Charging Options
AC through Inverter:
EP Carry 6.4-lb batteries can charge from both our smaller K2 Energy 2A smart charger as well as from our larger Victron 5A charger. Both chargers are powered by 120/240VAC, 50/60 Hz so charging aboard requires a small inverter. Inverters used to power the smaller K2 charger should be rated at a minimum of 200W to handle the initial surge current. Inverters used for the larger Victron charger should be rated at a minimum of 400W. However, the actual power drawn during charging is much lower; the smaller charger draws 60W and the larger draws 130W. Using either charger, and if your 6.4-lb battery starts in a discharged state, you will use 25 Ah from your house bank – half of what it takes to charge the smallest competing outboard battery. Overall efficiency with this setup is ~80% but as the total energy draw is not large, this is the easiest and most appropriate option for most sailors who have the small 6.4 lb battery.
EP Carry 13.4-lb batteries work best with the Victron 24-12 charger. While the smaller charger will add energy, it will not push the larger battery into balancing mode.
DC-DC Direct:
If you want the highest efficiency option for charging your 24V EP Carry battery, this US-made high efficiency DC-DC smart charger from DIY Solar For www.diysolarforu.com is the ticket. Though designed as a solar charge controller it also functions as a very efficient DC boosting charger from a 12V or 24V battery source. In addition to high efficiency, it’s also a fast charging option (1.5 hrs for our ultralight 6.4 lb batteries, and 3 hours for our larger 13.4 lb battery). This charger will draw up to 20 Amps from a 12V house bank so it must be properly wired into your electrical panel. Look for model SÓl Buck Boost 20 Amp MPPT.
Solar:
EP Carry’s K2 Energy batteries are solar-compatible. If the panel’s power point (ppt) is between 23V and 30V, and if the total power rating of the panel is under 100W, it will connect directly to the screw terminals on your EP Carry battery (no charge controller needed). For panels from Duravolt, the charger adapter included with our smaller k2 Energy battery chargers provides a plug-and-play connection, and we also sell these adapters separately. We, and our customers, have been using these panels with great results for years.
Duravolt Panels come in two sizes: When used to charge the smaller 6.4 lb battery, their 35W panel provides one full charge per day when it is sunny out and their 60W panel is ˜2x faster. Their 16W panel will keep up with daily ship to shore use but not in longer daily use scenarios.
Bigger solar:
Sunnyside is a 14 ft solar camp cruiser built to more comfortably test EP Carry motors over long distances in the Salish Sea. Now only one of the many solar propelled boats traveling Pacific Northwest waters, Sunnyside’s daily solar-powered range is up to 38 nm. With an average cruising speed of 3.8 knots, Sunnyside’s performance is very similar to the camp cruising auxiliary sailboats it accompanies on each season’s 100 nm long Salish 100 cruise. Many sailors on this cruise are also using EP Carry motors as auxiliaries, and some of those also recharge their batteries using solar. Thanks to EP Carry’s higher efficiency, fully solar powered cruisers like Sunnyside tend to use solar arrays rated at 200W with good results. Auxiliary sailboats generally need less aux-power range so they do well using panels rated at 60W-100W. Sunnyside has used the same EP Carry motor, modified each season to test new motor developments. This same motor head and lower unit has now clocked over 1,000 sun-powered nautical miles.
A solar propulsion system is surprisingly simple and affordable- adding up the costs for Sunnyside’s system that includes the motor, battery, remote tilt, remote throttle, remote steering, solar panels and solar controller, it’s around $2,500. If you are interested in learning more about long-range solar setups like this, get in touch at info@electricpaddle.com (425) 502-5232 and we can help.