Solar Does Work !

[Alan de Enfield]

Today (going into a 6x 230AH Battery bank)

 

 

Edit to add an "A"

Edited June 5, 2016 by Alan de Enfield

[canals are us?]

I'm surprised more boats don't have solar.

 

I really need a better controller an mppt one rather that a 30amp PWM as it cuts out the solar when the voltage gets to 13.5 volts. See some voltage on other boats near 15 volts. I have 380 watts of solar laid flat, and got 16 amps around midday, dropping to 11.8amps at 4pm.

I currently only have 2 x Trojan T105's and an ancient inlander 12 volt fridge which may be 15 years old. I would love to buy an MPPT Controller, 2 new T105's possibly 2 new pairs and a new 12 volt fridge and 12 volt full size under counter freezer and a smartquage!

 

James.

Edited June 5, 2016 by canals are us?

[Phil Ambrose]

For me there was never any doubt that Solar works, have had it for 12 plus years now.

What does surprise me is the fact that people are still amazed to find it works. It ain't nothing new.

Phil

Edited June 5, 2016 by Phil Ambrose

[Alan de Enfield]

Up to 3 years (and 3 boats) ago I truly believed it was 'snake oil', but on buying a boat with it already fitted I became a convert (and addicted to watching the controller / voltmeter)

 

Waking up in the morning with a higher voltage than I had when I went to bed was just 'magic'.

 

Convinced a couple of boats moored next to us to 'take it on board' and they have not looked back either.

 

170w 'low light' Solar fitted to the new boat (cruiser) and the solar on the Catamaran will be updated this Summer (currently 330w going up to about 900w)

[Bee]

I normally bring the batts home in Sept/Oct and keep them charged, last year left them on the boat with a solar panel and when I got to the boat a week or so ago they were absolutely fine and well charged - brilliant.

[BilgePump]

I found that a 20w panel (about 2 sq ft) can maintain a battery for nav&anchor lights and charge a phone in summer on a trailer sailer. Certainly gave out something. Wired direct into the switch panel they lit up like Xmas. Solar now is very cost effective, especially for fridges in summer.

[Ange]

Solar made a massive difference to us ccing with no hook up. Instead of having to run the engine for three to four hours a day throughout the year when we weren't cruising with the accompanying worry about being a nuisance plus the irritating cabin noise suddenly we didn't have to run it for power from March/April until September/October. Paid for themselves in no time in saved diesel / engine maintenance costs

[pig]

Solar made a massive difference to us ccing with no hook up. Instead of having to run the engine for three to four hours a day throughout the year when we weren't cruising with the accompanying worry about being a nuisance plus the irritating cabin noise suddenly we didn't have to run it for power from March/April until September/October. Paid for themselves in no time in saved diesel / engine maintenance costs

I now look for boats with solar if I have to moor up close, less chance of them running engines!

My solar setup has completely changed our cruising pattern - we are happy to stay put in one place, knowing that we don't have to run the engine to keep the batteries charged - I hate just sitting there with the engine going, so we used to be on the move every day.

Best boaty thing I've ever bought (apart from the boat!).

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Solar has changed our summer cruising too. As with many others I suspect we spent a few years rushing around the whole system to see everything. We often moved on every day.

Now we travel much more slowly and are stopping longer to explore. We have no need to ever run the engine whilst we are moored from Spring to Autumn. We can get hot water from our Alde upright boiler.

I wish we had got solar panels the day we bought the boat in retrospect but in those days it just wasn't common.

[GoodGurl]

in summer i never run the engine for battery top up the solar does that for me (950w), i usually run the immersion heater daily off solar for hot water.

[MtB]

 

Waking up in the morning with a higher voltage than I had when I went to bed was just 'magic'.

 

 

I know solar is good, but solar that works overnight is not something I often hear mentioned!!

[matty40s]

 

 

I know solar is good, but solar that works overnight is not something I often hear mentioned!!

The sun was well up into the sky when I went to fetch my car at 6am this morning, on return batteries were already up to 90%, I went back to bed for an hour then.....

[MtB]

The sun was well up into the sky when I went to fetch my car at 6am this morning, on return batteries were already up to 90%, I went back to bed for an hour then.....

 

 

Yes ok but I was trying to be amusing!

 

Ah well... never mind!

[Neil Smith]

Yes ok but I was trying to be amusing!

 

Ah well... never mind!

Your humour is lost on some people Mike but keep it up for the rest of us.

 

Neil

[Guest]

Interesting thread. We are using solar proper for the first time this year. Not sure how many watts they are without looking, but they are keeping up nicely with the fridge in this weather (240V fridge via inverter) when we are moored. We too need a better controller, so will add one next year and another panel. Very impressed and less need to run the genny/engine so more peaceful

As an aside we have more LED lighting this year, and they are excellent in both increased output and much lower power consumption.

The LCD telly is a bit of a flop power wise, and uses more power than the old Roadmaster CRT one which we just scrapped (both tellies ran off 12V.) Luckily we don't watch it a lot so it won't make a huge difference.

Just need solar hot water now

[Ange]

Interesting thread. We are using solar proper for the first time this year. Not sure how many watts they are without looking, but they are keeping up nicely with the fridge in this weather (240V fridge via inverter) when we are moored. We too need a better controller, so will add one next year and another panel. Very impressed and less need to run the genny/engine so more peaceful

As an aside we have more LED lighting this year, and they are excellent in both increased output and much lower power consumption.

The LCD telly is a bit of a flop power wise, and uses more power than the old Roadmaster CRT one which we just scrapped (both tellies ran off 12V.) Luckily we don't watch it a lot so it won't make a huge difference.

Just need solar hot water now

Ah yes LED lights, my other favourite enhancement. Transformed shadowy cave like lighting into a brightly lit interior and used far less power - not cheap at the time but worth every penny

[GoodGurl]

Interesting thread. We are using solar proper for the first time this year. Not sure how many watts they are without looking, but they are keeping up nicely with the fridge in this weather (240V fridge via inverter) when we are moored. We too need a better controller, so will add one next year and another panel. Very impressed and less need to run the genny/engine so more peaceful

As an aside we have more LED lighting this year, and they are excellent in both increased output and much lower power consumption.

The LCD telly is a bit of a flop power wise, and uses more power than the old Roadmaster CRT one which we just scrapped (both tellies ran off 12V.) Luckily we don't watch it a lot so it won't make a huge difference.

Just need solar hot water now

why not fit an immersion heater? ours is 1kw @240v and runs off solar for a full tank of hot water in around 45 minutes.

[boathunter]

why not fit an immersion heater? ours is 1kw @240v and runs off solar for a full tank of hot water in around 45 minutes.

I know that many mppt controllers have a multi stage charger output and also a direct regulated output. Having wondered previously what practical use the extra output is I wonder, do you run the immersion from the mppt to batteries to inverter or mppt direct the to the inverter and wait until it's sunny? I guess via batteries.

[Guest]

why not fit an immersion heater? ours is 1kw @240v and runs off solar for a full tank of hot water in around 45 minutes.

Thanks, we already have an immersion but never thoguht to try it with solar yet! Got to be worth a go on these sunny days

[Alan de Enfield]

Just getting me head around the immersion heater possibilities.

 

Immersion is 1000w and runs at 220v. It takes almost 2 hours to heat the water (its a fairly large 46 litre tank).

It will take approximately 200Ah out of the batteries to heat the water.

 

If my solar is averaging 5 amps, it will take 40 hours (2 days ?) of charging to replace what the immersion heater has used.

 

The 12v fridge is around 45Ah per day

The 220v freezer (via the Inverter) is around 45Ah per day

 

Lights, TV, phone chargers, computers, pumps etc in addition.

 

I cannot see a 'smallish' solar set up providing enough to be totally independent but it will 'reduce' the amount of alternative charging (engine or generator) needed.

 

I cannot see solar supporting my immersion heater.

 

(170w low light panel - probably giving 10a early afternoon, on a clear day, averaging 5a or 6a overall).

[Guest]

Just getting me head around the immersion heater possibilities.

 

Immersion is 1000w and runs at 220v. It takes almost 2 hours to heat the water (its a fairly large 46 litre tank).

It will take approximately 200Ah out of the batteries to heat the water.

 

If my solar is averaging 5 amps, it will take 40 hours (2 days ?) of charging to replace what the immersion heater has used.

 

The 12v fridge is around 45Ah per day

The 220v freezer (via the Inverter) is around 45Ah per day

 

Lights, TV, phone chargers, computers, pumps etc in addition.

 

I cannot see a 'smallish' solar set up providing enough to be totally independent but it will 'reduce' the amount of alternative charging (engine or generator) needed.

 

I cannot see solar supporting my immersion heater.

 

(170w low light panel - probably giving 10a early afternoon, on a clear day, averaging 5a or 6a overall).

I think it would take a fair bit of solar power to make an immersion viable. I will try what I have sometime and see what happens. My calorifier is not that big, and water only needs to be warmish for a shower.

I do still like the thought of a wet solar panel for water heating. Working on the boat roof these last few days, there is an amazing amount of heat up there. Second skin on roof is needed, like a skin tank. 12v circulating pump, and a stat. on the cold return pipe maybe?

[MtB]

I think it would take a fair bit of solar power to make an immersion viable. I will try what I have sometime and see what happens. My calorifier is not that big, and water only needs to be warmish for a shower.

I do still like the thought of a wet solar panel for water heating. Working on the boat roof these last few days, there is an amazing amount of heat up there. Second skin on roof is needed, like a skin tank. 12v circulating pump, and a stat. on the cold return pipe maybe?

 

 

ISTR the gross heat radiation arriving on the earth's surface from the sun at midday over the equator, works out at 1kW per square metre near as dammit.

 

Probably about half that at midday in mid summer in the UK. Then knock off the efficiency losses of your panels...

[Proper Charlie]

This may be mentioned elsewhere but there's a guy currently trying to take a boat down the GU to London using a solar powered motor. We met him at Stoke Bruerne on Wednesday and in Milton Keynes yesterday. Lovely bloke. Hope he makes it.

[GoodGurl]

I know that many mppt controllers have a multi stage charger output and also a direct regulated output. Having wondered previously what practical use the extra output is I wonder, do you run the immersion from the mppt to batteries to inverter or mppt direct the to the inverter and wait until it's sunny? I guess via batteries.

its a 240v immersion and runs directly through the inverter to the batteries.

 

Thanks, we already have an immersion but never thoguht to try it with solar yet! Got to be worth a go on these sunny days

we do it when batts are at 100% it takes about 45 mins to heat the tank and usually takes the batts down to 84%, if done early enough batts will be back at 100% before the sun goes in.

[jenevers]

its a 240v immersion and runs directly through the inverter to the batteries.

 

 

we do it when batts are at 100% it takes about 45 mins to heat the tank and usually takes the batts down to 84%, if done early enough batts will be back at 100% before the sun goes in.

What size/make is your inverter?