Off-Grid Solar Float House
Can You Add Solar To A Floating House On The Ocean?
Challenge:
Install a solar power system on a floating ocean-based residence with no access to land or grounding infrastructure. Plan for a one-day trip by boat, ensuring all necessary equipment and tools are transported for the installation.
Solution:
- Prepare the essential plans required to efficiently conduct a one-day boat trip, ensuring all tools and equipment are carefully packed and ready for transportation.
- Choose a maintenance free style battery bank
- Design a grounding system that adheres to a structure not tied to land
Planning
The project site is approximately an hour away by boat. The plan entails convening at the dock with all the necessary equipment and tools to accomplish the project, ideally within a single day. Thorough planning is essential, as there are no nearby stores or work trucks with extra devices, tools, or spare parts readily available, necessitating careful preparation.
Battery Chemistry
The selected battery for this application should prioritize ease of maintenance. Opting for flooded lead-acid batteries, which require regular tasks such as adding distilled water and are prone to gassing, is impractical when you are hours away from shore. Instead, it is advisable to consider high-quality AGM batteries or lithium-based chemistries, which provide peace of mind regarding the condition and maintenance of your battery bank.
Grounding
To create an off-grid solar system for a location lacking traditional grounding options, such as a floating home, we must adhere to the principles applicable to marine structures like boats. Unlike boats, which have a chassis or hull for grounding, these unique homes lack such grounding structures. Therefore, we need to rely on electrical laws and principles in order to properly design and install the system in a safe and effective manner.
