solar panels

[Cloudinspector]

I'm hoping to fit some solar panels to keep the batteries topped up whilst out on the cut this summer. I would like to know what more knowledgeable people than me thought about these.

 

http://www.marine-solar-panels.co.uk/solar-tech-rigid-panels/80w-solar-panel-complete-kit

 

battery bank is 4x110 domestic plus starter battery

2500 watt invertor/charger

 

we will be moored up most of the week as we both work, then moving on at the weekend

Usual power needs, phones, laptop, light,.fridge. we don't have a tv or washing machine

Edited February 28, 2013 by Cloudinspector

[Chris Pink]

Don't be silly. The kit in the picture should cost you £120 tops not £320.

[Machpoint005]

Don't be silly. The kit in the picture should cost you £120 tops not £320.

You probably need to tell the OP where to get one from?

[Chris Pink]

Somewhere that sells the kit for that price.

 

I am simply telling him what price to look for (the simple components).

Edited February 28, 2013 by Chris Pink

[BargeeSpud]

That will depend on how many batteries & their amp hours you have, as well as how many days you think you'll be tied up for without running your engine.

 

I'm sure someone more techie than me will give you an accurate picture of how many batteries this kit will keep topped up.

[BargeeSpud]

Slightly cheaper with a little more output & it's fully portable with a storage bag.

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/90w-folding-solar-panel-636873

 

As an alternative equivalent, I found this, it's not £120, but then that will only buy you a 50W panel kit from this particular outlet. Much better value than the one you've found.

Edited February 28, 2013 by Spuds

[Chris Pink]

Strewth.

What is it about people>?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=80w+solar+panel&_sacat=0&_odkw=audi+80&_osacat=0&_from=R40

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2736&_nkw=10A+solar+controller

 

shall i go on or can you find the cable on your own?

[BargeeSpud]

Strewth.

What is it about people>?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=80w+solar+panel&_sacat=0&_odkw=audi+80&_osacat=0&_from=R40

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2736&_nkw=10A+solar+controller

 

shall i go on or can you find the cable on your own?

What is it about you?

 

Sheesh.

[MtB]

Strewth.

What is it about people>?

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...cat=0&_from=R40

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...olar+controller

 

shall i go on or can you find the cable on your own?

 

No need to be so feckin' patronising Chris. When I was looking to solar properly recently the subject seemed a minefield, with no co-ordinated and coherent advice compiled into one place anywhere. However, you were actually moderately helpful to me so I know you can do it. Telling the OP to basically 'look on ebay' is no help at all.

 

Anyway, as it happens, I bought a kit on ebay last week comprising virtually the exact same parts the OP's set contains, but for £130. Mine came with stupidly small crocodile clips that won't grip a battery post, and no instruction leaftlet, but still well worth the saving! Ebay link HERE

 

MtB

[Chris Pink]

So why does someone who knows nothing about the subject go to Maplin and completely miss the target when it took me 20 seconds to put the OP's spec into eBay?

 

The OP is not asking what to buy, they have decided what they want - I simply (and now you) from first hand knowledge told them they should pay around £120 for it. rather than £320

 

Some of your gas pontifications with people who post from a stance of ignorance is equally dismissive so maybe there's a bit of pot and kettle here Mike?

 

 

..

 

What is it about you?

 

Sheesh.

 

You can give yourself as many greenies as you want but it doesn't alter the fact if you post erroneous information on a subject you know nothing about you will get your ignorance pointed out.

 

There you go..... greenie for me too ;-)

Edited February 28, 2013 by Chris Pink

[MtB]

So why does someone who knows nothing about the subject go to Maplin and completely miss the target when it took me 20 seconds to put the OP's spec into eBay?

 

The OP was asking for opinions on his selection, not just whether his selection was good value for money. You're still be patronising. It doesn't sit well on you.

 

 

The OP is not asking what to buy, they have decided what they want -

 

Not how I read his question at all.

 

 

I simply (and now you) from first hand knowledge told them they should pay around £120 for it. rather than £320

 

You told him arsily, not simply. That's how it came across to me anyway

 

 

Some of your gas pontifications with people who post from a stance of ignorance is equally dismissive so maybe there's a bit of pot and kettle here Mike?

 

Thanks for the heads up. I hadn't realised this, I'll take care in future not to do it, given how bad it makes one look on the boards.

 

 

MtB

 

 

..

[nicknorman]

 

Thanks for the heads up. I hadn't realised this, I'll take care in future not to do it, given how bad it makes one look on the boards.

..

Some (most) people care how they look on the boards. A few obviously don't!

[BargeeSpud]

So why does someone who knows nothing about the subject go to Maplin and completely miss the target when it took me 20 seconds to put the OP's spec into eBay?

 

The OP is not asking what to buy, they have decided what they want - I simply (and now you) from first hand knowledge told them they should pay around £120 for it. rather than £320

 

Some of your gas pontifications with people who post from a stance of ignorance is equally dismissive so maybe there's a bit of pot and kettle here Mike?

 

 

..

 

 

 

You can give yourself as many greenies as you want but it doesn't alter the fact if you post erroneous information on a subject you know nothing about you will get your ignorance pointed out.

 

There you go..... greenie for me too ;-)

Very adult.

 

[Chris Pink]

 

 

You told him arsily, not simply. That's how it came across to me anyway

 

 

 

..

 

not my intention at all. I was on my phone so couldn't do an easy ebay search and copy and paste so i told him that he should pay £120. My post #2

 

Information that is worth £200. Arsy?

 

i wouldn't mind someone saving me £200 in any way they chose.

 

I was arsy once the rabble started chipping in. Your post #9 was the next one that added anything to the issue.

[Cloudinspector]

so returning to my question. I've edited original post with more info about power requirements etc.

[Chris Pink]

Some (most) people care how they look on the boards. A few obviously don't!

 

I am glad that I don't rely on an internet forum to bolster my self-esteem.

[BargeeSpud]

so returning to my question. I've edited original post with more info about power requirements etc.

I reiterate my first post & say that someone more techie can tell you whether that set up will give you what you need.

[Chris Pink]

so returning to my question. I've edited original post with more info about power requirements etc.

 

forget the inverter, no amount of solar will power that, consider the power that needs as a separate issue - engine alternator, generator.

 

With the budget you outlined originally I would suggest 240W of solar with a PWM controller, this will provide everything (except the inverter) from around march to september.

 

|I have recently done some work on a boat with a 3000KVA inverter and my advice is that they conceptually downrate this. Consider the mathematics of using it at high power. You could maybe run it at full chat for 20 minutes and then spend the rest of the day putting the power back in. I told them that they should consider it at most 1,000W and even then use it with care.

 

What devices do you have that require 2500KVA?

[Cloudinspector]

forget the inverter, no amount of solar will power that, consider the power that needs as a separate issue - engine alternator, generator.

 

With the budget you outlined originally I would suggest 240W of solar with a PWM controller, this will provide everything (except the inverter) from around march to september.

 

now we're getting somewhere. i'm willing to spend more if need be for the correct system. Also intend to buy a honda eu20 as a back up

Don't really do electrics other than basic stuff, got a father in law for that, so need as much advice as possible

[leeco]

 

I bought 2 110w solar panels and a controller for about £170 off this guy.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_nkw=solar&_sacat=0&_odkw=&_osacat=0&_armrs=1&_ssn=direkt-vom-lager

 

 

Is there any difference in these type and the ones the op put a link to with the white dimonds?

Edited February 28, 2013 by leeco

[MtB]

I'm hoping to fit some solar panels to keep the batteries topped up whilst out on the cut this summer. I would like to know what more knowledgeable people than me thought about these.

 

http://www.marine-so...el-complete-kit

 

battery bank is 4x110 domestic plus starter battery

2500 watt invertor/charger

 

we will be moored up most of the week as we both work, then moving on at the weekend

Usual power needs, phones, laptop, light,.fridge. we don't have a tv or washing machine

 

The batteries are irrelevant. They are for smoothing out the time-mismatches in your power supply and demands, they are not the source of energy, they store energy obtained elsewhere.

 

From your list, the laptop and the fridge are the major soakers-up of power. Can you hazard a guess as to how many laptop hours a day you need?

 

The fridge will be consuming about 60w whist running, and it will be running about 33% of the time 24/7 at a guess. So a 60W solar panel producing full power for 8 hours a day (also 33%) will suffice, without taking into account that battery-charging is less than 100% efficient. I'd say in summer you therefore need a 120w solar panel just to keep the fridge fed. You can do a similar guestimate for the lappy. Lappys draw in the order of 5 amps when in use.

 

Lights are the next biggy, unless you fit LED lamps. LED lamps use tiny amounts of power, virtually negligible compared to old style incandescent 12v lamps.

 

So Chris's s suggestion of 240W is probably about right. This ignores any charge you get if you run your engine for hot water when moored. But whatever you get, any solar is a million times better than none!

 

 

MtB

[Chris Pink]

now we're getting somewhere. i'm willing to spend more if need be for the correct system. Also intend to buy a honda eu20 as a back up

Don't really do electrics other than basic stuff, got a father in law for that, so need as much advice as possible

 

if it's a high quality inverter keep it and run it on a much lower power than it is capable of. If it's a cheapie get rid and buy a smaller one.

 

First step is to identify which devices you need the inverter for.

 

As a general rule of thumb i don't think you should have a bigger inverter than you can put the power back in, ie if you've got 200A of charging you should be looking at 2KVA max inverter. If, as many older installations, you have 70A of charging then 800KVA is a good size. As a rule of thumb there are exceptions but if you deviate much form this it will end in tears.

 

 

(ps don't patronise me, that's my job ;-)

[Cloudinspector]

The batteries are irrelevant. They are for smoothing out the time-mismatches in your power supply and demands, they are not the source of energy, they store energy obtained elsewhere.

 

From your list, the laptop and the fridge are the major soakers-up of power. Can you hazard a guess as to how many laptop hours a day you need?

 

The fridge will be consuming about 60w whist running, and it will be running about 33% of the time 24/7 at a guess. So a 60W solar panel producing full power for 8 hours a day (also 33%) will suffice, without taking into account that battery-charging is less than 100% efficient. I'd say in summer you therefore need a 120w solar panel just to keep the fridge fed. You can do a similar guestimate for the lappy. Lappys draw in the order of 5 amps when in use.

 

Lights are the next biggy, unless you fit LED lamps. LED lamps use tiny amounts of power, virtually negligible compared to old style incandescent 12v lamps.

 

So Chris's s suggestion of 240W is probably about right. This ignores any charge you get if you run your engine for hot water when moored. But whatever you get, any solar is a million times better than none!

 

 

MtB

 

I'd guess we charge the laptop about every 2 days on average for a couple of hours. Half our lights are now LED, we run engine for 30 mins each day for hot water.

 

if it's a high quality inverter keep it and run it on a much lower power than it is capable of. If it's a cheapie get rid and buy a smaller one.

 

First step is to identify which devices you need the inverter for.

 

As a general rule of thumb i don't think you should have a bigger inverter than you can put the power back in, ie if you've got 200A of charging you should be looking at 2KVA max inverter. If, as many older installations, you have 70A of charging then 800KVA is a good size. As a rule of thumb there are exceptions but if you deviate much form this it will end in tears.

 

 

(ps don't patronise me, that's my job ;-)

 

Inverter is a sterling pro combi s 2.5kw

[Chris Pink]

 

Inverter is a sterling pro combi s 2.5kw

 

Then I guess you are better keeping it but bear in mind my advice about derating.

[Rich]

Then I guess you are better keeping it but bear in mind my advice about derating.

 

How do you de-rate an inverter?