Star-Lord
Well-known member
Ignoring the price difference - if you could choose 1 what would you choose? Northern Europe location. TIA.
Rutland 914i v 55w Victron Solar panel
- Thread starter Star-Lord
- Start date
geem
Well-known member
Solar every time
Neeves
Well-known member
If money is not an issue I would maximise the size of the solar display then add a wind generator. There are days when it is cloudy and windy and for some reason wind gens are useful overnight. 
Have a look at Skywind and WattnSea - but maximise solar first, its the cheapest
Jonathan
Have a look at Skywind and WattnSea - but maximise solar first, its the cheapest
Jonathan
neilf39
Active member
The thing about the 914i is it generates electricity 24 hours a day so even if less amps than solar it does generate quite a few amp hours per day in 10+ knots of wind. With current UK weather patterns it has been going great guns. I think having solar and wind where you can't fit 400w+ of solar gives a good all conditions balance for somewhere like the UK. We can survive off grid with the 914i and 50w of solar for weeks at a time with the odd bit of motoring to top up on windless cloudy days. Our main electric demand is only the fridge and Instruments plus led lights and some phone/laptop charging. We use gas to cook.
Alex_Blackwood
Well-known member
Tromso???
MontyMariner
Well-known member
I've had both but when the WG needed replacement due to age I decided to ditch it completely because:
Output very low compared to solar
Doesn't work well sailing down wind
Can be noisy and vibrate
Requires maintenance
The biggest argument for a WG over Solar is that solar doesn't work at night, but then, equally the wind doesn't always blow at night! At least not to a velocity to make the WG effective.
If you factor in the cost of a WG, the money would be better spent increasing the battery bank capacity to cater for your overnight needs and adding more solar to decrease recharge time.
Output very low compared to solar
Doesn't work well sailing down wind
Can be noisy and vibrate
Requires maintenance
The biggest argument for a WG over Solar is that solar doesn't work at night, but then, equally the wind doesn't always blow at night! At least not to a velocity to make the WG effective.
If you factor in the cost of a WG, the money would be better spent increasing the battery bank capacity to cater for your overnight needs and adding more solar to decrease recharge time.
Star-Lord
Well-known member
Aha! I didn’t mention I have a 55w Victron Solar panel on batwing Noa mounts. I have just fitted a manual windlass as well. Manual water etc. But I do have a Planer diesel heater (with separate SS tank) fitted by Owen Cox and Welsh Tony - so that’s a consideration. Had it with the hot
Med summers and winter mosquitoes 
Neeves
Well-known member
The question you ask is very simple - all the answers will contain a 'But'.
A cruising coupe with a 35' yacht might have the same (or similar) demands for power to a similar couple with a 55' yacht (or a 40' catamaran). Its so much easier to install a solar display on the bigger yacht (for obvious reasons). If with these same yachts the couples intend making passage every other day (weather permitting) or sitting in the same anchorage for a week - the possible electrical demands might be different (and the ability to maximise yield will also be different).
The question you pose, but including a finite financial burden, should always favour solar - simply because solar prices are low. But if your yacht is in the 30' range and you want to move on every other day then you will need to be parsimonious with your electricity usage compared to that similar couple with the 50' yacht.
Maximising the size of a solar display on a small yacht needs imagination (and ideas from members here).
Here is a recent thread on a solar power installation on a 'small' yacht - proving its all possible - and your yacht may be bigger
Lithium Powerpacks, solar and alternator charging for offgrid 240v
I note your post above - but more detail on your yacht and power needs might solicit more focussed replies.
Jonathan
Sandy
Well-known member
and very often during the day!
Poecheng
Well-known member
Just taken my 914i off the boat and it is in the garage now, which probably answers the question.
There simply is no comparison.
There simply is no comparison.
Star-Lord
Well-known member
Also thinking of winter power cuts in windy French marinas.
Neeves
Well-known member
noelex
Well-known member
I agree with Geem: solar wins. If considering fitting both then make sure to consider if the wind generator will cast any shadows on the solar panels.
Solar panels are sensitive to shadows, so fitting a wind generator may not result in the improvement in total output that might be expected.
Solar panels are sensitive to shadows, so fitting a wind generator may not result in the improvement in total output that might be expected.
Star-Lord
Well-known member
I was wondering that!Maybe there is a second hand one available for sale.
Jonathan.
Star-Lord
Well-known member
Is it for sale? Does it have the standard pole and stays and single bank charger? ‘Solo’ kit as advertised on Marlec?
Poecheng
Well-known member
Sorry, been away and caught up with these.
It is very well made, tall* pole with two stays (not wire) and an attached deck plate with four bolts; I don't know if it was made by Marlec but it is high quality and was on the back of our Southerly 38. The blades were well balanced and we felt minimal vibration in the aft cabin.
It can come with the HRDi regulator which will additionally do solar MPPT so I think it would be the same spec as the better Marlec Duo kit.
There is a reasonable length of cable exiting from the bottom of the pole - it was ample for it to be connected up to a switch to brake the gen (the regulator can do that as well).
Cons: The blades have some 'spotting' as bare GRP will inevitably have. The vane has a bit of rust on it and was far too far away (reach) when mounted to do anything about but now it is down, I would rub it down and put some vinyl over it like the original. The stays attached to the pushpit by stainless 'things' that go round the rail and cannot be removed so would need to add two of these to fit your rail.
* The blades cannot be reached standing on deck or even standing on the first guard rail (and possibly the second, I cannot recall) but the blades are very clearly out of the way of humans.
I can get some photographs and measurements this weekend. It is in Woodbridge, Suffolk. It fitted in our 3 series estate (just)
PM me
It is very well made, tall* pole with two stays (not wire) and an attached deck plate with four bolts; I don't know if it was made by Marlec but it is high quality and was on the back of our Southerly 38. The blades were well balanced and we felt minimal vibration in the aft cabin.
It can come with the HRDi regulator which will additionally do solar MPPT so I think it would be the same spec as the better Marlec Duo kit.
There is a reasonable length of cable exiting from the bottom of the pole - it was ample for it to be connected up to a switch to brake the gen (the regulator can do that as well).
Cons: The blades have some 'spotting' as bare GRP will inevitably have. The vane has a bit of rust on it and was far too far away (reach) when mounted to do anything about but now it is down, I would rub it down and put some vinyl over it like the original. The stays attached to the pushpit by stainless 'things' that go round the rail and cannot be removed so would need to add two of these to fit your rail.
* The blades cannot be reached standing on deck or even standing on the first guard rail (and possibly the second, I cannot recall) but the blades are very clearly out of the way of humans.
I can get some photographs and measurements this weekend. It is in Woodbridge, Suffolk. It fitted in our 3 series estate (just)
PM me
