Solar and Spring

[dor]

Well it certainly looks like spring is here in sunny South Cheshire.

 

At 12:35 (local noon) my 100 watt, flat mounted panel was giving me just over three amps into my batteries yesterday. That's through a standard controller. Looks like solar is getting useful again.

[b0atman]

at 9 this morning a burst of sunshine shot 18.5 amps into Batteries this was not even direct sun YIPPEE

[Traveller]

Well it certainly looks like spring is here in sunny South Cheshire.

 

At 12:35 (local noon) my 100 watt, flat mounted panel was giving me just over three amps into my batteries yesterday. That's through a standard controller. Looks like solar is getting useful again.

Would any other type of controller make a difference? I understood that MPPT was only an advantage when paired with panels rated at 170 watts or over.

[Dalslandia]

It depends on the spring rate.

[Paringa]

You often find some really good solar figures at this time of year...

 

The sun is getting some power and the ambient temperature is lower and the panels perform better when they are cooler.

 

It also happens in the Autumn too...not surprisingly.

[dor]

Would any other type of controller make a difference? I understood that MPPT was only an advantage when paired with panels rated at 170 watts or over.

 

Interesting, I didn't know that. I nearly bought a MPPT when I bought the panel (six years ago) but the supplier was out of stock so I just had the standard one. They didn't suggest that a MPPT would have been a waste of time.

[Traveller]

 

Interesting, I didn't know that. I nearly bought a MPPT when I bought the panel (six years ago) but the supplier was out of stock so I just had the standard one. They didn't suggest that a MPPT would have been a waste of time.

I could be wrong, but that is something I certainly read somewhere (maybe here). That is why I have not upgraded my controller which is linked to a 140 watt panel. Hopefully someone who is well versed on all this will drop in and put us out of our misery :-)

[Paringa]

For those small panels the advantages and therefore gains won't really warrant the extra cost - certainly for proper MPPT controllers and you get what you pay for - there are advantages with larger arrays using bigger panels wired to make better use of what is available. The thing is you as the owner decide what you are after and what you want your system to be able to do - topping up a single battery when the boat is standing still or supplying power for a family and all the electrical toys - adding a expensive controller won't make miracles happen.

[dor]

For those small panels the advantages and therefore gains won't really warrant the extra cost - certainly for proper MPPT controllers and you get what you pay for - there are advantages with larger arrays using bigger panels wired to make better use of what is available. The thing is you as the owner decide what you are after and what you want your system to be able to do - topping up a single battery when the boat is standing still or supplying power for a family and all the electrical toys - adding a expensive controller won't make miracles happen.

Thanks for that. It sort of makes sense that the improvement wouldn't really be worth the cost unless I increased the number of panels. The main reason I fitted the panel was to give the batteries the long slow charge they need towards the end of charging on the three or four days we are away from the boat. It seems to do this pretty well.

[Traveller]

Yes thanks for clarifying. Our single 140 watt panel does a great job on a non live-aboard boat. Batteries have been kept up all winter and I have had no problem when I have stayed on the boat during the winer months.