Solar panel array for bow deck

[PaulRainbow]

Tbh I haven't investigated this much further in detail, but I read in the RYA magazine about quite a few boat fires in the past few years due to lithium batteries... Human error w/o doubt a major factor, but this put me off quite a bit tbh. As said, enough risks to manage as is. But pls pls pls let's not go OT too much: as stated several times, this thread is first-and-foremost about solar panels NOT batteries

I'd like to see some links to "quite a few" boat fires due to Lithium batteries.

I can supply some pictures of lead acid batteries that have catastrophically exploded.

 

[Graham376]

I'd like to see some links to "quite a few" boat fires due to Lithium batteries.

I can supply some pictures of lead acid batteries that have catastrophically exploded.

Quite a lot of reported lithium battery fires aboard boats but vast majority are due to fires in battery powered devices rather than the main boat batteries.

Lithium-ion Battery Safety | Boat Safety Scheme | Go Boating - Stay Safe

A series of fires on recreational vessels have been linked to lithium-ion battery-powered devices

 

[PaulRainbow]

Quite a lot of reported lithium battery fires aboard boats but vast majority are due to fires in battery powered devices rather than the main boat batteries.

Lithium-ion Battery Safety | Boat Safety Scheme | Go Boating - Stay Safe

A series of fires on recreational vessels have been linked to lithium-ion battery-powered devices

I was referring to LifePO4 installed for domestic systems Graham, as that's what we're usually discussing on this forum.

Thanks for the links. The second one is particularly interesting/relevant and seems well balanced. For instance:

"In terms of safety profile, all experts interviewed for the article made a clear distinction between the high-energy lithium-ion batteries found within portable devices, and the lithium iron phosphate [LFP] batteries that are recommended for the marine industry as a vessel power source. LFP batteries are widely regarded as more stable than other types of lithium-ion batteries with a better safety track record.

"Lithium iron phosphate [LFP] is the preferred lithium blend for quality marine lithium batteries," says Ruwald. "It is my opinion that LFP batteries installed correctly and purchased from a reputable supplier and quality recognised brand are the safest batteries you can install on your vessel." Damm agreed, stating within his interview that LFP batteries represent the "gold standard" in safety as they have less energy density and are less likely to go into "thermal runaway"."