Sailing Uma · video

What this video covers

Dan and Kika of Sailing Uma designed and installed a high-capacity solar distribution board for their sailboat to manage 17 individual MPPT charge controllers.0:55 To mitigate shading issues from the mast and rigging, they opted for a granular system where each solar panel or small pair of panels connects to its own dedicated MPPT controller.2:22 The system divides the boat into three zones—foredeck, middeck, and arch—with five to six controllers per zone.3:27 Each zone feeds into a dedicated smart shunt for data monitoring and a circuit breaker for isolation.4:12 The assembly features a double-sided wooden panel: the front holds the MPPTs and breakers for status monitoring, while the rear houses the wiring, bus bars, and fuse blocks.3:47 The board mounts on a hinge in front of the existing fuse panel to maximize space.4:29 The installation includes a contactor linked to the battery management system to automatically cut solar input when necessary.20:38 The project concludes with the removal of ferrules from spring-loaded DIN rail terminals to ensure proper connection tension.23:45

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