DRAGONFLY Trimarans User Forum

I am about to buy a solar panel to my DF1000R. My calculated power consumption is about 1000 Wh/24h. I do have enought room for 1000x600mm panel, which allows a panel with about 80W max power. It is not enought to cover all my needs, but there is no room for bigger one. Does anyone have experience of Kyocera products, especially panel type KC 85GX-2?

Sorry, no info about Kyocera but the first owner of Champus fitted 5 SunWare panels (2 x 18w and 3 x 36w) with one of each forward and aft of the rear aka on each ama and the other 36w on the forward main deck begind the power/water etc hatch. They're controlled by a SunWare FOX-150 regulator and the website is www.sunware.de. If you want photos of the installation let me know.
Mike, Df1000, Champus

parkhouse wrote:Sorry, no info about Kyocera but the first owner of Champus fitted 5 SunWare panels (2 x 18w and 3 x 36w) with one of each forward and aft of the rear aka on each ama and the other 36w on the forward main deck begind the power/water etc hatch. They're controlled by a SunWare FOX-150 regulator and the website is www.sunware.de. If you want photos of the installation let me know.
Mike, Df1000, Champus

Mike,

I don't see your email address anywhere.
Please send me pictures or your DF1000 solar installation.

senormechanico@gmail.com

Steve B.
Flexible Flyer
DF1000 # 15

Please send the photos to me and I'll put them on the forum!

Bo

parkhouse wrote:Sorry, no info about Kyocera but the first owner of Champus fitted 5 SunWare panels (2 x 18w and 3 x 36w) with one of each forward and aft of the rear aka on each ama and the other 36w on the forward main deck begind the power/water etc hatch. They're controlled by a SunWare FOX-150 regulator and the website is www.sunware.de. If you want photos of the installation let me know.
Mike, Df1000, Champus

Hi Mike
My idea is to install one panel on top of my sprayhood safety rail (please take a look at DF1000 section, there are some photos).
A couple of questions about your panels:
1-Are those slippery? Is it allowed to step on those?
2-How is the wiring made? How to hide all cables?
Your system is better because there is less shadows, but mine is cheaper and easier to install.
Please send some photos of your system to forum, thank you.

Hi Mika,
I've sent photos to Bo so they should appear shortly. One drawback of my installation is that two 36w panels become unusable when the amas are folded. On the other hand, when they're folded, you are probably in a marina and on shore power. The power lines run inside each ama and along the interior of the rear aka and thence to the control unit which is located behind the circuit breaker and switch panel door. The solar panels are not slippery, they bend to follow the contour of the deck and they can be stood on without suffering damage.
Mike, Df1000, Champus

Thank you Mike for sending the following photos:

Please click on any of the photos to see them enlarged!

parkhouse wrote:Hi Mika,
I've sent photos to Bo so they should appear shortly. One drawback of my installation is that two 36w panels become unusable when the amas are folded. On the other hand, when they're folded, you are probably in a marina and on shore power. The power lines run inside each ama and along the interior of the rear aka and thence to the control unit which is located behind the circuit breaker and switch panel door. The solar panels are not slippery, they bend to follow the contour of the deck and they can be stood on without suffering damage.
Mike, Df1000, Champus

I am adding two caution statements to that:

1) Sunware panels have a maximum bend radius, with a rated curving of up to 3% (3mm arc per 100mm length). The decks of the amas are approximately twice that amount of curve. I don't know about the bow deck curve. You will need to make wedges.

2) If you want to walk on them without damage they must be fully supported by the deck (and/or wedges) throughout the backing. If they are not evenly supported and you step in an unsupported section -- that will cause a flex beyond what the panels are rated to handle. Damage is a risk in that situation.

So if you make wedges you must make them so they extend all the way across and there are no gaps of support. The factory wedges supplied by Quorning do not extend far enough for even support, and I had a Sunware panel failure because of pressure put on it in the wrong place. I replaced the failed panel with another brand (because of price and availability) and recycled the factory wedge with extended wedges made from painted Divinycell foam. Here is a link to a picture of my current installation (on amas of a 1200): http://www.nstsystems.com/multihulls/Pa ... %20002.JPG

These panels are from http://onboardpv.com/pv_panels.php?pid=107926 and are similar to the Sunware panels (thin, waterproof and semi-rigid). They are manufactured in Japan. Onboard PV company is a private label reseller and they were very nice to deal with.

I have a 'Sunset' ( http://www.seawink.nl/index.php?load=meerInfo&artID=256 ) panel installed on the ama, without wedges. I had to bend it a little further than instructions would like me to, but it seems to handle the abuse well after two seasons. It is fully supported by the ama deck and can be walked on.