Solar panel for 24ft broads cruiser

[Geoff103]

Can anyone help please,
Want to fit a solar panel on my Eastwood 24. Just to keep batteries topped up.
What wattage & Amp would I need to go for?

 

[William_H]

Solar panel size should be mostly dictated by available space. I would start by looking at a domestic type PV panel of around 200w and 40 volts max. The size you see on home roof tops. About 1.6 by 1 metre. This is by far the cheapest power for money as they are used in huge quantities. (our yacht club has 200 of them on the roof) This will require an MPPT controller which in effect transforms the solar panel voltage at the max power point down to that required by the battery. This should give you in the order of 10+ amps into the battery in sunshine.
However you can go smaller until just to keep the batteries healthy you might go for 10 watts (20v) which can be left connected to a large battery without a controller. This can be mounted flat on the roof or better sloping facing south.
So whatever you fancy. However if you buy a 10w and decide you need more power it is not that much waste of money to buy yet another one. For small I would go for cheap ebay from China. ol'will

 

[Dull Spark]

I had a similar requirement and kept it simple: a 50 Watt flexible panel mounted on a piece of aluminium plate with a flying lead to a controller. The plate is held in position by bungee cords and the controller is the type to feed two battery banks - engine starter and domestic. No need to drill holes in the deck and perfect for looking after the batteries for a winter ashore. Last time I visited in December, both batteries were showing about 13.7V, so all well. Keep it simple!

 

[VicS]

Can anyone help please,
Want to fit a solar panel on my Eastwood 24. Just to keep batteries topped up.
What wattage & Amp would I need to go for?

You dont give any information about the batteries you wish to maintain!

Just a small engine start battery ? A large domestic battery bank ? or both ?

Will you be just maintaining a battery that has been "fully charged" by the engine or do you want to be able to recharge a partially discharged domestic battery bank.?

A 5 watt panel will be more than adequate to maintain a small engine start battery and a proportionally larger panel ( and a regulator ) for a domestic battery bank.

For recharging a partly discharged large domestic battery bank as large a panel, or panels, together with a PWM or MPPT controller, as you have space for.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Can anyone help please,
Want to fit a solar panel on my Eastwood 24. Just to keep batteries topped up.
What wattage & Amp would I need to go for?

Easy. Put on the biggest and most panels you can easily fit.

Solar panel size should be mostly dictated by available space. I would start by looking at a domestic type PV panel of around 200w and 40 volts max. The size you see on home roof tops. About 1.6 by 1 metre.

OP, I will personally buy you a pack of Waitrose chocolate biscuits if you can fit a 1.6m x 1m rigid solar panel onto a 24' boat.