I’m back with an update on our boat’s off-grid solar charging setup for 2026. It’s always evolving, and this year I’m running two MPPT controllers: a 50-amp SRNE DC-DC Charger with MPPT that I’m using purely as a solar charger, and a BougeRV 60-amp solar controller. A pair of 195-watt Shadow Flux panels on the flybridge rails are paralleled into the SRNE so one can still produce if the other gets shaded while we swing at anchor. On the bimini, I’ve got 2 thin 200-watt Yuma CIGS panels in series, paralleled with a 450-watt ZOUPW panel hanging off the port quarter rail, feeding the BougeRV controller at around 40 volts.
Those controllers charge my two separate lithium house banks, the Xantrex 480 Ah bank and the Vatrer 460 Ah bank. I’ve added switchable breakers so I can redirect all the solar power to either bank or split it as needed without combining the batteries.
The BougeRV lives in the hanging locker and also powers a few dash cams off its load terminals, while the SRNE is down in the engine room with a thermostatic fan to keep it cool when things heat up underway. Battery monitors and the Solar App give me a quick live view of amps and watts coming in, and the whole arrangement lets me keep things flexible as conditions change.
Video Overview of Our Boat’s Solar Charging System
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