Gensets redundant ?

[Norman_E]

Just how big and heavy is a 10KWH lead acid battery bank?

I think some extra batteries and a decent array of solar panels are a better idea for most people. On my boat there is not much spare space round the engine to fit anything.

 

[Mistroma]

Just how big and heavy is a 10KWH lead acid battery bank?

I think some extra batteries and a decent array of solar panels are a better idea for most people. On my boat there is not much spare space round the engine to fit anything.

I imagine that you are talking about something in the region of 8x100Ah batteries weighing close to 200kg. Solar is probably the cheapest and most reliable option for many people. However, it will be difficult to fit enough panels on an all electric boat. Not much use for winter sailing either.

 

[Tranona]

I imagine that you are talking about something in the region of 8x100Ah batteries weighing close to 200kg. Solar is probably the cheapest and most reliable option for many people. However, it will be difficult to fit enough panels on an all electric boat. Not much use for winter sailing either.

See post#15. If you are interested in the subject it is worth seeking out Calder's previous articles (some were in PBO a couple of years ago) reporting on his EU funded projects with his custom built Malo 45. The main thrust was evaluating hybrids, but electrical systems were also incorporated as the two are closely connected.

The general conclusion was that hybrids were neither efficient or practical for that pattern of usage or size of boat but start to make sense as boat size rises as space becomes available for the larger units and the use of electricity for domestic purposes becomes viable.

The system described here is a way of getting part way there without some of the space problems of either generator or hybrid. Unlike the hybrid route you don't of curse get electric power for propelling the boat.

It will be interesting to see if it takes off in what is inevitably a very niche market.