Solar or wind?

[lumphammer]

I have about £300 to spend on either a wind generator or a solar panel.

I am on a swinging mooring on the south coast, I have a 100Ah engine and a 110Ah service battery. No fridge or other power hungry gadgets, just nav instruments/ nav lights etc. and a tiller pilot.

Which should I spend my money on?

 

[VicMallows]

I've pondered the exact same question (also swinging mooring Chichester; afloat all year). I've concluded that since the only times I deplete the batteries significantly is in winter (mainly eber heater and internal lighting) then a wind-gen makes most sense.

Then again, I don't really like the ungainly things, so a better option might just be another battery (or perhaps 2 to make handling easier) and just take them home for a good charge as necessary.......

Vic

 

[KRG]

I also swing so I have a small rutland wind genny, the 501, it has kept my domestic battery, 150ah, topped up all through the year. Before I installed it I had to run the engine for long periods to keep the battery topped up. The 501 has a max output of 5 amps but mainly I get about an amp in about 15-20kts of wind. It's quite small, 500mm dia. and doesn't make too much noise, I've got used to its slight wirring thinking of those luvley free amps. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ShipsWoofy]

The problem with your question is your budget.

£300 will not buy a wind-gen big enough to be any more than a trickle charger. I think you will get more from a panel at this level.

I bought my aerogen4 second hand for a little more than your budget and if you can that would be the way to go, but as you have not mentioned the boat I am not sure if she could take an A4 either aesthetically or the weight. The Rutland 913 is a similar size so there are no gains from looking elsewhere.

The ideal option is to have both, I am saving up for some panels currently mainly to allow me to run the fridge all day and night.

Maybe in fact the best option with your budget would be to invest in a smart charger and a bigger alternator, thus getting the most from the short times you run the engine. Although it is nice to arrive at the weekend and find the batteries nicely in the green a full weekend on board with my 280Ah house batts can have them crying for power if there is not enough breeze.

There is no correct answer. I would not be without my wind gen now, but it is not enough alone. I really wish I could afford to fit smart charge, wind and solar all at once.

I also wish there was a way to get a long extension lead to the mooring.

 

[simonfraser]

my 15W panel, generates 0.2 A per hour on a sunny November day in Essex

 

[nedmin]

what we need is a quiet petrol/diesel powering a 12v alternator,but no one makes one. the ideal would be a water cooled LE Velocette engine driving it, for you young uns. it was a motor bike the police used to use and so quiet.horizontal opposed twin cylinder.

 

[macd]

Ah, the Noddy bike. Didn't one used to feature in 'Heartbeat'? Sidevalve. Starting by pull-handle -- ideal for conversion to a genny if you're really desperate.

As for original question, I have both Aerogen4 and 20W panel and agree that the best thing for that kind of money is probably a panel. It'd give around 0.5 amp at best on a sunny summer's day in UK, much less under cloud or when sun is low. That's still more than enough to keep everything topped up on a mooring, but provides precious little when you're actively using the boat.