Lagoon SIXTY 5 sailing catamarans are designed to operate one or two diesel generators for larger electrical consumers. In collaboration with offgridshop.eu, several of these catamarans have already been equipped with a large customised solar system, a lithium battery storage system and high-performance inverters. The energy management system on board has been automated and optimised so that even large consumers such as the air conditioning system can be operated independently of generator noise.
System design
Customised solar panels were designed for the hardtop and the front area of the saloon roof using a combination of 3D CAD data and drone measurements of the ship.
SP series cells were chosen for the saloon roof of the Lagoon 65 and the SR series for the hardtop. Both are mechanically highly resistant and fully walkable, the choice is primarily due to the different cell sizes, with which the respective areas can be optimally utilised.
Verification – 1:1 paper templates
Once the 3D renderings had been approved by the customer, the entire system was plotted on paper to be tested on board the ship by the crew from offgridshop.eu. This revealed potential problems that could be overlooked with purely digital planning. In addition, the paper templates make it possible for the first time to experience the visual impression of the system in real life.
After incorporating the resulting corrections (cable positions and various changes to the contours), the system was ready for production.
Installation
The rear cable solution with optimised cable positions enables quick and uncomplicated installation. All cables are routed invisibly and watertight directly under the panels below deck, where they are connected in series in the individual control circuits and routed to the controller.
The nonskid surface of the deck was levelled and sanded smooth with epoxy filler in preparation for installation. After gluing on the modules with a 5mm gap to allow for thermal expansion, the gaps and outer edges were filled with UV-resistant, permanently elastic sealant.
The textured surface of the solar panels is not only particularly resistant, it also ensures that the deck surfaces are always slip-free and safe to walk on with boat shoes, even when wet. The black base laminate in combination with black concealed conductors results in a homogeneous colour of the system with barely visible solar cells.
Nine networked Victron SmartSolar MPPTs are used as charge controllers.
Optimised on-board energy management
In addition to the solar system, offgridshop.eu installed a 70kWh LiFePO4 battery bank, 15kVA inverter and a Victron Energy monitoring system – you can find out more in their blog post about this project. Sailectron Services GmbH (operator of offgridshop.eu) is the official Austrian distributor for Victron Energy and its team installs many of our more complex solar installations worldwide.
Technical data:
Power: 3,264Wp
Panel series: SP/SR
Weight: 41kg
Battery voltage: 24V
Battery type: LiFePO4
Installation: offgridshop.eu | Sailectron Services GmbH
