Live from solar PV all year round without it costing a fortune!!!

[nmptwentyone]

Hello all,

 

I'm a member from years ago when i lived a boat. i'm trying to get some interest in the liveaboard world for a course i started. im working on a charity project to come up with a very cheap way of producing a solar pv panel. we are well on our way and running the course helps out.

 

pv is expensive, alot of boaters get turned off of it because they never feel the benefit from small expensive panels. the method we've developed for the charity makes PV affordable to people in developing countries to charge lights/phones etc. That means its affordable to boaters! We obviously can get things even cheaper for the charity because of the scale we will opperate, but for the purpose of the UK course i say that after the course you can go away and make a 50 watt panel for £40 max. maybe chaeper.

 

The course is alot more than the info available online and youtube, its a method of producing a panel that will last as long as a factory panel. We cover a cost effective way to seal the panel, which is something overlooked by almost all online reasources. This is well suited to boat life, i belive you could live from PV all year round on a boat. i dont say that lightly, i lived on one for 5 years. Id love boaters to get involved in this. All food and accomodation included for the weekend course, the materials for a 15 watt panel and the use of all equipment.

 

Thank you

 

http://www.lowimpact.org/course_outline_build_your_own_solar_panel.htm

[raymac]

Hello all,

 

I'm a member from years ago when i lived a boat. i'm trying to get some interest in the liveaboard world for a course i started. im working on a charity project to come up with a very cheap way of producing a solar pv panel. we are well on our way and running the course helps out.

 

pv is expensive, alot of boaters get turned off of it because they never feel the benefit from small expensive panels. the method we've developed for the charity makes PV affordable to people in developing countries to charge lights/phones etc. That means its affordable to boaters! We obviously can get things even cheaper for the charity because of the scale we will opperate, but for the purpose of the UK course i say that after the course you can go away and make a 50 watt panel for £40 max. maybe chaeper.

 

The course is alot more than the info available online and youtube, its a method of producing a panel that will last as long as a factory panel. We cover a cost effective way to seal the panel, which is something overlooked by almost all online reasources. This is well suited to boat life, i belive you could live from PV all year round on a boat. i dont say that lightly, i lived on one for 5 years. Id love boaters to get involved in this. All food and accomodation included for the weekend course, the materials for a 15 watt panel and the use of all equipment.

 

Thank you

 

http://www.lowimpact.org/course_outline_build_your_own_solar_panel.htm

[raymac]

 

 

 

Sorry about last post. I will try and book on the January weekend. Thanks for the info

[Chris Pink]

We cover a cost effective way to seal the panel, which is something overlooked by almost all online reasources.

 

Any chance of a clue as to your encapsulation method for those of us who can't make the trip to Bucks?

 

Your premise; year round power is a little disingenuous. Yes, possibly you could have an array that would produce 50Ah today, for instance. Whether it would fit on a boat roof is moot. But, most importantly, what do you do with the vast surplus in summer?

[MoominPapa]

The course is alot more than the info available online and youtube, its a method of producing a panel that will last as long as a factory panel. We cover a cost effective way to seal the panel, which is something overlooked by almost all online reasources. This is well suited to boat life, i belive you could live from PV all year round on a boat. i dont say that lightly, i lived on one for 5 years. Id love boaters to get involved in this. All food and accomodation included for the weekend course, the materials for a 15 watt panel and the use of all equipment.

 

Thank you

 

http://www.lowimpact.org/course_outline_build_your_own_solar_panel.htm

I'm not sure that solar panels have much scope for DIY really. It's pretty difficult to start with sand and end up with doped silicon wafers working in your average domestic garage or shed.

 

MP.

[AjW]

I'm not sure that solar panels have much scope for DIY really. It's pretty difficult to start with sand and end up with doped silicon wafers working in your average domestic garage or shed.

 

Link says:

"You will make your panel using broken or reject solar cells."

[Justme]

As a new with full warranty panels can now be had for sub £1 per watt a 50watt panel with no warranty & variable home built quality for £40 is not that good.

 

Sorry.

[nmptwentyone]

i remember why i left canal forums now. at the end of the day i lived for 5 years with 390 watts of DIY panels providing 6 months of electricity to my batteries. we were the only boat lit up like a xmas tree all year round, washing machine, hair dryer, fridge etc. before we moved off the boat i had planned to upscale to 1kW which i planned to put on adjustable mounts to angle at the winter sun. the calculations say that would be sufficient (i used a computer programme called HOMER and didnt just make that claim up!).

 

I have nearly completed a MSc in renewable energy, i work in as technicial support for a solar manufacturer and i give up untold free time to work on diy solar for developing countries but i know that pales into insignificance compared to the tow path experts who know everything! id like to see some boaters on the course because i know it works. as for the claim that 12v pv is available for £1 a watt? where? 36V modules for grid tie when brought as part of a 4kW system maybe.

 

£40 is based on wanting to make one or two after the course the reason id like to see boater is because the right sort of boater might look into 1kW, just as i was planning to do. if this was the case the price would drop significiantly.

 

its £200 for a weekends food, accomodation, materials and use of equipment. i just about cover my costs. it good fun. be nice to see some boaters.

[Justme]

1, but i know that pales into insignificance compared to the tow path experts who know everything!

 

2, id like to see some boaters on the course because i know it works.

 

3, as for the claim that 12v pv is available for £1 a watt? where? 36V modules for grid tie when brought as part of a 4kW system maybe.

 

 

 

1, I aint on a tow path. I have been living off grid for nearly 4 years. We have a 1.2kwp PV array.

 

2, I know PV works, that was not the issue.

 

3, I guess you dont know about MPPT controllers then? You can use 36v panels with a 12v battery bank. You do have to look to Europe for sub £1 per watt panels. Gets even cheaper if you dont want MCS approved ones.

[Biggles]

I went to LILI a good few years ago and I can say that the food is first rate, the BD course i went for was well run and informative and from that I made 10's of thousands of BD and many reactors for other people.

 

I later went on a Solar hot water course there and the same excellent course although I have yet to finish the panels I started a couple of years ago.

 

The accommodation is "fun" for sure, and I'm sure if LILI are running (hosting) the course the content will be very well vetted before they allow it to run in their building.

[Chris Pink]

i remember why i left canal forums now. at the end of the day i lived for 5 years with 390 watts of DIY panels providing 6 months of electricity to my batteries. we were the only boat lit up like a xmas tree all year round, washing machine, hair dryer, fridge etc. before we moved off the boat i had planned to upscale to 1kW which i planned to put on adjustable mounts to angle at the winter sun. the calculations say that would be sufficient (i used a computer programme called HOMER and didnt just make that claim up!).

 

I have nearly completed a MSc in renewable energy, i work in as technicial support for a solar manufacturer and i give up untold free time to work on diy solar for developing countries but i know that pales into insignificance compared to the tow path experts who know everything! id like to see some boaters on the course because i know it works. as for the claim that 12v pv is available for £1 a watt? where? 36V modules for grid tie when brought as part of a 4kW system maybe.

 

£40 is based on wanting to make one or two after the course the reason id like to see boater is because the right sort of boater might look into 1kW, just as i was planning to do. if this was the case the price would drop significiantly.

 

its £200 for a weekends food, accomodation, materials and use of equipment. i just about cover my costs. it good fun. be nice to see some boaters.

 

What an arrogant and uninformative reply.

 

And you didn't answer either of my questions.

 

Instead you just want me to give you a lot of money.

 

You're selling it to me, you really are.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Chris Pink

[Mr Pugs]

You do have to look to Europe for sub £1 per watt panels. Gets even cheaper if you dont want MCS approved ones.

 

 

Please privide details, I need to purchas some panels

[Old Son]

Another topic bites the dust........

[Justme]

 

Please privide details, I need to purchas some panels

 

 

You can start on the German eBay site. Or even sign up on the Navitron forum & speak to one of the Billies as they have the German contacts.

[Roger Gunkel]

A quick google on German ebay came up with this 160w pair of 2x80w for £166 +10 euros postage. 160w Solar That would appear to qualify as about £1 per watt.

 

 

Or this 160 watt Polycrystalline one for £140 including delivery Solar 160w

 

It's almost worth driving a van over and collecting a pallet load at £106 each without the postage, how about a forum consortium

 

Roger

Edited December 9, 2011 by Roger Gunkel

[Mr Pugs]

many thanks lads for the info.

if you are taking a van over could you call by Ireland on the way back

You could have a trip on a real river or even a lake

 

Regards

Donal

M.V.James & Mary

Terryglass Harbour

Lough Derg

[oasistoo]

A quick google on German ebay came up with this 160w pair of 2x80w for £166 +10 euros postage. 160w Solar That would appear to qualify as about £1 per watt.

 

 

Or this 160 watt Polycrystalline one for £140 including delivery Solar 160w

 

It's almost worth driving a van over and collecting a pallet load at £106 each without the postage, how about a forum consortium

 

Roger

 

You have my interest

[Justme]

Or these from the UK

 

link 1

 

link 2

 

link 3