Solar arch frame installed

My solar arch frame has been installed. Now need to install the 8x 540 bifacial panels onto it.

That's a lot of solar power! I installed half as much but it still permitted me to remove the (ancient) Onan generator, and I don't miss it.

The frame looks very sturdy. Are the tubes SS or aluminum?

How are you planning to seal the edges of the panels so rain-water does not leak in?

Xlantic said:

That's a lot of solar power! I installed half as much but it still permitted me to remove the (ancient) Onan generator, and I don't miss it.

The frame looks very sturdy. Are the tubes SS or aluminum?

How are you planning to seal the edges of the panels so rain-water does not leak in?

Click to expand...

The tubes are aluminum. 2" OD. The panels line up with aluminum unistrut so those are the water catches essentially. Where the panels will meet edge to edge and no unistrut below, there is silicone to seal the panels together. I still have my 33kw and my 5.5kw generator. The amount of solar going on will hopefully greatly minimize any generator usage.

Very cool & congrats! 33kW generator??? Or is that a wing engine?

What's the total anticipated weight (frame and panels)? Any concern with adding it up high? Please keep us posted on the project.

socalrider said:

Very cool & congrats! 33kW generator??? Or is that a wing engine?

What's the total anticipated weight (frame and panels)? Any concern with adding it up high? Please keep us posted on the project.

Click to expand...

Frame weights maybe 150 to 200lbs. Panels and hardware, around 500lbs. And no concern adding it up high. It originally had a hardtop I removed, and the amount of weight below is substantial. It has a Keel that is steel that runs the lenght, about 6" wide, and goes from about 40" to 6". And then at the bottom of that, there is a piece of flat steel, horizontal, that is about 8" wide, and 1.25" thick.

Very interesting. How are you planning on getting access to cleaning all the panels, esp. those in the centre?

Xlantic said:

That's a lot of solar power! I installed half as much but it still permitted me to remove the (ancient) Onan generator, and I don't miss it.

The frame looks very sturdy. Are the tubes SS or aluminum?

How are you planning to seal the edges of the panels so rain-water does not leak in?

Click to expand...

How do you heat water and use appliances without the generator? Assuming you are not carrying ton's of LI batteries? What about cloudy day's? I have solar, and a portable genny, cloudy day's does not support my Load needs from Solar, thus the portable genny.

I've got 1800W on my cabin roof. Just a few days ago it generated 11.1kWh. I've seen close to 12kWh generated in a day. I've got 2x5kWh 48V LiFePO4 batteries. I removed my Onan generator as well and don't miss it one bit. My daily loads, with the water heater on, are about 6-7kWh. On rainy days you start to run behind. In winter you start to run behind. But on our last rainy day (complete overcast the entire day) my array generated 3.5kWh. So sure, you'd run out of stored energy after three days or so of repeated overcast days. It's really just not a problem. Add a 48v Balmar alternator to your diesel prop engine and you have no problems.

I should add, I've measured the daily cost of running the water heater and it's about 2.7kWh. If it's cloudy, or in the dead of winter, you can turn it off and save 33% of your daily loads. A daily shower (turn on the water heater before bed) costs about 1.2-1.4kWh (takes about 50 minutes to heat 12 gallons), so that's a good intermediate solution if you're trying to save energy. I think at the end of the day, you just become frugal and judicious about what loads you can accept based on the daily solar input.

Mainship Pilot said:

How do you heat water and use appliances without the generator? Assuming you are not carrying ton's of LI batteries? What about cloudy day's? I have solar, and a portable genny, cloudy day's does not support my Load needs from Solar, thus the portable genny.

Click to expand...

My loads are limited as we don't have air conditioning and we cook with gas. The boat had three AC units and an electric range when we bought it ten years ago. I removed the AC units as they were quite old and breaking down and were not needed except in port where we seldom were. And I swapped the electric range for a propane one.

Domestic water is only heated by the engine coolant when anchored-out as we tend to move every couple of days. I have not felt the need to connect the water heater to the inverter but I would if necessary.

So electric consumption is limited to the fridge/freezer, LED lighting and computers, with the fridge/freezer being by far the biggest user.

To the OP. Vary nice and wish you good luck with it!

I have been trying to come up with a way to mount 3 panels on my boat. But its not easy.

That is looking good and should fit quite a few panels. That amount of solar can easily run the boat. I have 3.2 Kwp onboard and during the summer I don't need a generator anymore. So you will definitely see some serious savings there.
Are you going to add more battery power as well ? That way you can run the boat completely without generator, just in case of very bad weather you would use a generator and that is only if your alternators are not able to charge the batteries.
Just make sure the connections to the bus bar are absolutely secure, there is a lot of amps flowing through it, don't want to start a fire.