Location: Russia, Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan
Task: Autonomous power supply of the floating house, to ensure short-term autonomous cruises along the Volga in the waters of Kazan
Type: Hybrid solar power plant
Installation time: 4 hours

About the object

A solar power plant project for autonomous power supply to a floating house where there is no centralized power supply. The energy source was a gasoline generator, which, in addition to constant consumption of gasoline, also created a high level of background noise.

A self-propelled houseboat will almost always be located in an open area, away from trees and tall buildings, so to obtain the highest possible energy production, a 1360W solar panel array was installed in combination with a hybrid solar inverter with a built-in MPPT charge controller. The system was assembled at 24V. The inverter also operates on 24V.

What should work from solar panels:

• Double chamber refrigerator
• Two LCD TVs
• Wi-Fi router
• Music Center
• Deck lighting
• Lighting in cabins
• Water pump
• Instantaneous water heater
• Recharging smartphones, tablets, laptops and other gadgets

About equipment

• Solar panels: Delta BST 340-72P – 4 pcs., polycrystalline, power 340W
• Inverter MUST PV18-3024 – hybrid solar inverter with an output power of 3000W and a rated voltage of 24V, with a pure sine wave output
• Batteries: Delta GEL 12-200 – 2 pcs., 12V, 200Ah, gel, sealed
• Fastening kit for 2 panels – 2 pcs., for two roof slopes
• Parallel connector MC4-Y2
• Solar cable 2*6mm2
• Protective equipment: DC circuit breaker and SPD

The hybrid solar inverter included in the kit of this solar power station will work in tandem with a 3kW inverter gasoline generator. The output of the inverter generator is directly connected to the ~220V input of the inverter. As soon as the generator starts working, the inverter will begin, in support of the solar panels, to charge the battery, and will also transfer all deck power to the generator, i.e. the inverter will operate in bypass mode. This joint mode of operation is relevant only on long cloudy days, for example, in autumn.

About the installation and installation of solar panels at the dacha

The roof of the floating house is gable, the angle of inclination of each slope is ~15 degrees, so solar panels were installed on both slopes with a symmetrical arrangement. To fasten the panels, a fastening system based on aluminum rails was used. Solar panels were installed in a row of 2 pieces. The panels were connected using a series-parallel circuit.