Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
I also ran two charge controllers (blue sea 75/15) so that if there is shading on one panel, you don't get hit with a net zero input.. ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
We have 2x 100w semi-flexible mounted in soft frames (sailrite does an excellent tutorial on this) on our Bimini since March and have been out on a few week long cruises since then, I can pleasantly report not running out of juice. We have 2x 8D agm batteries and also have autopilot, an isotherm cold plate, etc. No TV and no AC (as we're in the PNW).. but I can charge my drone, laptops, have enough left in the morning to comfortably fire the diesel hot air heater, and even on overcast days, seeing about 30-50w each panel. ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
Looks great..Doug Mountjoysv Rebecca Leah C Landfall 39Port Orchard yacht club null___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
Pictures of my solar installation. https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8pEh5lnvP1yLXU5RzRyWjZXTDA Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C 37+ Solomons, MD On Wed, Sep 9, 2020, 13:28 Dave S via CnC-List wrote: > Hello all, > > Need to replace my batteries and am contemplating an upgrade to Windstar's > off-the-dock power system. Specifically evauating a battery upgrade and > potential top-up-charging. > > Based on what I've read, a 100w panel would conservatively > contribute 400-500w daily (average) in summer and be enough to help extend > my "off the grid" time. I am on the North shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto > area. > > Does anyone have any real-world data or experience with the actual > charging capacity of a sailboat mounted solar panel?Would like to > factor this into my decisions. > > Many thanks! > > Dave > Windstar 33-2 > > https://cncwindstar.blogspot.com/2019/09/going-off-grid-charging-and-battery.html > > > > > ___ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > > ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
Dave, I live aboard full time in Puget Sound, and often will shut off my battery charger for a week at a time. I have 2 140 watt rigid panels mounted flat on my dinghy davits, with 2 Gensun in MPPT controllers in parallel. This is in conjunction with the 6 group 27 AGM house batteries. With this system i run everything on my boat, and usually be fully charged by 2-3pm. I have seen a max of 9 amps charge. If my panels would pivot I could get even more power out of them. Doug Mountjoysv Rebecca Leah C Landfall 39Port Orchard yacht club null___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
No YouTube... I don't think. The 2 controllers just allow for more reliability. In order to handle 200w I would need a larger single controller but a single failure would cause a complete loss of my solar charging system. 2 smaller controllers allow me to us high quality Genesun boost controllers instead of a larger less efficient one. Think of my system as 2 completely independent 6 amp solar charging systems attached in parallel to the same battery which results in a total of 12 amps. Josh On Wed, Sep 9, 2020, 17:05 John Conklin via CnC-List wrote: > Josh, > Like you my cruising is in and out of the channel, however with a bit more > time to go, and some amazing full days soloing Halcyon I am considering > few week long trips to and fro! And ... adding a few 100 watt flexible > panels > Did you do by chance do a youtube vid on that install process? Little > confused by the 2 controllers? Well always confused By the boat bits but > willing to try :) I have come a long way in 2 years. > Thanks !! > > John Conklin > S/V Halcyon > S/V Heartbeat > www.flirtingwithfire.com > > > On Sep 9, 2020, at 2:32 PM, Josh Muckley via CnC-List < > cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > > I have experience but my panels are flexible and total 200w. I am also > considerably further south in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. > > I have an Gensun MPPT-boost charge controller for each of the 2 panels. > They are rated for a 105w panel but I think based on the angle of the solar > impact and inefficiency of flexible panels I could have gotten away with > 120w panels. Experience has shown that I can plan on about 50 Amp-hrs per > circuit per day. 100 AHr per day into my 450 AHr flooded lead acid battery > bank. The system has worked perfectly fine over this summer when I have > had to abandon the boat away from shore power for more than 3 months. It > really is not handling a big load. Nothing but the bilge pump. Every time > I get on board I do check the battery voltage and it is always fully > charged. > > I'm not sure that the solar is sufficient for running comms, navigation > systems, lights, and fridge... Let alone just a fridge on a long > term basis. My cruising habits include motoring into and out of port so > the 100 amp alternator makes short work of topping up the batteries morning > and night. > > Happy to answer any other questions you may have. > > Josh Muckley > S/V Sea Hawk > 1989 C 37+ > Solomons, MD > > > > > On Wed, Sep 9, 2020, 13:28 Dave S via CnC-List > wrote: > >> Hello all, >> >> Need to replace my batteries and am contemplating an upgrade to >> Windstar's off-the-dock power system. Specifically evauating a battery >> upgrade and potential top-up-charging. >> >> Based on what I've read, a 100w panel would conservatively >> contribute 400-500w daily (average) in summer and be enough to help extend >> my "off the grid" time. I am on the North shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto >> area. >> >> Does anyone have any real-world data or experience with the actual >> charging capacity of a sailboat mounted solar panel?Would like to >> factor this into my decisions. >> >> Many thanks! >> >> Dave >> Windstar 33-2 >> >> https://cncwindstar.blogspot.com/2019/09/going-off-grid-charging-and-battery.html >> >> >> >> >> > ___ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > > ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
Josh, Like you my cruising is in and out of the channel, however with a bit more time to go, and some amazing full days soloing Halcyon I am considering few week long trips to and fro! And ... adding a few 100 watt flexible panels Did you do by chance do a youtube vid on that install process? Little confused by the 2 controllers? Well always confused By the boat bits but willing to try :) I have come a long way in 2 years. Thanks !! John Conklin S/V Halcyon S/V Heartbeat www.flirtingwithfire.com On Sep 9, 2020, at 2:32 PM, Josh Muckley via CnC-List wrote: I have experience but my panels are flexible and total 200w. I am also considerably further south in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. I have an Gensun MPPT-boost charge controller for each of the 2 panels. They are rated for a 105w panel but I think based on the angle of the solar impact and inefficiency of flexible panels I could have gotten away with 120w panels. Experience has shown that I can plan on about 50 Amp-hrs per circuit per day. 100 AHr per day into my 450 AHr flooded lead acid battery bank. The system has worked perfectly fine over this summer when I have had to abandon the boat away from shore power for more than 3 months. It really is not handling a big load. Nothing but the bilge pump. Every time I get on board I do check the battery voltage and it is always fully charged. I'm not sure that the solar is sufficient for running comms, navigation systems, lights, and fridge... Let alone just a fridge on a long term basis. My cruising habits include motoring into and out of port so the 100 amp alternator makes short work of topping up the batteries morning and night. Happy to answer any other questions you may have. Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C 37+ Solomons, MD On Wed, Sep 9, 2020, 13:28 Dave S via CnC-List mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> wrote: Hello all, Need to replace my batteries and am contemplating an upgrade to Windstar's off-the-dock power system. Specifically evauating a battery upgrade and potential top-up-charging. Based on what I've read, a 100w panel would conservatively contribute 400-500w daily (average) in summer and be enough to help extend my "off the grid" time. I am on the North shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto area. Does anyone have any real-world data or experience with the actual charging capacity of a sailboat mounted solar panel?Would like to factor this into my decisions. Many thanks! Dave Windstar 33-2 https://cncwindstar.blogspot.com/2019/09/going-off-grid-charging-and-battery.html ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
Solar power literature will indicate that you can expect to get the equivalent of 6 hours per day of rated output on a clear summer's day, but that assumes that you have a fixed mount with the panels mounted facing south and at an angle approximating the latitude. My experience with 2 panels mounted flat on top of a bimini on a sailboat is half of that. Also, unless you are using an MPP (maximum power point) controller, the current rating of the panels is the only specification that matters in sizing. An MPP controller can deliver a few more amps by converting the power produced by the panels into power at the voltage required for charging the batteries at an improved efficiency as compared to a conventional controller which acts as a voltage limiter. MPP controllers can be thought of as DC transformers. Steve Thomas Dave S via CnC-List wrote: Hello all, Need to replace my batteries and am contemplating an upgrade to Windstar's off-the-dock power system. Specifically evauating a battery upgrade and potential top-up-charging. Based on what I've read, a 100w panel would conservatively contribute 400-500w daily (average) in summer and be enough to help extend my "off the grid" time. I am on the North shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto area. Does anyone have any real-world data or experience with the actual charging capacity of a sailboat mounted solar panel?Would like to factor this into my decisions. Many thanks! Dave Windstar 33-2 https://cncwindstar.blogspot.com/2019/09/going-off-grid-charging-and-battery.html ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
Dave, I added a GoPower 100 Watt system last summer at the same time I added a new Isotherm Ref. System. I found that the most I was getting from the panel was about 3.5 to 4 amps according to the GoPower controller. Was still having to run the engine a few times a day to keep the beer frosty. So this summer I added the 100 watt GoPower expansion panel and I am now seeing numbers as high as 9 amps. Good system and not too pricey. I run a Sportsman 8d for house 1, a Sportsman Group 31 for house 2 and a Sportman Group 24 dedicated battery engine. Boat just did a nine-day cruise and all worked well. Best of luck! John McCrea Talisman 36-1 Mystic, CT From: Dave S Sent: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 1:28 PM To: C Stus List Subject: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area Hello all, Need to replace my batteries and am contemplating an upgrade to Windstar's off-the-dock power system. Specifically evauating a battery upgrade and potential top-up-charging. Based on what I've read, a 100w panel would conservatively contribute 400-500w daily (average) in summer and be enough to help extend my "off the grid" time. I am on the North shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto area. Does anyone have any real-world data or experience with the actual charging capacity of a sailboat mounted solar panel?Would like to factor this into my decisions. Many thanks! Dave Windstar 33-2 https://cncwindstar.blogspot.com/2019/09/going-off-grid-charging-and-battery.html ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
When the kids were younger and I was acting as temporary housing at sailing school for 2 weeks and not moving off anchor, one 50 watt panel changed the situation from 30-60 minutes of engine per day to 30-60 minutes every other or third day ☺ Joe From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Josh Muckley via CnC-List Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2020 2:31 PM To: C List Cc: Josh Muckley Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area I have experience but my panels are flexible and total 200w. I am also considerably further south in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. I have an Gensun MPPT-boost charge controller for each of the 2 panels. They are rated for a 105w panel but I think based on the angle of the solar impact and inefficiency of flexible panels I could have gotten away with 120w panels. Experience has shown that I can plan on about 50 Amp-hrs per circuit per day. 100 AHr per day into my 450 AHr flooded lead acid battery bank. The system has worked perfectly fine over this summer when I have had to abandon the boat away from shore power for more than 3 months. It really is not handling a big load. Nothing but the bilge pump. Every time I get on board I do check the battery voltage and it is always fully charged. I'm not sure that the solar is sufficient for running comms, navigation systems, lights, and fridge... Let alone just a fridge on a long term basis. My cruising habits include motoring into and out of port so the 100 amp alternator makes short work of topping up the batteries morning and night. Happy to answer any other questions you may have. Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C 37+ Solomons, MD ne is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray<https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=2edbfb4b-724dcda8-2edbd23c-0cc47adc5fec-f70b5fdc37bd80a9=1=4d1f2a1d-df3b-4af7-bf02-711b3d817f0f=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.me%2Fstumurray> ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
Re: Stus-List Real world solar panel experience? - Great Lakes area
I have experience but my panels are flexible and total 200w. I am also considerably further south in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. I have an Gensun MPPT-boost charge controller for each of the 2 panels. They are rated for a 105w panel but I think based on the angle of the solar impact and inefficiency of flexible panels I could have gotten away with 120w panels. Experience has shown that I can plan on about 50 Amp-hrs per circuit per day. 100 AHr per day into my 450 AHr flooded lead acid battery bank. The system has worked perfectly fine over this summer when I have had to abandon the boat away from shore power for more than 3 months. It really is not handling a big load. Nothing but the bilge pump. Every time I get on board I do check the battery voltage and it is always fully charged. I'm not sure that the solar is sufficient for running comms, navigation systems, lights, and fridge... Let alone just a fridge on a long term basis. My cruising habits include motoring into and out of port so the 100 amp alternator makes short work of topping up the batteries morning and night. Happy to answer any other questions you may have. Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C 37+ Solomons, MD On Wed, Sep 9, 2020, 13:28 Dave S via CnC-List wrote: > Hello all, > > Need to replace my batteries and am contemplating an upgrade to Windstar's > off-the-dock power system. Specifically evauating a battery upgrade and > potential top-up-charging. > > Based on what I've read, a 100w panel would conservatively > contribute 400-500w daily (average) in summer and be enough to help extend > my "off the grid" time. I am on the North shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto > area. > > Does anyone have any real-world data or experience with the actual > charging capacity of a sailboat mounted solar panel?Would like to > factor this into my decisions. > > Many thanks! > > Dave > Windstar 33-2 > > https://cncwindstar.blogspot.com/2019/09/going-off-grid-charging-and-battery.html > > > > > ___ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > > ___ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
