Having the sheets in frosty weather

[Puffling]

Night frosts are getting harder, but at least - so far - the sun has been reliable.

 

My solar panels are still performing well enough to charge all I need, but I'm glad I remembered to sheet them over at night. For this I've been using a tent flysheet, reclaimed from the rubbish in Braunston last year. Weighted with a few logs, it stays put in the very light winds we have presently.

 

The payback is the panels perform better without a coating of frost. Even so, I had been surprised at how the amps still came through even with a thickish layer on them; this morning power generation started even before I'd unsheeted the panels, with light coming through frost on top of olive ripstip nylon!

 

Like many of you, I'm frozen in the canal for the foreseeable days ahead, so it's good to have independence from seeking out petrol for the generator, or diesel for the engine.

 

Before and after the sheets:

Edited December 9, 2022 by Puffling

[Squirrelyt]

I wish I was frozen in... unfortunately people keep coming past and breaking the ice up... the sound of it scraping down the side of the boat is making my toes curl.

 

I might have to start covering my panels too ... Sun has been excellent the past couple of days but my generator is buggered so I'm relying purely on solar too

[LadyG]

4 minutes ago, Squirrelyt said:

I wish I was frozen in... unfortunately people keep coming past and breaking the ice up... the sound of it scraping down the side of the boat is making my toes curl.

 

I might have to start covering my panels too ... Sun has been excellent the past couple of days but my generator is buggered so I'm relying purely on solar too

You can run the engine

[Squirrelyt]

Entirely doable.

 

Not very effective though because my engine doesn't have an alternator and the domestic batteries are at the bow

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

5 hours ago, Puffling said:

Night frosts are getting harder, but at least - so far - the sun has been reliable.

 

My solar panels are still performing well enough to charge all I need, but I'm glad I remembered to sheet them over at night. For this I've been using a tent flysheet, reclaimed from the rubbish in Braunston last year. Weighted with a few logs, it stays put in the very light winds we have presently.

 

The payback is the panels perform better without a coating of frost. Even so, I had been surprised at how the amps still came through even with a thickish layer on them; this morning power generation started even before I'd unsheeted the panels, with light coming through frost on top of olive ripstip nylon!

 

Like many of you, I'm frozen in the canal for the foreseeable days ahead, so it's good to have independence from seeking out petrol for the generator, or diesel for the engine.

 

Before and after the sheets:

gotta say, I’d rather stay in bed,

snug and warm

I’m not an early riser 

😴 

 

 

 

[blackrose]

I don't really see the need for covering the panels. Mine were frost free by 9.30am once the sun hit them, but mine are tilted so that's probably the difference.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

9 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I don't really see the need for covering the panels. Mine were frost free by 9.30am once the sun hit them, but mine are tilted so that's probably the difference.

Yes, mine is frost free too by the time I get outta bed,  and it’s charges away like a good ‘en.

Letting me snooze away til the earth has warmed up a bit

[LadyG]

10 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I don't really see the need for covering the panels. Mine were frost free by 9.30am once the sun hit them, but mine are tilted so that's probably the difference.

Up North it's never going to thaw during the day, it's about 3C in the sun by 3.00pm, and a good cm ice overnight. One boat moving today.

[Puffling]

1 hour ago, Squirrelyt said:

I wish I was frozen in... unfortunately people keep coming past and breaking the ice up... the sound of it scraping down the side of the boat is making my toes curl.

 

I might have to start covering my panels too ... Sun has been excellent the past couple of days but my generator is buggered so I'm relying purely on solar too

I reckon it's best to have three ways to charge batteries in wintertime as a liveaboard. Alternator, genset and solar. Wind power also if you moor somewhere that is exposed to the wind (although not much chance of that currently).

 

There was hardly any traffic on the summit level of the Macclesfield canal before this recent freeze, now it's utterly still: you'd enjoy the peace and freedom from grinding up here.

17 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I don't really see the need for covering the panels. Mine were frost free by 9.30am once the sun hit them, but mine are tilted so that's probably the difference.

I think you've hit on an advantage of tilted panels there. Even so, in my current location the frost is pretty fierce, even my bow line had grown a cluster of ice flowers by morning.

[blackrose]

30 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Up North it's never going to thaw during the day, it's about 3C in the sun by 3.00pm, and a good cm ice overnight. One boat moving today.

 

It won't thaw if the panels are flat on the roof no. Tilt the panels towards the sun on a bright sunny day like the ones we've had recently and they will thaw relatively quickly. My panels had a thick crust of frost on them this morning and was also only about 3C in the sun here in the Midlands today too.

Edited December 9, 2022 by blackrose

[Squirrelyt]

52 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 Tilt the panels towards the sun

I don't understand why people invest in solar without this...I spend about 20 hours a day staring at victron connect (it's important to have a hobby) and the change on solar input between flat and tilted panels is crazy

1 hour ago, Puffling said:

I reckon it's best to have three ways to charge batteries in wintertime as a liveaboard. Alternator, genset and solar. Wind power also if you moor somewhere that is exposed to the wind (although not much chance of that currently).

 

It is but my engine is a questionable SR3 frankensteined together out of 2 other engines and neither alternator bracket fitted. It'll get one eventually but I'd prefer not to rely on alternator charging with an ancient vintage engine considering how much more efficient a generator/mains charger is.

 

I do have a 240v charger but my generator decided life wasn't worth living so I'm enjoying the sunshine until it's replaced 

[Puffling]

23 minutes ago, Squirrelyt said:

I don't understand why people invest in solar without this...I spend about 20 hours a day staring at victron connect (it's important to have a hobby) and the change on solar input between flat and tilted panels is crazy

In my installation it was a deliberate choice to keep everything as simple as possible. My panels are fixed to the roof with neodymium magnets, no holes drilled in the roof whatsoever. The only brackets I'd consider in any case are those flat profile ones Midsummer Solar sell, and the extra distance these added to my panels wouldn't have allowed me to fit three panels between mushroom vents (plus their total cost would have been over £300). And I do have to watch air draft, as my boat sits very high in the water - it needed ten bags of coal and six bags of logs loading towards the bow just be to low enough to get through Harecastle tunnel!

 

It's a shame you are not around the Macclesfield presently. A chap I was speaking to recently is looking to flog his almost mint condition Honda 2kW generator. He got solar and hasn't used the genny since the installation.

[Squirrelyt]

12 minutes ago, Puffling said:

My panels are fixed to the roof with neodymium magnets, no holes drilled in the roof whatsoever.

 

It's a shame you are not around the Macclesfield presently. A chap I was speaking to recently is looking to flog his almost mint condition Honda 2kW generator. He got solar and hasn't used the genny since the installation.

I think the holes I drilled for mounting the panels are the only bits of Bix that DON'T leak...my cabin and windows are basically swiss cheese.

 

I do like the magnets though, the old solar panels at the stern are fixed using them and they DO do a really good job.

 

In terms of generators I'm thinking Hyundai... they're pretty reasonable price (unlike honda) and come with a 3 year warranty so hopefully I'll be sorted before Christmas.

 

My next issue/project will be finding a decent way of keeping the batteries consistently over 0 degrees for winter

 

 

[LadyG]

My flat panels were a legacy from original owner, I doubled up, but it would not be easy to start drilling holes and buying brackets, adding more cost for minimal benefit. I can cope.

[bizzard]

In freezing weather like this my mum would bring the sheets in from the washing line frozen stiff, struggle with them into the living to thaw out. We made Wigwams with them and played red Indians in them until they gradually thawed and collapsed upon us.