Better energy Production

DIY
, , , ,
1

Hello everyone, this may be a little lengthy. I didn’t know where else to go for answers and the technician suggested I come here.

I have a Victron MultiPlus-II 12/5000/220-50 230V Will the 27K lithium bank on a sailing catamaran. I have integrated 2000 watt solar panels that are on top of the roof. I’m trying to make sure I can charge it. My challenge is

It’s an inverter 230 110 - so an US generator won’t generate the power I need. Talking with a technician. They were thinking of maybe putting Charger there to charge up batteries. The concept to Daisy chain it so that a generator would charge up the charger. The charger would charge up the inverter which would then charge up the lithium batteries. After talking with Chat and some others doesn’t seem like that is the best way to go. It might be better just to get a portable 230 charger once I’m in someplace like St Martin.

I guess I’m writing in here to see what other ideas I might get to be able to generate the power I need. Whethers is adding 4 more panels to the back of the vessel or just go with a euro Generator. Or bigger alternators?

I really only need to generate about another 10% every now and then just be able to power some electronics when we’re off grid? Any world cruisers out there that could give me a hand you can PM me or write the thread in here because I’m sure I’m not the only one who has this challenge.

To be exact problem is I probably drained about 9% of my batteries every night. Yet, during the day I charging about 7% so once I get below 50% it’s like I’m constantly having to catch up using my engines?

Thanks in advance for yoru insight.

Specs
Victron MultiPlus-II 12/5000/220-50 230V (master/slave)(installed in France)
27k Battery bank
2000 Watt Integrated Solar panels
Currently in the Caribbean

2

You wouldn’t install a charger to charge the inverter to charge the batteries, you’d just install a charger to charge the batteries. Generator > charger > batteries.

Given that you seem to be cruising around to ports with varying native AC voltages, I’d suggest putting in a wide-input (sometimes called “world voltage”) charger; Victron has the Phoenix Smart IP43 chargers which can accept 120-240vAC, so could be used anywhere in the world, or other brands do as well - Sterling Power makes the ProCharge Ultra chargers that are also “world voltage” and can take anywhere from around 90vAC to 250vAC.

It’s fairly common practice on single-voltage vessels, whether that voltage be 120 or 230, to have a world-voltage charger on board for this precise reason!