our Sealine S24 will be on a swing mooring and I am keen to keep the starter battery topped up. It is not easy to fit a large solar panel to such a boat so I have bought a folding 60 watt panel and a longish, narrow 50 watt panel. I performed this little test and depending which will fit best. I think either would easily do the job.

Little video below

 

[Chiara’s slave]

It’s perfectly standard for us raggies to use a panel like that on a similar sized sail boat, and expect it to start an outboard and run a basic electrical system, ie instruments, nav lights and an internal light. If all you want is a top up trickle, a 10w panel would do, with the money saving bonus of not really needing a regulator. Though a PWM on is less than a tenner, so maybe who cares.

 

[ithet]

As Chira's Slave says, I have kept a starter battery topped up when on a mooring for several years, including over winters using a portable 10w panel and no regulator. I have a fixed 60w now, which keeps starter AND. 270ah topped and can help bing up if required.