This project you 2 have undertaken is a carbon copy of the obscene education it takes to tackle a project when you can clearly see what the end result will be, knowing full well the work that lays ahead of you. My wife and I tackled a project like this with our home, and it was an old Victorian house that had been neglected for far too long. It’s a labor of love, and not for the meek, but if you take your time, tackle one issue at a time, your dream WILL COME TRUE. I’m looking forward to following your journey, because I’ve walked in your shoes, and it was worth it.
A few comments that may help with your solar/battery installation. You have chosen well with Lithium, this is the best technology for power supply and storage. I would fit as many solar panels as will fit on your boat remember, there is no output from them at night and reduced output on cloudy days or when the boat's in shade. You need another source of charging the batteries - boat engine altternator, petrol generator, wind generator or AC shore power in a marina. I would forget about installing an invertor this is a huge drain on your batteries and what do you need 230v AC for anyway? Keep all your appliances running on 12volts. Laptops run at about 19v (buy a car laptop power supply from your electronics store) your fridge would be 12/24v or gas, lighting is 12v LED, stereo/radio 12v, Webasto diesel heater 12v, water heater boat engine or gas and cooking would be gas or spirit stove. Hope this helps.
I am so happy to see you! And so happy to hear your plans for the boat. Can't wait to see more of your talented work. I watched a lot of your videos from van life and I have to tell you, I really like what you did to the van. I am doing a renovation soon and I may borrow some of your interior design ideas. Thanks for sharing your time and plans with all of us. Welcome back. Brava Bravo Love from Italy
Both of you have been missed. Looking forward to the window installs and a recap of metal bottom findings and repairs. Your boat represents history and is being given a new life which I so respect.
Shawn Rhymes here. It's about time! 😊 I don't have a boat at this time. However when it comes to the electrical, I'm looking forward to the sodium batteries. They don't explode without a moment's notice. Unfortunately they are not yet available. Have also considered a wind turbine? Thanks for the video. I enjoyed the update.
I would suggest thinking carefully about your energy usage. For instance, a 3KW inverter will not be big enough to supply all of your 240v needs. A modern kettle can draw up to 3KW on its own. So if you're already running your fridge etc off of it, you're going to run into trouble. Also, just work out the current draw off of your battery bank! That's going to take quite some time to recharge your battery bank after just boiling the kettle. As mentioned in the comments, I think you're definitely going to have to use a generator as well to supplement your energy requirements.
Hi Chris and Priscilla, I just stumbled upon your latest posting (I am subscribed but, didn't receive a notification). I am glad to hear everything is basically going according to plan and you are looking forward to the next step in refurbishment. You will want to install as many solar panels as you possibly can. Please note that solar panel output ratings are based upon ideal conditions (the temperature is +25 degrees Celsius or less, the sun is directly overhead, it is low humidity, the sky is perfectly clear, the solar panels are new, the solar panels are precisely aimed at the sun, and there are no shadows of any kind being cast on any of the panels). Solar panel output drops very quickly if any of those conditions are not met. For instance, if a cloud passes in front of the sun, the panel output will drop about 75%! If shade falls on one cell of a panel, output from that panel will drop 70 to 90%. If the panels are connected in series, output from the entire set of panels will drop 70 to 90% if shade falls on one cell on only one panel. Therefore, the panels should be connected in parallel. You will need to learn how to budget your electric consumption, since you have a limit to the amount of power available. You can do this by determining how much power each appliance (or electrical load) consumes, then determine how much power you can use, based upon how much power is coming into the system and how much battery charge is avaliable, information your electrical system should monitor. You will definitely need a generator to keep the batteries charged during winter weather and overcast days. You will need some type of current limiting for your boat engine alternator, charging Lithium batteries can easily pull more alternator current than it can safely supply.
Thanks Bill, we always appreciate your input. We definitely will need to install more solar then we had thought. Sorry to hear you didn't get a notification perhaps check you have the notification bell clicked on UA-cam. As always we appreciate the support!
@@DuoVagari Thanks for your response! I have been doing solar since 2009 so, wanted to spare you some of the hardships I learned the hard way. I am also a retired electrical engineer that made a career designing similar circuitry. I wish you all the best on your boat rehab endeavors. When the boat is finished, I think you will have something you will be proud of that will serve you well, and as a bonus, you will have learned some very useful skills along the way.
Thanks Bill !! How much solar would you suggest we install ? By the way we have a new video out this week on the windows just incase you didn't get a notification ua-cam.com/video/QVEQP96b2as/v-deo.htmlsi=4ltogFGoEUEhgSeS
@@DuoVagari Thank you Chris or Priscilla for the video notification. I changed the notification level on your videos to the highest level, and surprisingly, it worked! I received a notification within an hour of the launch of your video this time around. As far as how many solar panels to use, use as many as you can comfortably fit. I know there is demand for various items on the roof so, whatever is practical. The amount of sunlight that generates usable power during the winter months is not enough to keep up with the consumption rate but, the more panels you have, the less you will need to run a generator. Connect your panels in parallel to feed the solar controller. This way you won't lose most of your generating capacity if a small shadow falls on just one cell in only one series connected panel. There is a popular concensus that the panels should be connected in series so there will be more voltage available to feed the solar controller as the panel output voltage falls during low light periods of the day. However, the characteristics of solar panels is such that the output voltage falls due to current output falling to zero. In simple terms this means that you won't really receive any benefit from the series panel connection because the output power is miniscule during low light levels; you will only see about a one watt or two advantage for about one minute. With a boat electrical system, you have an "Off Grid" system, which depends upon batteries that are kept charged by a mechanical generator, solar panels, or shore power. You don't have an infinite supply available so, you have to keep track of what you are powering from your system. Running the batteries too low on charge damages your battery bank, shortening the battery life span. Appliances that consume the most electrical power are heating types so, if there is a non-electrical alternative, that would be a preferred way to go. Electrical heating elements put out only 3.4 BTUs per watt, which is very inefficient. For instance, bringing a lltre of water to boil with an electric kettle can discharge your battery bank a surprisingly amount.
Great to hear that you are alive and kicking and sorry to hear of your bad luck. I also have a solar power systems but mine is in our home here in the Philippines. Our system is mainly for power outages that happen pretty regularly, and to also save money on the electric bill. We have a 3.5kw system 6 200 amp hour battery 10, 120 watt panels and a off grid inverter. What we have learned about our inverter is if whatever appliances you use that are for cooking and making heat 🔥 it's hard on the inverter, other than a fridge or TV. And being off gird you can't recharge your batteries with electricity and a charger by plugging them in while you're docked. Something too think about. And DC type circuit breaker not every hardware store carries DC breaker, stock up from your solar supplier. Other than that, love your videos and your story always looking for the next one. Take care.
I love what you are doing and I wish you all the best in your endeavours. I am enjoying your content immensely. Your presentation is brilliant! Please note that the rating of solar panels is usually based on the SUN being perpendicular to the surface of the panel, which is never the case in the UK. The angle of the panels may be optimised for a UK location but in all probability, for practical installation purposes on a canal boat, they will be horizontal. The power output drops off as the angle of the sun changes from perpendicular. Do not expect to get out the full power output specified. Of course the power output is also dependent on the weather - i.e. cloud, and in the winter there are less hours of daylight than in the summer! So please be aware of your power output expectations and requirements, both: average and peak. It will be significantly less than the specification of the solar panels; possibility a half to a quarter. You need to look at your likely power consumption. The batteries should be sized to cope with peak and daily consumption. Your solar panels should be sized to cope with recharging your daily consumption, but supplemented with alternative means of charging such as a diesel generator. Consider all drains of power including the engine, cabin heating, appliances, etc, etc… I imagine the engine will be powered from liquid fuel such as diesel or petrol. I similarly imagine that heating (hot water and central heating) will be from liquid fuel or solid fuel. This leaves the electrical power requirements - mostly the appliances. But consider alternatives. For example the fridge/freezer could be powered from LPG ( eg propane gas). The hob and oven could be LPG or electric... It is a complex subject that needs to be considered and I make these comments only to assist you in coming to the optimum decision on your choices. If you want more of my advice please do not hesitate to contact me. My credentials are: a BSc degree in electrical and electronic engineering and nearly 50 years in the industry.
Hi With regards to 1500 litre stainless steel water tank , ours is under our bed or to be excact it is our bed framed and insulated and clad with the same wood as the rest off the boat 55x22mm maple tougne and groove forma squash courts If you add up what water you use for showers ,washing machine washing up or dish washer i think you be suprised how much you use day to day and trawling to fill up water will get a chore after a while if you live fulltime on your boat You have the ideal oportunity to have one fabricated before you fit your boat dont worry about weight believe me your boat when working was capable of carrieing 100 ton I had my boat from new and was spray foamed and batoned as insulation i would also recommend that too less time consuming and quicker than celotex or simular we also have compost loo no chemicals to trawl to empty toilet, believe me in the summer enjoyable winter not so in the winter same as water water points get frozen more options with big tank🤪 You will wan't to be in the warm beside the fire cuddling up with glass of wine with your sauasge dog I am in Cambridge if you fancy a look at what i did for ideas PM me It was labour off love fitting it out but it will never be finished We love living on our boat Something Blue it the best thing i have done and never regret Gary
Glad to see yea are continuing thought yea got bad news at the dry dock! Looking forward to seeing it floating again. Now for the rest of the story aey.
There seems to be a lot of negative comments from some people about your proposed set up!, i'll tell you my set up and how it performs. there are definitely better set ups but mine works for me. i have wide beam, 2014 collingwood 60 x12. it has a 12 volt domestic battery set up with 3 x 12 volt lifepo4 for a total of 560Ah (1 x 140Ah and 2 x 110Ah all the same make and voltage). a 3kw sterling inverter/charger, (never been connected to shore power since my owner ship)12 volt fridge/freezer, gas hob and oven(electric fan assisted) 2 x 230 volt tv 230 volt washing machine plus all the usual 12volt lights, pumps and stuff for water and a webasto diesel heater. washing machine works well although not used frequently. batteries are charged via 6 x 340w eurener solar panels. 3 strings of 2 panels wired in series and wired to 3 separate victron 100/50 MPPT controllers. batteries also charged from engine when cruising via 2 x victron dc/dc chargers (12/12 30). these limit the current drawn from the alternator so it doesn't overheat. i have an alternator for the starter battery/bow thruster battery and a 175amp alternator for the domestic batteries, also has a lead acid battery connected to the domestics before the dc/dc chargers to protect the alternator. i do not live on the boat but i use it frequently as registered as a continuous cruiser. the fridge is always left on, batteries have performed well and the solar and dc/dc charging from the alternator provides enough power to charge the batteries. its never let me down or failed in over 3 years. keep batteries between 20% and 80% if poss. like the vlogs, i wish you well on your journey.
Looking forward to how far youve got. I hope you dont get disheartened by either controlling subscribers or the rude comments. People have been rude on here and there's no need. Good channel.
Nice thing about an offgrid system is you can add to it if you need more capacity and/or replenishment. You could split the system and run the starboard side on one system and port on another. Having more solar than your capacity will allow you to charge quicker and allow you to take advantage of maybe limited noncloudy days. I think when they size solar systems they calculate what you need in a day multiplied by 3-5 days. But like i said you can build as you go for your needs
Welcome back! Just a thought… (based on the weather conditions in this video) You may be able to supplement your solar energy with a vertical axis wind turbine. Even a light breeze can help bring your battery bank up when solar alone isn’t enough. (And it works at night!) Looking forward to seeing your further adventures.
Was thinking the same, especially during the low sunhour months of November, December and January that may help cutting fuel costs a lot. Kind regards Christiaan
A strong recommendation from our refrigerator manufacturer was to buy a dc frig. Don’t get an ac one. The ac friges take the ac and convert it to dc. You waste power converting from dc to ac and back to dc.
If you go about your days as if you live on the grid you're always going to have supply issues no matter what you install. Look at it as what your reality is, you're living off the grid, like an RV. Become very aware of your resources from water to electrics to black water. If you do that you will do very well. Congrats.
When planning power on a boat in the UK work out how you can use the smallest amount of power possible then work out the most efficient way of replacing it, Size your bank from this. Unless you are installing a large generator gas is the most efficient way of boiling a kettle and cooking. Go gas free if you like the sound of a generator rattling away.😂
Hy Prisciila, Hey Chris. Nice to hear from you again. It is great to that your project develops. Just to give you an idea for the energy consumption of your boat. Sounds good with that four LIPO Batteries and it is propably enough energy but you should prepare what you do when you run out of energy one time. You need to have lighting anytime or enough power for your diesel heater. Therefore I suggest you to get a 1 or 2 kw Inverter Diesel or petrol generator just for that extra reserve in case you need urgently energy. With that generator you can charge your batteries and get a bit extra power to run e emergency power grid. It is really important that you have any reduntancy. Also consider if you cook with electric power or with gaz. For the six solar panels I suggest that you mount them so you can face them in to the sun. Especially in Wintertime you will run short of power even though with your largest LIPO Boys. What about the panels at the very bottom of the boat, where they in good shape? Could you inspect them carefully ? I can’t wait for an nother video from you three. Please give barley a big petting stroke from me. Thanx for ya videos. Take care. Your friend from Switzerland. Tom
Just remember with it being a metal floor you need to have wood rubber pad and the box around it should be able to keep a lot of moisture out.Bro anyway I just thought I might get suggestion
Spend extra on the charge controller and inverter so you can upgrade the panels in the future without having to replace the controller. Consider better and bigger panels because in winter they will produce much less... which may also call for a generator. Running the boat engine when stationary can take a long time and be noisy depending on your engine and engine space.
Something people forget with Solar, it only charges during the daylight time😉 So, if you’re using power tools, kettle etc, the batteries will probably run down faster than Solar can replenish them. Meaning less for the next day etc. A number of projects I follow have run into just such an issue. Supplementing the Solar with a small wind generator that works at any time, and an emergency generator might be worth considering, especially to keep the tools & kettle going during these early days 🙂
as you are starting with only 4 batteries I would make room and build a battery holder that will hold 8 batteries from the outset,then you already have the holders/shelves built ready
I am not sure “only” is the right word here… they are 280a each and lifepo4… that means that each battery is the equivalent of over 5 lead acid batteries as you can only discharge LA to 50%… the biggest problem is going to be keeping them charged… 1Kw of solar sounds a lot… but you rarely get that and in winter you will be lucky to get 10%… I see an engine running a lot or a shore hookup… 🤷♂️
Have you considered a small wood-burner stove? Highly efficient, and here I. The states they have phone chargers that can be integrated to charge off of the endothermic reaction.
Listening to your plans, seems like you have done a lot of research on the electrical department. So once the windows are installed, hope that you will have a proper mooring place for the boat? Especially once the solar panels are installed. Glad you are back, cheers.
Remember that 1020 wh of solar is the maximum or peak the panel can produce when the sun is shining full strength at the panel (will that ever happen in the UK? says the Aussie 😉) at most you might get 2-4 hours of that and the rest will be somewhere between 0 and 1000 watts per hour, so don't expect it to charge from flat to full in a day. Having said that, people have lived "comfortably" on boats for centuries with no electricity or motors, so how much power you need and how much you can get by with is really up to you. You will have an engine and if you put a decent alternator on it and make sure your charge controller for the battery can take manage the power input from the alternator as well as the solar, then at least you'll have a backup source for charging (especially in winter), also make sure you can charge from "shore power" as a second backup. Been subscribed a while already (I guess I'm part of the 20%?)
The biggest drain on your batteries will likely be your fridge and/or freezers as they are consuming for all of 24 hrs. Only 1kW of "headline" PV power will fall considerably on cloudy winter days. I suggest you look at a top-loading fridge for efficiency or even (as a diy option) a small chest freezer re-purposed with a fridge thermostat to alter the running temperature - they are better insulated.
As an individual who is just finishing up a lithium install on my motorcoach in the US, your solar panel total wattage is likely going to be way to small for your total watts in your battery bank. I suggest you look at Victron equipment only for your other equipment and they are located in the Netherlands. They are know as the premier solar power system equipment provided. And for my coach I have currently one 300 ah battery with a total potential of 585 watt solar panels, but as you know, it's not likely I'll see that much. Enjoy your journey and of course I'll keep watching.
For the amount of cloud cover you have go larger panels, many companies make +400w panels. Also get a bigger inverter, power tools, heater, etc will need lots of startup power, 4k or 5k. If you don't want to think about it look at one of the plug and play whole home backup systems from Anker or Ecoflow.
Maybe look into the efficiency of the panel? 400+ Watt should be less than about twice the size of the 170 Watt panel to make sense. Kind regards Christiaan
hi folks, as always, a nice video, thanks. Reg Off grid solar system, I don´t seem to find a comment regarding system voltage: Everything else seems to be dealt with nicely, Lifepo4 is definetly the way to go, solar requires a bit of thinking for the setup (arrangement) and secondary equipment has to be evaluated. the higher the input voltage, the more efficient the syatem will be, cables can be downzised by a 4th and power losses in cbling reduced to a minimum. FYI: you can buy a 3kw 48V inverter- charger- solar controller for 700.-$ and a 48V 5kwh battery for around 1.500.-$ US. As you mentioned before, a decent basic system is easily expandable for little money. You might want to give the basic setup a bit more of future evaluation. 48V is the industry standard right now, it is worth considering, being more efficient and less costly. cheers
Where ever you locate the batteries make sure you have space to expand 4 batteries is a good start but down the road I'll bet you gonna double up or you could have 2 independent systems of 4 batteries 4 panels it would allow you to spread the weight and if one systems goes down you got backup take care be safe
For many years of power boating we always had diesel fired generators water cooled and now they are very quiet it’s surprising how much power is required by fridges tv s heating systems kettles lighting washing machine immersion water heater sounds to me like you need more like 5kva . Good luck but there is nothing more annoying when someone plugs in their straighteners and it trips out .
Good to see you back again. I'm happy that you're still planning everything. I look forwrd to seeing your progress. Just a tiny bit of advice - I think that your camera lense may need a bit of a wipe!! Probably all your work is generating a lot of dust!
Happy that you are back! I think your proposed solar system and batteries are on the small side. I started with solar on my ship, with 600W peak in solar, and a 90Ah 24V LiFePO4 battery . In summer this was way good enough for a 35Wcontinuous fridge and the occasional top-up of the laptop, toothbrush and phones. And the bilge pump ;). But coming november it couldn't cope with the fridge anymore , and I'm in the Netherlands. Some other thoughts: don't put the solar panels in series if you don't need to, because if one panel has some shade on it, it effects the output of the linked panel. Parallel doesn't have that problem. The open voltage of a panel should be at least 5% higher than your systemvoltage, so I use 33V panels on a 24V system. I use a 2500W pure sinewave inverter, but this barely meets needs when I start a circular saw... You've got a lovely ship in the making, very special hull, keep up the work! oh and I subscribed ;) Arjen
I suppose that your batteries will be connected in Parallel and NOT IN SERIES, unless you are going to run a 48 volt system of course. Apart from that I think that you are making good progress 👍👍👍
I assume you mean LFP batteries, not lithium nickel cobalt chemistry. The latter should be kept in the 20% to 80% range for best life. Even better to limit to 70%
A lot of energy is one. They come with a snap together stuff. I mean, it is really good. There's UA-cam videos showing this. It's on red poppy ranch or you can look on Lambert, acres. And it is really, really nicequipment They stack easy everything but you may not gonna get it overseas
Not boat but caravan. Just purchased a 3000w inverter to run a induction cook top. 200ah lithium phosphate battery, a12/24v 110l fridge. Plus 160w solar. fridge running overnight the battery drops down to 76%
Internal bms is ok if you are just using one battery, but you are going to need an external bms once you start using multiple batteries....not to mention a large DC/DC charger for charging from the solar and the alternator on the engine. A general rule of thumb is 2kw of solar per 1ah of battery.
Is this a wise project given the patched repairs to the pre existing hull and structure…… all the money is going into making the vessel ergonomically pleasing….. but I fear the hull is not in great shape despite patching sections the overall state of the structure will require further work down the line this will definitely detract from any sale done the line you have in mind …..
Hi I been following you on how you are doing great on the project so far. I think you need to work out what appliances you will have like a fridge , a freezer, a washing machine dryer a microwave ,iron ,a tv and so on. I have one solar panel for my carpet van 1992 as I don’t need much power only to the pump that work hot water and shower etc. if you are getting a company to fit you solar setup crack it, If you it doing yourself then contact a company that do setups on narrowboats and wide beans, they will help you with power setup you will need. Good luck! Can’t wait for next video Regards Paul 👍🚐🍺🪸🦔🐿️🦆
Good morning you two, just wondering how you’re getting on with the windows and have you found a secure place to work on your boat? Hope all is well,Cheers.
A bit late, but I would add two more panels and 2 more battery's. That projected 1Kw of power from the panels is only in ideal conditions - which the UK just don't have - I had a 150W flat on my van roof and the most it ever produced was 57W, so build some sort of hinged base for them so that you can angle them up to get maximum exposure. Same for the battery's, get as much storage as you can, my van was able to charge them via the engine as I drove - maybe and option on your boat - or I could plug it in to shore power, again few and far between on the side of a canal. You should also consider a small boat wind turbine, as that is something that we are not short of 🙂 Also pick your electrical item with care, I have a small 1Kw hotel sized kettle, instead of the normal household 3Kw version
Hi Guys I was wonder why not heard from you in little while sorry to hear news about laptop what a bummer thier must tbe techie guy who could recover your data from your hard drive near you . To business i did the self same thing as you are doing now back in 2020 and after living with our set up i would recommend the following if you are planning to live full time on your boat and I was repeating this same project now If you are going to wire with 240 wiring which i have on average you will use 6/7kw of power a day , our set up is 8x310 solar ( increase the your panels to wattage to minuim 310 to500 watts6x500 =3kw) on our roof off our boat flat fixed if you can put them on a frame that can be move to direction off sun in the winter not problem summer, going through 3kw inverter (wished we had put 5kw inverter) to 12kw off lithion battery's ( we had 7kw battery's originally we quickly realised not enough) washing machine will peak around on average 2kw, kettle you can buy 2.2kw , fridge and freezer microwave rice cooker ect not problem but if you have everything on together with 3kw inverter you have to be mindfull of electical equipment also power tools No mater how much you try you will need a generator to charge during the winter from Oct to end Feb to top up your battery's please invest in good one as i bought cheap and regreted it as it alway breaks down when you cannt repair , i bought honda 2200 pure sinewave inverter charger never missed a beat in last 2 years Also we always turn off power to maximis power usage when we are thier as you dont need on during the day fridge and freezer no problem Hope you find my advice and experinces usefull best wishes Gary
Right… so as for batteries , to get you going, your battery bank sounds fine. The inverter for a fridge, kettle etc also just about okay at 3kw , diesel heater usually would come straight off the batteries, so again okay… as for the solar panels .. in the height of summer the setup you propose will probably be fine.. but for the rest of the year you probably will need at least 2.5kw, of solar … plus the ability to angle the panels toward the sun for maximum capture… as you said England is not the sunniest climb.
I think you should clean the lens of your camera it’s nearly ok on the right hand but blurry on the left it will make the viewing much better. But you have done a lot of dusty work lately so keep it up. Doug from Australia.
1000W / 12V = 83,33A. It will take 13,44h to fully load Ur battery. Or 280 x 4 = 1120A ... 1120A x 12V = 13440W on an sunny day! U will need an generator for cloudy days and for backup. Just my two cents...
@@ppo2424 It depends on the output of the alternator. It's going to need to have substantial amperage to charge 1000ah. Not to mention a large DC/DC charger. Lithium batteries aren't like gel or lead acid....you can't connect them directly to the alternator, you need a DC/DC charger.
@@ppo2424 yeah mate, I have no doubt that's how they do it. I'm just saying that if the old diesel engine only has a 60amp alternator it would to take over 7 hours to give them 50% charge in a 1000ah battery bank.
DO NOT RUN 12V LITHIUM IN SERIES.... i live off grid, 8yrs now.. replaced 4 12v lead acid with 4 260ah lithium 12v batterys.... 5 yr warranty 5000 cycles bla blah blah.....it was a fuck up! the batteries dont charge evenly and or discharge evenly, when one fills faster than the others, the BMS shuts off the battery from accepting anymore charge, whilst the others may be at 90%. the hard cut off, of the bms, then basically means your charging into a 36v bank at 48v, the charger spikes in voltage and then inverter shuts off coz of high voltage. then the charger stops, the bms recognises no charge coming in and allows the full battery to begin accepting charge again... then the charger starts again, after a few minutes the full batterys bms hard stops it again, your back to a 36v bank, spikes in voltage from the charger and around and around you go..... also you will not get all the batterys full because one charges faster than the others, then as stated above, your at 36v bank, and charger wont charge them.... so you will not get ever a full charge on the bank! on the discharge one battery will go flat first... the other 3 may still have 50% in them, as was my case... and your whole system stops because one shut off. so you never get to use the full capacity. i use all victron gear, its quality stuff.... my batterys were "australian made" out of all Chinese cells, and bms... the supplier sent me 2 more additional batterys under warranty because of this issue, and after 6 batterys in total i had a set of 4, that were running very closely to each other, within 8% state of charge... but after 12 months they had drifted appart and one was always running faster than the others, it would fill first whilst others were at 85%... and it would run flat first while others at 50% in the end..... i ripped them appart, unscrewed all the individual cells, re wired them into 48v batterys, bought new BMS 48v version, and set all the cells into 3x 100ah 48v batterys in parallel.... finally stable good power... NOW. one of MY 48v batterys always runs faster than the other two... but when its full and BMS shuts it off from charging... no dramas because the other two are still in the same 48v, and i can just keep charging them till full. same on the discharge, i can suck every last amp out of all batterys because if one goes flat first, theres no effect on voltage. AND AS A BONUS, if your running in 48v PARALLEL, and you want more storage.... you can always just add another 48v battery to the system, even if its a different size, age, doesnt matter.... when youve got 4x12v in series, you cant just tack another one on later... sorry so long winded, cant really explain it any more simply. good luck!
You lose a lot of energy when you use an inverter to convert to 230v. Things you have on all the time like fridge and freezer maybe is better to power on 12v or 24v.
Batteries and windows, a massive step forward, and a few solid bits to your massive jigsaw puzzle. Engine etc, fitted and working will be another we all look forward to seeing as I am sure you both are.
Welcome back , well done … love your plans but a word of advice before fitting the batteries /panels etc upgrade your security especially as your telling the world what you have or intend to have .. nearly lost one of my boats to scum bags years ago .
Hummm lithium?? Is there enough air circulation in the battery hold so that the batteries don't overheat and catch fire? Maybe a computer fan to allow air movement in and out of the hold. Will you be using an electric motor to drive the boat? These days with the trend being to get away from internal combustion engines it would be a smart investment for the future, especially if it were an "L" drive motor. What about an oven and what you call a hob? Any thought about a freezer? Then there is internal and external lights (running lights) and pumps? Just a few things to think on as you probably have not got your heads around the size of the boat yet. I know you will do just fine guys. Mark Alberta, Canada
Considering the color of your roof (if white) you might also consider solar panels that produce energy on both sides. If the UK doesnt receive very bright sun, you'll more than likely need either high wattage solar panels or more of them. Also consider the efficiency rating of said solar panels. If running a 12v system youll need thicker wires to carry the amperage. The higher the voltage the smaller the wire needed. Im sure you've already done all your research as these things i discussed should be nothing new.
Can't you use some 12 V? Electrical stuff are 24 point, which will use less battery power. Like for LAD lighting and you know like plugs to charge your phone. And other stuff coming off. That system that way, you'll be using less 110, which will be your case to 20. Or 240 you, whatever over there.I'm in Texas.It's to me that seems a little easier to use some of your power alright bye bye
Another great video guys great channel and barley is awesome ❤
Well in to the job by now . Keep on good luck to you two, and your dog Barley.
Great to see your both alive and kicking can’t wait for the progress ❤
This project you 2 have undertaken is a carbon copy of the obscene education it takes to tackle a project when you can clearly see what the end result will be, knowing full well the work that lays ahead of you.
My wife and I tackled a project like this with our home, and it was an old Victorian house that had been neglected for far too long.
It’s a labor of love, and not for the meek, but if you take your time, tackle one issue at a time, your dream WILL COME TRUE.
I’m looking forward to following your journey, because I’ve walked in your shoes, and it was worth it.
So relieved to see "proof of life" and I'm really looking forward to the next steps.
Thanks Patrick 😀
The nice thing about boats, they are always a work in progress. If you don't have enough power you can always add more.
Wow amazing !!can't wait for the progress congratulations!!
A few comments that may help with your solar/battery installation. You have chosen well with Lithium, this is the best technology for power supply and storage. I would fit as many solar panels as will fit on your boat remember, there is no output from them at night and reduced output on cloudy days or when the boat's in shade. You need another source of charging the batteries - boat engine altternator, petrol generator, wind generator or AC shore power in a marina. I would forget about installing an invertor this is a huge drain on your batteries and what do you need 230v AC for anyway? Keep all your appliances running on 12volts. Laptops run at about 19v (buy a car laptop power supply from your electronics store) your fridge would be 12/24v or gas, lighting is 12v LED, stereo/radio 12v, Webasto diesel heater 12v, water heater boat engine or gas and cooking would be gas or spirit stove. Hope this helps.
Great size to start with, and plenty of room to expand if needed. 👍👍
I am so happy to see you! And so happy to hear your plans for the boat. Can't wait to see more of your talented work. I watched a lot of your videos from van life and I have to tell you, I really like what you did to the van. I am doing a renovation soon and I may borrow some of your interior design ideas. Thanks for sharing your time and plans with all of us. Welcome back. Brava Bravo Love from Italy
Looking forward too seeing your progress over this year 😊
So glad to see the two of you both, so sorry to hear about your laptop. I’m sure a lot of us had wondered where you had been.
Thanks Mitchell :)
It’s great to see your beautiful and faces again , I totally enjoy your videos .
Good to hear from you. Was wondering what had happened. Looking forward to more!!
Hey, thanks!
I recommend that you use an external HDD for your video editing. That way, they keep safe. :)
Both of you have been missed. Looking forward to the window installs and a recap of metal bottom findings and repairs. Your boat represents history and is being given a new life which I so respect.
id bet they would be doing if they were paying for all them selfs total crock
Shawn Rhymes here. It's about time! 😊 I don't have a boat at this time. However when it comes to the electrical, I'm looking forward to the sodium batteries. They don't explode without a moment's notice. Unfortunately they are not yet available. Have also considered a wind turbine? Thanks for the video. I enjoyed the update.
Looking forward to seeing the windows going in 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Can't wait!
I would suggest thinking carefully about your energy usage. For instance, a 3KW inverter will not be big enough to supply all of your 240v needs. A modern kettle can draw up to 3KW on its own. So if you're already running your fridge etc off of it, you're going to run into trouble. Also, just work out the current draw off of your battery bank! That's going to take quite some time to recharge your battery bank after just boiling the kettle. As mentioned in the comments, I think you're definitely going to have to use a generator as well to supplement your energy requirements.
Your probably right we will have to do consider a good back up generator
Why not just charge off the boats engine?
1.5k for a kettle.
@tacticaladvance travel kettle maybe! 😁. Our kitchen kettle is rated at 3000 Watts.
@@rustybeemer Your right. just looked, cant belive its so fk high.
Good to see the update
Good luck as things progress
Nice to see you again definitely think about your electrics doesn't seem enough but love your ideas for your boat good luck 😊😊
I love your sense of humours
Loving this channel. Please never ask us to comment down below like other channels. 🤣
Hi Chris and Priscilla, I just stumbled upon your latest posting (I am subscribed but, didn't receive a notification). I am glad to hear everything is basically going according to plan and you are looking forward to the next step in refurbishment.
You will want to install as many solar panels as you possibly can. Please note that solar panel output ratings are based upon ideal conditions (the temperature is +25 degrees Celsius or less, the sun is directly overhead, it is low humidity, the sky is perfectly clear, the solar panels are new, the solar panels are precisely aimed at the sun, and there are no shadows of any kind being cast on any of the panels). Solar panel output drops very quickly if any of those conditions are not met. For instance, if a cloud passes in front of the sun, the panel output will drop about 75%! If shade falls on one cell of a panel, output from that panel will drop 70 to 90%. If the panels are connected in series, output from the entire set of panels will drop 70 to 90% if shade falls on one cell on only one panel. Therefore, the panels should be connected in parallel.
You will need to learn how to budget your electric consumption, since you have a limit to the amount of power available. You can do this by determining how much power each appliance (or electrical load) consumes, then determine how much power you can use, based upon how much power is coming into the system and how much battery charge is avaliable, information your electrical system should monitor. You will definitely need a generator to keep the batteries charged during winter weather and overcast days.
You will need some type of current limiting for your boat engine alternator, charging Lithium batteries can easily pull more alternator current than it can safely supply.
Thanks Bill, we always appreciate your input. We definitely will need to install more solar then we had thought. Sorry to hear you didn't get a notification perhaps check you have the notification bell clicked on UA-cam. As always we appreciate the support!
@@DuoVagari Thanks for your response! I have been doing solar since 2009 so, wanted to spare you some of the hardships I learned the hard way. I am also a retired electrical engineer that made a career designing similar circuitry. I wish you all the best on your boat rehab endeavors. When the boat is finished, I think you will have something you will be proud of that will serve you well, and as a bonus, you will have learned some very useful skills along the way.
Thanks Bill !! How much solar would you suggest we install ? By the way we have a new video out this week on the windows just incase you didn't get a notification
ua-cam.com/video/QVEQP96b2as/v-deo.htmlsi=4ltogFGoEUEhgSeS
@@DuoVagari Thank you Chris or Priscilla for the video notification. I changed the notification level on your videos to the highest level, and surprisingly, it worked! I received a notification within an hour of the launch of your video this time around.
As far as how many solar panels to use, use as many as you can comfortably fit. I know there is demand for various items on the roof so, whatever is practical. The amount of sunlight that generates usable power during the winter months is not enough to keep up with the consumption rate but, the more panels you have, the less you will need to run a generator.
Connect your panels in parallel to feed the solar controller. This way you won't lose most of your generating capacity if a small shadow falls on just one cell in only one series connected panel. There is a popular concensus that the panels should be connected in series so there will be more voltage available to feed the solar controller as the panel output voltage falls during low light periods of the day. However, the characteristics of solar panels is such that the output voltage falls due to current output falling to zero. In simple terms this means that you won't really receive any benefit from the series panel connection because the output power is miniscule during low light levels; you will only see about a one watt or two advantage for about one minute.
With a boat electrical system, you have an "Off Grid" system, which depends upon batteries that are kept charged by a mechanical generator, solar panels, or shore power. You don't have an infinite supply available so, you have to keep track of what you are powering from your system. Running the batteries too low on charge damages your battery bank, shortening the battery life span.
Appliances that consume the most electrical power are heating types so, if there is a non-electrical alternative, that would be a preferred way to go. Electrical heating elements put out only 3.4 BTUs per watt, which is very inefficient. For instance, bringing a lltre of water to boil with an electric kettle can discharge your battery bank a surprisingly amount.
Great to hear that you are alive and kicking and sorry to hear of your bad luck. I also have a solar power systems but mine is in our home here in the Philippines. Our system is mainly for power outages that happen pretty regularly, and to also save money on the electric bill. We have a 3.5kw system 6 200 amp hour battery 10, 120 watt panels and a off grid inverter. What we have learned about our inverter is if whatever appliances you use that are for cooking and making heat 🔥 it's hard on the inverter, other than a fridge or TV. And being off gird you can't recharge your batteries with electricity and a charger by plugging them in while you're docked. Something too think about. And DC type circuit breaker not every hardware store carries DC breaker, stock up from your solar supplier. Other than that, love your videos and your story always looking for the next one. Take care.
I love what you are doing and I wish you all the best in your endeavours. I am enjoying your content immensely. Your presentation is brilliant!
Please note that the rating of solar panels is usually based on the SUN being perpendicular to the surface of the panel, which is never the case in the UK. The angle of the panels may be optimised for a UK location but in all probability, for practical installation purposes on a canal boat, they will be horizontal. The power output drops off as the angle of the sun changes from perpendicular. Do not expect to get out the full power output specified. Of course the power output is also dependent on the weather - i.e. cloud, and in the winter there are less hours of daylight than in the summer! So please be aware of your power output expectations and requirements, both: average and peak. It will be significantly less than the specification of the solar panels; possibility a half to a quarter.
You need to look at your likely power consumption. The batteries should be sized to cope with peak and daily consumption. Your solar panels should be sized to cope with recharging your daily consumption, but supplemented with alternative means of charging such as a diesel generator.
Consider all drains of power including the engine, cabin heating, appliances, etc, etc… I imagine the engine will be powered from liquid fuel such as diesel or petrol. I similarly imagine that heating (hot water and central heating) will be from liquid fuel or solid fuel.
This leaves the electrical power requirements - mostly the appliances. But consider alternatives. For example the fridge/freezer could be powered from LPG ( eg propane gas). The hob and oven could be LPG or electric...
It is a complex subject that needs to be considered and I make these comments only to assist you in coming to the optimum decision on your choices.
If you want more of my advice please do not hesitate to contact me. My credentials are: a BSc degree in electrical and electronic engineering and nearly 50 years in the industry.
Hi
With regards to 1500 litre stainless steel water tank , ours is under our bed or to be excact it is our bed framed and insulated and clad with the same wood as the rest off the boat 55x22mm maple tougne and groove forma squash courts
If you add up what water you use for showers ,washing machine washing up or dish washer i think you be suprised how much you use day to day and trawling to fill up water will get a chore after a while if you live fulltime on your boat
You have the ideal oportunity to have one fabricated before you fit your boat
dont worry about weight believe me your boat when working was capable of carrieing 100 ton
I had my boat from new and was spray foamed and batoned as insulation i would also recommend that too less time consuming and quicker than celotex or simular
we also have compost loo no chemicals to trawl to empty toilet, believe me in the summer enjoyable winter not so in the winter same as water water points get frozen more options with big tank🤪
You will wan't to be in the warm beside the fire cuddling up with glass of wine with your sauasge dog
I am in Cambridge if you fancy a look at what i did for ideas PM me
It was labour off love fitting it out but it will never be finished
We love living on our boat Something Blue it the best thing i have done and never regret
Gary
Glad to see yea are continuing thought yea got bad news at the dry dock! Looking forward to seeing it floating again. Now for the rest of the story aey.
There seems to be a lot of negative comments from some people about your proposed set up!, i'll tell you my set up and how it performs. there are definitely better set ups but mine works for me.
i have wide beam, 2014 collingwood 60 x12. it has a 12 volt domestic battery set up with 3 x 12 volt lifepo4 for a total of 560Ah (1 x 140Ah and 2 x 110Ah all the same make and voltage). a 3kw sterling inverter/charger, (never been connected to shore power since my owner ship)12 volt fridge/freezer, gas hob and oven(electric fan assisted) 2 x 230 volt tv 230 volt washing machine plus all the usual 12volt lights, pumps and stuff for water and a webasto diesel heater. washing machine works well although not used frequently.
batteries are charged via 6 x 340w eurener solar panels. 3 strings of 2 panels wired in series and wired to 3 separate victron 100/50 MPPT controllers.
batteries also charged from engine when cruising via 2 x victron dc/dc chargers (12/12 30). these limit the current drawn from the alternator so it doesn't overheat. i have an alternator for the starter battery/bow thruster battery and a 175amp alternator for the domestic batteries, also has a lead acid battery connected to the domestics before the dc/dc chargers to protect the alternator.
i do not live on the boat but i use it frequently as registered as a continuous cruiser. the fridge is always left on, batteries have performed well and the solar and dc/dc charging from the alternator provides enough power to charge the batteries.
its never let me down or failed in over 3 years.
keep batteries between 20% and 80% if poss.
like the vlogs, i wish you well on your journey.
Looking forward to how far youve got.
I hope you dont get disheartened by either controlling subscribers or the rude comments. People have been rude on here and there's no need. Good channel.
Thank you we appreciate your kind words and continued support!!
68x12 what a beast
Nice thing about an offgrid system is you can add to it if you need more capacity and/or replenishment. You could split the system and run the starboard side on one system and port on another. Having more solar than your capacity will allow you to charge quicker and allow you to take advantage of maybe limited noncloudy days. I think when they size solar systems they calculate what you need in a day multiplied by 3-5 days. But like i said you can build as you go for your needs
Thanks Tommy that's a great idea we hadn't considered that !!
Welcome back!
Just a thought… (based on the weather conditions in this video) You may be able to supplement your solar energy with a vertical axis wind turbine. Even a light breeze can help bring your battery bank up when solar alone isn’t enough. (And it works at night!)
Looking forward to seeing your further adventures.
Was thinking the same, especially during the low sunhour months of November, December and January that may help cutting fuel costs a lot.
Kind regards Christiaan
Coooeee where are you another 12 days gone and nothing to view ,come back soon 😂😂😂😂
A strong recommendation from our refrigerator manufacturer was to buy a dc frig. Don’t get an ac one. The ac friges take the ac and convert it to dc. You waste power converting from dc to ac and back to dc.
If you go about your days as if you live on the grid you're always going to have supply issues no matter what you install. Look at it as what your reality is, you're living off the grid, like an RV. Become very aware of your resources from water to electrics to black water. If you do that you will do very well. Congrats.
When planning power on a boat in the UK work out how you can use the smallest amount of power possible then work out the most efficient way of replacing it, Size your bank from this. Unless you are installing a large generator gas is the most efficient way of boiling a kettle and cooking. Go gas free if you like the sound of a generator rattling away.😂
Hy Prisciila, Hey Chris. Nice to hear from you again. It is great to that your project develops. Just to give you an idea for the energy consumption of your boat. Sounds good with that four LIPO Batteries and it is propably enough energy but you should prepare what you do when you run out of energy one time. You need to have lighting anytime or enough power for your diesel heater. Therefore I suggest you to get a 1 or 2 kw Inverter Diesel or petrol generator just for that extra reserve in case you need urgently energy. With that generator you can charge your batteries and get a bit extra power to run e emergency power grid. It is really important that you have any reduntancy. Also consider if you cook with electric power or with gaz. For the six solar panels I suggest that you mount them so you can face them in to the sun. Especially in Wintertime you will run short of power even though with your largest LIPO Boys. What about the panels at the very bottom of the boat, where they in good shape? Could you inspect them carefully ? I can’t wait for an nother video from you three. Please give barley a big petting stroke from me. Thanx for ya videos. Take care. Your friend from Switzerland. Tom
Just remember with it being a metal floor you need to have wood rubber pad and the box around it should be able to keep a lot of moisture out.Bro anyway I just thought I might get suggestion
Spend extra on the charge controller and inverter so you can upgrade the panels in the future without having to replace the controller.
Consider better and bigger panels because in winter they will produce much less... which may also call for a generator. Running the boat engine when stationary can take a long time and be noisy depending on your engine and engine space.
Hi from RSA are you going to name her 'Spinekop" 🤔🤔😄
'
love the vids,lithium batteries are a bit scary catching fire. but at least they can be run down and not hurt them.
Something people forget with Solar, it only charges during the daylight time😉 So, if you’re using power tools, kettle etc, the batteries will probably run down faster than Solar can replenish them. Meaning less for the next day etc. A number of projects I follow have run into just such an issue. Supplementing the Solar with a small wind generator that works at any time, and an emergency generator might be worth considering, especially to keep the tools & kettle going during these early days 🙂
as you are starting with only 4 batteries I would make room and build a battery holder that will hold 8 batteries from the outset,then you already have the holders/shelves built ready
I am not sure “only” is the right word here… they are 280a each and lifepo4… that means that each battery is the equivalent of over 5 lead acid batteries as you can only discharge LA to 50%… the biggest problem is going to be keeping them charged… 1Kw of solar sounds a lot… but you rarely get that and in winter you will be lucky to get 10%… I see an engine running a lot or a shore hookup… 🤷♂️
Have you considered a small wood-burner stove? Highly efficient, and here I. The states they have phone chargers that can be integrated to charge off of the endothermic reaction.
Listening to your plans, seems like you have done a lot of research on the electrical department. So once the windows are installed, hope that you will have a proper mooring place for the boat? Especially once the solar panels are installed. Glad you are back, cheers.
Remember that 1020 wh of solar is the maximum or peak the panel can produce when the sun is shining full strength at the panel (will that ever happen in the UK? says the Aussie 😉) at most you might get 2-4 hours of that and the rest will be somewhere between 0 and 1000 watts per hour, so don't expect it to charge from flat to full in a day.
Having said that, people have lived "comfortably" on boats for centuries with no electricity or motors, so how much power you need and how much you can get by with is really up to you. You will have an engine and if you put a decent alternator on it and make sure your charge controller for the battery can take manage the power input from the alternator as well as the solar, then at least you'll have a backup source for charging (especially in winter), also make sure you can charge from "shore power" as a second backup.
Been subscribed a while already (I guess I'm part of the 20%?)
The biggest drain on your batteries will likely be your fridge and/or freezers as they are consuming for all of 24 hrs. Only 1kW of "headline" PV power will fall considerably on cloudy winter days. I suggest you look at a top-loading fridge for efficiency or even (as a diy option) a small chest freezer re-purposed with a fridge thermostat to alter the running temperature - they are better insulated.
As an individual who is just finishing up a lithium install on my motorcoach in the US, your solar panel total wattage is likely going to be way to small for your total watts in your battery bank. I suggest you look at Victron equipment only for your other equipment and they are located in the Netherlands. They are know as the premier solar power system equipment provided. And for my coach I have currently one 300 ah battery with a total potential of 585 watt solar panels, but as you know, it's not likely I'll see that much. Enjoy your journey and of course I'll keep watching.
For the amount of cloud cover you have go larger panels, many companies make +400w panels. Also get a bigger inverter, power tools, heater, etc will need lots of startup power, 4k or 5k. If you don't want to think about it look at one of the plug and play whole home backup systems from Anker or Ecoflow.
Inverters draw some power even with no load and the bigger the inverter the bigger the phantom load will be. Don't overdo it.
Maybe look into the efficiency of the panel? 400+ Watt should be less than about twice the size of the 170 Watt panel to make sense.
Kind regards Christiaan
hi folks, as always, a nice video, thanks. Reg Off grid solar system, I don´t seem to find a comment regarding system voltage: Everything else seems to be dealt with nicely, Lifepo4 is definetly the way to go, solar requires a bit of thinking for the setup (arrangement) and secondary equipment has to be evaluated. the higher the input voltage, the more efficient the syatem will be, cables can be downzised by a 4th and power losses in cbling reduced to a minimum. FYI: you can buy a 3kw 48V inverter- charger- solar controller for 700.-$ and a 48V 5kwh battery for around 1.500.-$ US. As you mentioned before, a decent basic system is easily expandable for little money. You might want to give the basic setup a bit more of future evaluation. 48V is the industry standard right now, it is worth considering, being more efficient and less costly. cheers
Hi guys all sounds good looking forward to more progress cheers 🍻
Us too! Cheers
i was wondering what happen guy's great to see you
Please just get on with it , Omg!!
Where ever you locate the batteries make sure you have space to expand 4 batteries is a good start but down the road I'll bet you gonna double up or you could have 2 independent systems of 4 batteries 4 panels it would allow you to spread the weight and if one systems goes down you got backup take care be safe
Salt batteries last longer and hold more power than lithium batteries and salt batteries don't catch fire when exposed to water
Nice to see you back missed you lots 😂😂😂😂😂😂❤
Ahhh thanks 😊
For many years of power boating we always had diesel fired generators water cooled and now they are very quiet it’s surprising how much power is required by fridges tv s heating systems kettles lighting washing machine immersion water heater sounds to me like you need more like 5kva . Good luck but there is nothing more annoying when someone plugs in their straighteners and it trips out .
Good to see you back again. I'm happy that you're still planning everything. I look forwrd to seeing your progress. Just a tiny bit of advice - I think that your camera lense may need a bit of a wipe!! Probably all your work is generating a lot of dust!
Curious why you chose a widebeam when it will limit what canals you'll be able to travel.
I would suggest you look into buying 450 watt panels and start with 3. Looking forward to the boat retrofit.
Just a suggestion - two external hard drives for back up
Happy that you are back!
I think your proposed solar system and batteries are on the small side. I started with solar on my ship, with 600W peak in solar, and a 90Ah 24V LiFePO4 battery . In summer this was way good enough for a 35Wcontinuous fridge and the occasional top-up of the laptop, toothbrush and phones. And the bilge pump ;). But coming november it couldn't cope with the fridge anymore , and I'm in the Netherlands.
Some other thoughts: don't put the solar panels in series if you don't need to, because if one panel has some shade on it, it effects the output of the linked panel. Parallel doesn't have that problem. The open voltage of a panel should be at least 5% higher than your systemvoltage, so I use 33V panels on a 24V system.
I use a 2500W pure sinewave inverter, but this barely meets needs when I start a circular saw...
You've got a lovely ship in the making, very special hull, keep up the work!
oh and I subscribed ;)
Arjen
so we want to see the boat and how things are going?>
Hey Y’all great content. I look forward to future episodes. Before you film anything always remember to clean that lens. Lots of blurry shots.
Thank you! Will do!
I suppose that your batteries will be connected in Parallel and NOT IN SERIES, unless you are going to run a 48 volt system of course. Apart from that I think that you are making good progress 👍👍👍
👍
I assume you mean LFP batteries, not lithium nickel cobalt chemistry. The latter should be kept in the 20% to 80% range for best life. Even better to limit to 70%
I love the idea of rescuing such a unique old boat but considering it’s size , how much of the canal system will you be able to travel on?
A lot of energy is one. They come with a snap together stuff. I mean, it is really good. There's UA-cam videos showing this. It's on red poppy ranch or you can look on Lambert, acres. And it is really, really nicequipment They stack easy everything but you may not gonna get it overseas
Make sure your inverter is a pure sine wave, otherwise you will damage different electronics. I would go with at least a 5000 watt inverter.
Not boat but caravan. Just purchased a 3000w inverter to run a induction cook top. 200ah lithium phosphate battery, a12/24v 110l fridge. Plus 160w solar. fridge running overnight the battery drops down to 76%
Internal bms is ok if you are just using one battery, but you are going to need an external bms once you start using multiple batteries....not to mention a large DC/DC charger for charging from the solar and the alternator on the engine.
A general rule of thumb is 2kw of solar per 1ah of battery.
Is this a wise project given the patched repairs to the pre existing hull and structure…… all the money is going into making the vessel ergonomically pleasing….. but I fear the hull is not in great shape despite patching sections the overall state of the structure will require further work down the line this will definitely detract from any sale done the line you have in mind …..
Really you’re claiming that the computer ate your homework!😂
Hi I been following you on how you are doing great on the project so far. I think you need to work out what appliances you will have like a fridge , a freezer, a washing machine dryer a microwave ,iron ,a tv and so on. I have one solar panel for my carpet van 1992 as I don’t need much power only to the pump that work hot water and shower etc. if you are getting a company to fit you solar setup crack it, If you it doing yourself then contact a company that do setups on narrowboats and wide beans, they will help you with power setup you will need. Good luck! Can’t wait for next video Regards Paul 👍🚐🍺🪸🦔🐿️🦆
Good morning you two, just wondering how you’re getting on with the windows and have you found a secure place to work on your boat? Hope all is well,Cheers.
Hi Mitchell going well thanks ! Making some good progress now, new video out in the next 24hrs :)
@@DuoVagari thanks for getting back to me, I appreciate it. Looking forward to seeing your video, cheers.
A bit late, but I would add two more panels and 2 more battery's.
That projected 1Kw of power from the panels is only in ideal conditions - which the UK just don't have - I had a 150W flat on my van roof and the most it ever produced was 57W, so build some sort of hinged base for them so that you can angle them up to get maximum exposure.
Same for the battery's, get as much storage as you can, my van was able to charge them via the engine as I drove - maybe and option on your boat - or I could plug it in to shore power, again few and far between on the side of a canal.
You should also consider a small boat wind turbine, as that is something that we are not short of 🙂
Also pick your electrical item with care, I have a small 1Kw hotel sized kettle, instead of the normal household 3Kw version
Have you looked into sodium batteries?
We’re do got on power if the sun is not shining because when the sun is not shining your never come to 1 kilowatt.
Onward!
A laptop dying doesn't mean the footage is lost, just need to pull the hard drive out and stick it in another computer.
Hello, I've only just come across you, but I'd be very interested to hear how you get on. Can I message you in confidence? Thanks
Hi Andrew, feel free to private message on Instagram @duovagari
Hi Guys
I was wonder why not heard from you in little while sorry to hear news about laptop what a bummer thier must tbe techie guy who could recover your data from your hard drive near you .
To business i did the self same thing as you are doing now back in 2020 and after living with our set up i would recommend the following if you are planning to live full time on your boat and I was repeating this same project now
If you are going to wire with 240 wiring which i have on average you will use 6/7kw of power a day , our set up is 8x310 solar
( increase the your panels to wattage to minuim 310 to500 watts6x500 =3kw) on our roof off our boat flat fixed if you can put them on a frame that can be move to direction off sun in the winter not problem summer, going through 3kw inverter (wished we had put 5kw inverter) to 12kw off lithion battery's ( we had 7kw battery's originally we quickly realised not enough)
washing machine will peak around on average 2kw, kettle you can buy 2.2kw , fridge and freezer microwave rice cooker ect not problem but if you have everything on together with 3kw inverter you have to be mindfull of electical equipment also power tools
No mater how much you try you will need a generator to charge during the winter from Oct to end Feb to top up your battery's please invest in good one as i bought cheap and regreted it as it alway breaks down when you cannt repair , i bought honda 2200 pure sinewave inverter charger never missed a beat in last 2 years
Also we always turn off power to maximis power usage when we are thier as you dont need on during the day fridge and freezer no problem
Hope you find my advice and experinces usefull best wishes Gary
Right… so as for batteries , to get you going, your battery bank sounds fine. The inverter for a fridge, kettle etc also just about okay at 3kw , diesel heater usually would come straight off the batteries, so again okay… as for the solar panels .. in the height of summer the setup you propose will probably be fine.. but for the rest of the year you probably will need at least 2.5kw, of solar … plus the ability to angle the panels toward the sun for maximum capture… as you said England is not the sunniest climb.
I think you should clean the lens of your camera it’s nearly ok on the right hand but blurry on the left it will make the viewing much better. But you have done a lot of dusty work lately so keep it up. Doug from Australia.
Talk to Kris Harbour he's got a UA-cam channel and he's an expert on eco generation and is self sufficient on his farm.
Was wondering what happened to you guys. Been a bit. Good choice on the batteries. Hope to see more progress soon. Take care 😊
Thanks 👍
1000W / 12V = 83,33A. It will take 13,44h to fully load Ur battery. Or 280 x 4 = 1120A ... 1120A x 12V = 13440W on an sunny day! U will need an generator for cloudy days and for backup. Just my two cents...
Thanks this is very helpful, we will look into adding more solar
@@DuoVagariYou can charge the batteries off your boat engine,that's what a lot of others do.
@@ppo2424 It depends on the output of the alternator. It's going to need to have substantial amperage to charge 1000ah. Not to mention a large DC/DC charger. Lithium batteries aren't like gel or lead acid....you can't connect them directly to the alternator, you need a DC/DC charger.
@@Mardy72 That's how most narrowboats charge their batteries afaik, when needed.
@@ppo2424 yeah mate, I have no doubt that's how they do it. I'm just saying that if the old diesel engine only has a 60amp alternator it would to take over 7 hours to give them 50% charge in a 1000ah battery bank.
Tell people to hit the thumbs down 👎 button twice😂.
DO NOT RUN 12V LITHIUM IN SERIES.... i live off grid, 8yrs now.. replaced 4 12v lead acid with 4 260ah lithium 12v batterys.... 5 yr warranty 5000 cycles bla blah blah.....it was a fuck up!
the batteries dont charge evenly and or discharge evenly, when one fills faster than the others, the BMS shuts off the battery from accepting anymore charge, whilst the others may be at 90%. the hard cut off, of the bms, then basically means your charging into a 36v bank at 48v, the charger spikes in voltage and then inverter shuts off coz of high voltage. then the charger stops, the bms recognises no charge coming in and allows the full battery to begin accepting charge again... then the charger starts again, after a few minutes the full batterys bms hard stops it again, your back to a 36v bank, spikes in voltage from the charger and around and around you go.....
also you will not get all the batterys full because one charges faster than the others, then as stated above, your at 36v bank, and charger wont charge them.... so you will not get ever a full charge on the bank!
on the discharge one battery will go flat first... the other 3 may still have 50% in them, as was my case... and your whole system stops because one shut off. so you never get to use the full capacity.
i use all victron gear, its quality stuff.... my batterys were "australian made" out of all Chinese cells, and bms...
the supplier sent me 2 more additional batterys under warranty because of this issue, and after 6 batterys in total i had a set of 4, that were running very closely to each other, within 8% state of charge...
but after 12 months they had drifted appart and one was always running faster than the others, it would fill first whilst others were at 85%... and it would run flat first while others at 50%
in the end..... i ripped them appart, unscrewed all the individual cells, re wired them into 48v batterys, bought new BMS 48v version, and set all the cells into 3x 100ah 48v batterys in parallel.... finally stable good power...
NOW. one of MY 48v batterys always runs faster than the other two... but when its full and BMS shuts it off from charging... no dramas because the other two are still in the same 48v, and i can just keep charging them till full. same on the discharge, i can suck every last amp out of all batterys because if one goes flat first, theres no effect on voltage.
AND AS A BONUS, if your running in 48v PARALLEL, and you want more storage.... you can always just add another 48v battery to the system, even if its a different size, age, doesnt matter.... when youve got 4x12v in series, you cant just tack another one on later...
sorry so long winded, cant really explain it any more simply.
good luck!
this is very good advice, thanks!
You lose a lot of energy when you use an inverter to convert to 230v. Things you have on all the time like fridge and freezer maybe is better to power on 12v or 24v.
Batteries and windows, a massive step forward, and a few solid bits to your massive jigsaw puzzle. Engine etc, fitted and working will be another we all look forward to seeing as I am sure you both are.
Thanks so much, yes indeed next steps are exciting!!
Look at the Bouge solar panels
Welcome back , well done … love your plans but a word of advice before fitting the batteries /panels etc upgrade your security especially as your telling the world what you have or intend to have .. nearly lost one of my boats to scum bags years ago .
Sorry to hear about your bad experience we will definitely be vigilant!! Thanks for the advice we really appreciate it.
Hummm lithium?? Is there enough air circulation in the battery hold so that the batteries don't overheat and catch fire? Maybe a computer fan to allow air movement in and out of the hold. Will you be using an electric motor to drive the boat? These days with the trend being to get away from internal combustion engines it would be a smart investment for the future, especially if it were an "L" drive motor. What about an oven and what you call a hob? Any thought about a freezer? Then there is internal and external lights (running lights) and pumps? Just a few things to think on as you probably have not got your heads around the size of the boat yet. I know you will do just fine guys.
Mark
Alberta, Canada
💜
Considering the color of your roof (if white) you might also consider solar panels that produce energy on both sides. If the UK doesnt receive very bright sun, you'll more than likely need either high wattage solar panels or more of them. Also consider the efficiency rating of said solar panels. If running a 12v system youll need thicker wires to carry the amperage. The higher the voltage the smaller the wire needed. Im sure you've already done all your research as these things i discussed should be nothing new.
Your dog seems to need a touch up, what happened to its fur?
🤣🤣 barley is a silver dapple that's what they call his markings, you get brown dapple aswell but silver is rare.
Why don't use have electric heat if you have the solar panels instead of using diesel.
We have considered this we are thinking maybe underfloor
Can't you use some 12 V? Electrical stuff are 24 point, which will use less battery power. Like for LAD lighting and you know like plugs to charge your phone. And other stuff coming off. That system that way, you'll be using less 110, which will be your case to 20. Or 240 you, whatever over there.I'm in Texas.It's to me that seems a little easier to use some of your power alright bye bye