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Solar charger fuse

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Voyager	Posted - 07/19/2024 : 09:33:35 I rebuilt much of Passage�s electrical system over a decade ago, where I replaced most of the wiring for lighting, the battery and the engine starter/alternator. I kept the original switch panel and retained the original switch functions for the house lights in the cabin, the running lights, bow/steaming light, and masthead light. I use the decklight switch for my VHF, GPS, and FM Radio, and accessories for the depth meter and paddle wheel speedometer. Everything is fused. I have a 30A between the battery and panel, a 60A on the engine starter, and a 5A on the solar charger. I don�t have a 120VAC battery charger and rely only on solar and engine alternator to keep the house battery charged. I know that many of us have solar panels on our boats: are the charge controllers fused, or unfused? Often, we add solar as an afterthought and forget the first rule of boat battery safety. Fuse everything! While a small 20 or 30W solar panel cannot burn the boat down, an accidental short between the battery and the charge controller definitely can!
4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
OLarryR	Posted - 07/20/2024 : 12:47:50 When we state safety issues, etc, these issues oftentimes seem so remote a possibility when many have never had or were aware of boat accidents relatively close. Most times, we read about what can happen but it's not till you experience or are nearby when a boat accident occurs, that you then consider...at least some safety efforts to minimize risks. During the last 10 years or so, I have seen boats that sunk at finger slips in two different marinas. Not sure exactly what caused either sinking. But all you could see on a small motorboat was the forward line in the water where the boat was totally underwater, The other boat, a sailboat, was partially submerged. Not sure what caused either to sink. Also saw the remains of a large old cabin cruiser after a fire during the winter months completely burnt it down to the waterline - looked like a flat top boat. Not sure what happened to that boat but I believe it had to do with a heater. The fire also significantly damaged another boat at an adjacent finger slip. I am not personally aware of any boats that were damaged due to an electrical wire short. But I suspect that high on the safety risk list behind those boats suffering sinkings or heater use fires would be electrical wiring shorts.
Voyager	Posted - 07/20/2024 : 08:59:45 Larry - I like the way you connected the solar charge controller. The protected circuit should be the connection between the battery (which source a lot of power) and the charge controller. If something faulted inside the controller, it could put a short across the positive and negative terminals of the battery. In my case, the charge controller is capable of 7A, and the cable is either 18- or 20AWG. Without the 5A fuse, this would catch fire in about a second, then the fiberglass would burn. On the solar panel side, you can short circuit a 20W panel all day long. The panel is rated by two numbers: 1. Open circuit voltage - using a voltmeter with high impedance you can measure 20.5 or more volts at zero amps. 2. Short circuit current - using an ammeter (which is literally a short circuit) you can measure up to 1A at zero volts in full sun. This becomes the power rating of the panel, but if you look at voltage-current curve, at 12.8V, the panel probably outputs 0.65A, or about 8W max. Long story short, a 20 or 30W panel doesn�t need fuse protection. If you get up to a 100 or 200 W panel, then you probably need fuse protection on the panel side too. That�s how I set up my tool shed with 2 x100 panels.
OLarryR	Posted - 07/19/2024 : 21:05:34 I have a 20W solar panel. I was checking the instruction manual for my Morningstar Pro15M solar controller. The controller was on the high end of controllers especially for just a 20W panel, however, I wanted a digital readout among other features. The manual indicates that fuses are not part of the controller. Based on this, I would think many controllers do not include fuses in their circuit - This would have to be checked out for each controller. (If you know the specific model of the controller, the info via the instruction manual may be found on the web.). Most likely the controller does not have fuses - The fuses would have to be added by the purchaser/installer. I could not recall how exactly I hooked up my wiring but my website has a photo of the switch panel and how I connected the solar controller wires. I believe I have no fuses on the wires from the solar panel to the controller. The positive wire from my controller attaches to the positive terminal on the switch panel master fuse which I believe is 20Amps. That protects the solar controller wires against a short from the batteries but not protecting the solar controller which is rated at 15Amps max and no protection from a short from the wires coming from the solar panel (though at low amps) which usually provides a charging current between .4-.8Amps/hr but ideally could be as high as 1.2Amps/hr from my 20 watt panel.
Voyager	Posted - 07/19/2024 : 09:35:31 A friend�s unfused 60WA solar powered lithium battery on his catamaran acted up, hence the question

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.