Discuss AC240v/DC36v LED fairy lighting in a 12v DC environment in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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I've been gifted the below fairy lights, which rectifies AC240v to a DC36v coaxial power connector.
Buy 80 Multi-Function LED - Multicoloured at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Christmas lights, Christmas trees, lights and decorations, Home and garden. - http://www.argos.co.uk/product/2699017

However, I live on a narrowboat and so currently only have a 220ah bank of 12v batteries.

I'm renovating the boat, and so what would be an ideal solution for providing multiple DC voltages?

My immediate thought is that whilst an inverter is ideal for satisfying power requirements of utility and consumer devices, it is unnecessarily inefficient for this kind of scenario.

The engine has a bracket for a second alternator and so I could introduce 24v DC. I'm also planning to install solar panels. Does anyone have experience/recommendations for implementing a multiple DC voltage (12v/24v) solar controller?

Many thanks
 
Multiple voltages are a nuisance, but 24V is four times easier handle than 12V and some DC gadgets are only available in 12V versions. If you engine electrics were 24V and you wanted to use a sizeable inverter, I would have no hesitation in saying standardise on 24V and step down to 12 using DC-DC converters where needed. As (I assume) your engine electrics are 12V, then you have to decide how much benefit will derive from running your inverter and any other heavy loads at 24V from a second alt. If you go down that route, then possibly also standardise all your solar at 24V, switch as many domestic DC loads to 24V as possible and use a battery-to-battery charger from the 24V supply to provide a maintenance charge to the 12V side. DC-DC conversion is typically 85-90% efficient these days, so there's not so much of a penalty for converting at the point of use. Converting from an off-charge battery to charge another for anything more than a top-up is not so clever, as you double the charge/discharge cyclic loss.

Taking your fairy lights example, the load is small so the loss in going via 230V AC is negligible. If you wanted to avoid running the inverter for small continuous DC loads, then replace the AC power supply with an equivalent DC-DC converter running from your general domestic supply whatever voltage that may be. I have a selection on my bench at the moment, one takes in 9-18V and steps up to 20-40V adjustable, 5A max, I think it cost a fiver.

Although when I used to install marine power I extolled the virtues of 24V, my own boat is 12V throughout. I sidestepped voltage drop issues by being generous with cable sizing - my headlights are wired in 25mm². I have a few items that run on DC-DC converters but in practice I leave the inverter running 24/7 when off the mooring - the idling loss is not high enough to demand special consideration. Provided one does not cheat and use low-efficiency high consumption items such as an AC fridge, which is a fraction of the price of a DC marine fridge but nowhere near as energy efficient, the convenience of 230V 24/7 is significant.
 

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