solar panels, 24V

[heerenleed]

As we shall be installilng a freezer soon, I feel we do need to do something about our charging batteries underway. Solar panels are bound to be part of the solution. As they are very expensive I would like to try to get some second hand. No problem, but they all come in 12 V, and I have a 24 volt system. Can I just connect them in series like we do with batteries? Or is there a catch?

Has anyone tried this?
Thank you for any advice. In exchange I can tell you which dishwasher you can have on board (saves a lot of water, honestly)

Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[bedouin]

There should be no problem in doubling up solar panels like that. If possible try to make sure that there is (at most) one blocking diode otherwise you will be wasting power.

 

[HaraldS]

You can connect two panels in series and you get the same bahaviour as a single panel on 12V. This means regulation is only needed if you leave you boat alone with not enough power usage to eat more than the panles deliver over time. Of course you can connect multiple seriel pairs of panels to get more power.

OK, now I want to know about the dish washer??

 

[heerenleed]

Absolutely!
Thank heavens sombody wants to know. It is our pride and joy, 'cause who wants to do the dishes....?

When we moved aboard three years ago now, the first treat I gave myself was a genuine dishwasher. It is a smaller one than the usual household ones, is normally available, made by Siemens and ment for small office pantries. It has only one rack, but what the heck! When we have friends for dinner and use a lot of stuff poor old Iron Trudy simply has to do overtime.

But seriously. Some time ago it broke and had to go for repairs. Normally we use 1200 litres of water every two weeks. When Trudy was in hospital the tanks were empty three days early.

A normal program uses 8 litres of water. You can't wash up manually with that. Of course, you need mains electricity. Away from our marina it runs off the generator. Not bad, we have to charge batteries anyway. And switch on the water heater.

By now you'll know we are not the spartanic kind of liveaboards. But then again, why should we.

cheers

Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[yoda]

Try www.purplewhale.com for cheap solar panels if you don't mind a bit of work to waterproof them at the edges etc.

Yoda