Solar power
- Thread starter Sneaks
- Start date
We have a single 100 watt solar panel system factory installed on our C-Dory tow vehicle. Included was the Heliotrope HPV-22 charge controller and I'm amazed both at how well it keeps everything topped off both on the road or in storage. I can give the HPV-22 a :thup :thup rating.
Don
Don
No doubt solar panels are an envioronmentally friendly endeavor.
Their chief disadvantages are cost, complexity, and bulk (IMHO).
A square meter of sunlight (when you have it) during the directly overhead summer months shines about 1000 watts on that surface.
Solar panels are only about 10-15% efficient in real world conditions, however, so you may get a lot less than you expect.
Added to that problem is that of storage. Since the solar output is not sufficient to run more than electronics on a continuous basis, the best strategedy would be to store lots of energy when the sun's out and pull it back when needed for house (cabin) use. This is easy enough on a power grid (at home), but this means batteries on board in a boat. Why not just charge the batteries with shore power, the motor, or generator occasionally?
Plus you've got to figure out where to install these big panels on your boat where they'll get lots of light, then wire them and their necessary accessory control components on the boat.
It can be done, however, but makes more sense on a houseboat or at home. Long-term cruisers can take advantage of the low-level continuous supply from solar panels better then weekend cruisers.
And solar power makes more sense in southern climes than the likes of the PNW.
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I'm sure solar power on a boat is a very expensive technical solution to electrical power demands that one must fully understand to make work.
(Off the top of my head, as usual!)
Joe.
Their chief disadvantages are cost, complexity, and bulk (IMHO).
A square meter of sunlight (when you have it) during the directly overhead summer months shines about 1000 watts on that surface.
Solar panels are only about 10-15% efficient in real world conditions, however, so you may get a lot less than you expect.
Added to that problem is that of storage. Since the solar output is not sufficient to run more than electronics on a continuous basis, the best strategedy would be to store lots of energy when the sun's out and pull it back when needed for house (cabin) use. This is easy enough on a power grid (at home), but this means batteries on board in a boat. Why not just charge the batteries with shore power, the motor, or generator occasionally?
Plus you've got to figure out where to install these big panels on your boat where they'll get lots of light, then wire them and their necessary accessory control components on the boat.
It can be done, however, but makes more sense on a houseboat or at home. Long-term cruisers can take advantage of the low-level continuous supply from solar panels better then weekend cruisers.
And solar power makes more sense in southern climes than the likes of the PNW.
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I'm sure solar power on a boat is a very expensive technical solution to electrical power demands that one must fully understand to make work.
(Off the top of my head, as usual!)
Joe.
We have 60 watts of solar, 4 X 15 watts. The panels charge the port battery bank, 2 X D34 Exide Orbital gel type batteries. The port bank is only for port motor starting and the Norcold Ref. The Norcold ran 24/7 for over 60 days on our summer cruise. The battery charge never got below 75%, we have a Link 20 system to monitor the battery function.
