Solar Power - Long Term Use

[brodie123]

Hi All.

We now have solar panels on our cabin cruiser as we anchor a lot and works fantastic.

We typically get 2 amps but often see 4 amps in full sun. We are charging a large 12V deep cycle battery that runs the fridge etc.

There is a charge controller that shuts off the charger to avoid over charging.

My question is for when the boat is in storage during the summer season.

We have a small fan in the cockpit that is used to vent stale air out - the boat is covered and zipped up.

The charger goes on and off quite a bit (on every 60 seconds and stays on for about 5 seconds) while the boat is in storage as the battery is fully charged.

Is there any negative effect I should be aware of to the battery or to the panel?

thx!

 

[Silvertip]

The constantly running fan apparently draws down the battery below the trigger point for the charge controller. So the charge controller energizes the system to bring the battery back up again, only to raise the voltage above the trigger. And the cycle repeats. I'm surprised however, that the cycle time is that short. The fan either draws more current than I think it does, there indeed is a fault with the charge controller, or the battery is weak. As an answer to your question, the cycling will not hurt the battery or the solar panel, but like any device that turns on and off, it will eventually fail. When, or after how many cycles is hard to say. It may actually NEVER fail.

 

[H20Rat]

There is a charge controller that shuts off the charger to avoid over charging.

Curious about that comment... Is this a really old system? What charge controller and charger? You might want to look at an upgrade to a MPTT controller. With a newer system, it really doesn't have a cycle, it basically never shuts off, just adjusts current. If might sit at a .2 amp float charge, and if demand increases, the more modern charge controllers automatically ramp up current through the system to match.

 

[Silvertip]

That's what charge controllers do! The OP saying "shuts off the charger" is merely loosely saying the charge rate is reduced. There is no "charger". Again, he's referring to the solar panel as the charger.