SolarIsland wrote:
This experience and knowledge here has been extremely helpful for me in the effort of motorizing my TI, big thanks for that. The motor that I eventually chose, the Torqeedo Travel Ultralight (succesor of 1103AC) was not availlable when this thread was started, so I want to share some of my experience with it to help others.
I decided on the Torqeedo Travel Ultralight because it meets the following requirements:
1) Has an app that displays the remaining range as a circle.
2) Has the highest possible solar charging capability in this class.
3) Has a maximum power output of 1.1 kW.
Point 1) was particularly important to me because I have a very impatient wife as a passenger. For that reason, for longer trips I precisely adjust the motor power so that the destination on the map is just barely still inside the circle displayed in the app. For the return trip, I use the same approach with a second battery. Thanks to the app, I can fully utilize both batteries, have the maximimum speed for that distance and don't have to be afraid of unpredictable factors such as changes in solar radiation, headwinds, and current, which are automatically taken into account and factored into the range calculation.
Point 2) was important for me because I often leave my boat moored to a buoy for several days and do not want to have to take the batteries ashore for charging. The solar charging capability of the Travel Ultralight has improved significantly compared to the 1103 AC. While the 1103 AC was limited to a maximum of 115 W, the batteries of the Travel Ultralight can be charged with up to 200 W. I can also confirm 190 W in practice.
Point 3 was important to me for insurance-related reasons, because Hobie specifies a power rating of 1.1 kW.
I was initially unsure whether, for reasons of flexibility, I should choose the transom version of the 1,1kW Torqeedo instead of the kayak version, but I decided against it because it was more expensive, I would have had to purchase an additional throttle and because there is currently no extension cable set available to place the battery inside the boat. If I had to choose now, the decision would be harder as Torqeedo recently released a cheaper 700W transom version of the motor (called smart package). This 700 W Torqeedo produces less than 55 lbs of thrust, which means that with this motor instead of having to build a custum motor mount it would also be possible to use the commercial motor mounts from Railblaza (rated for a maximum thrust of 60 lbs) or Island Hopper (rated for a maximum thrust of 55 lbs). However, everyone has to decide for themselves whether top speed or ease of installation is the higher priority. In any case, I am very satisfied with my 1.1 kW Travel Ultralight.
At first, I also considered choosing the Spirit Evo because of its unique hydro-generation capability. However, due to the less durable Li-Po cells instead of Li-Ion cells, as well as the lack of an app (and the absence of GPS), I ultimately decided on the Torqeedo instead. The best part: although it is not advertised for some reason, the Travel Ultralight can also perform hydro-generation. The highest output I have seen so far was 40 W, but it was completely calm, and achieving 40 W charge for a few seconds really required pedaling like crazy. I don't know yet how useful this feature is under sail, but it is just nice to have it.
Finally, one more aspect regarding solar charging: To realistically achieve the maximum solar charging power of 200 W, you need a panel with at least 300 Wp. The challenge is that, to reach those 200 W, the panel’s Vmp has to be between 35–45 V. At the same time, the Voc must not exceed 49 V. I specifically confirmed this with customer support. It was not easy to find a module that met these criteria. Because semi-flexible crystalline solar panels tend to develop microcracks over time due to bending, I opted (despite slightly lower efficiency of 17% vs. 23%) for a rollable 320 Wp CIGS solar panel with a Vmp of 38.6 V and a Voc of 48.3 V, and so far I am very satisfied with it. I am even considering purchasing a second panel for my second battery next season. At that point, however, almost the entire surface of the boat would be covered with solar panels. With two 320 Wp modules, I could theoretically cruise at 400 W without discharging the batteries, but I would have to keep switching the motor back and forth between the batteries while underway so that neither battery becomes fully empty nor fully charged, but instead remains in the SOC range where the 200 W charging power is achieved. We’ll see, perhaps I can report back after next season.
Thank you for the great feedback!
Do you have a link to the solar panel that worked for you? Appreciate any further info you can share.
Brad
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