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Solar Boat Dock 2-Lifts

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This solar boat dock system should put out about 5000 watts on good days while
your usage should be in the 3900-watt range.

Solar Boat Dock Assumptions:

A 1/3-hp motor on a boat dock lift shows a 6 amp rating at 120 volts, which you will be
running two at the same time for 5 minutes a day. Power usage for two motors is 1440
watts while powered up. Plan to charge 2, 12-volt trolling batteries over night rated at 130
AH each from 50% discharged. And would like to be able to charge from DC current
during the daylight hours to avoid using the inverter when possible.

120 Watts used in 5 minutes of run time for two 1/3-hp lift motors.
3120 Watts needed to charge two 130AH batteries over night from 50% discharge.
3240 Total power usage in watts.
3888 Watts required because of de-rating by 20% to cover battery-charging losses
324 AH required at 12 volts
648 AH doubled to keep from running the battery bank lower then 50% of discharge.
7776 total battery wattage needed to cover all requirements for 24 hours without a charge
leaving the main battery bank at 50% discharge.

Inverter Sizing,
2000-watt true sine wave inverter, This unit requires a 12-volt system but will save money
because stepping up to 24 volts in this type of an inverter adds a little over $1,000 to the
price. A modified sine wave inverter would be lower cost but is not recommended for use
with motors. Modified sine wave will make motors hammer and hard to start up. Modified
sine wave has a rough sine wave and will confuse clocks and some battery chargers like
for some drill motor batteries, which will not stop charging when full. The 2000-watt
inverter has a built-in Transfer switch and a 3-stage battery charger so you could hook on
a generator or power it from any 120v AC source if needed. It is as well a hard-wired
system.

The solar boat dock system will require a DC voltage 250 amp disconnect breaker and
panel to disconnect the inverter from the battery bank using 4/0 battery cables to and
from the inverter to battery bank.

Battery bank sizing.
I suggest an 800 AH battery bank minimum 12 volts (9600 watts in battery power will cover
the 7776 required wattage). The total battery power required is 650 AH at 12 volts. With
the 2000-watt inverter you should use a minimum of a 400 AH battery bank. However
starting two of the 1/3-hp motors could pull the bank down at startup to under the low
voltage limit. Causing the inverter to shutdown and need reset by hand before it will come
back on.

Solar modules
900 watts in solar power will be needed.
900 watts de-rated 20% because of heat and wiring losses leaves you 744 watts of usable
solar power. This will allow you to charge a 600 AH battery bank very strong or 1200 AH
battery bank at largest (pushing the limits).

Charge Controller
An MPPT charger controller will be needed for the main battery bank. It cost a little more
but MPPT (maximum power point tracking) will down convert a 24, 48 or even a 100-volt
solar array to 12 volts. MPPT tracks the solar array voltage and keeps re-adjusting to
keep the best power point.

Solar modules, even the 12-volt models are 17.2 volts. Using a regular charge controller
you lose 5 volts and all the amps that comes with it. This is because controllers that do
not down convert the voltage will connect the solar modules direct to the battery bank.
This pulls down the voltage to the level of the battery bank. So no down converting equals
loss power.

Trolling motor battery charging.
You will need a second charge controller to charge your trolling batteries during the day
light hours or use the 120 volts from the inverter with any good battery charger (very
wasteful). I suggest a getting a second MPPT controller and only charge trolling batteries
during the day light hours.

It would be best to wire the solar array in two strings of three 150-watt modules for 100
volts and let the MPPT controller down convert for the main battery bank at 12 volts. You
do not want to hook into the main battery bank with trolling batteries. This could warp the
plates in the trolling batteries.

This is a hard wired solar boat dock system,

Included in this solar boat dock system:

2 Each Adjustable Roof/Ground mount for three solar modules each.

1 Each 2000 watt true sine wave inverter with transfer switch and built in charger

6 Each 150 watt solar modules 33.4 Vmp

2 Each MPPT charge controllers 60 amp

1 Each 250 amp breaker with enclosure

1 each 6 circuit combiner box with fuses

To keep your cost down, Items you can get at a local hardware store or a local battery
store such as long wire runs, AC breakers and breaker boxes, batteries and battery
cables are not included with this system.

This solar dock system will have enough power to run a small light and/or radio along with
the use of the boatlift.

If you would like to see the price of this boat dock system with shipping and taxes if any,
Place the system in your shopping cart and enter your zip code.

Solar Boat Dock Hard Wired 2 lift system $7,631.85

If you are a do it your self type, see our Solar Info page for how to information on hooking
up a system.

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