Solar panels today

cagey

cagey

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Advice please, my boat is on a swinging mooring and has an efficient wind turbine but there have been a few times when anchored in a sheltered spot the turbine doesnt move. I have goal posts on stern used for lots of things turbine, radar etc., when I had them made I left an unobstructed ledge approx 100cm x 50cm with the thought to one day install solar.
My questions are how hard will it be to wire panel in bearing in mind there is a wind generator and where to buy.
Lots of suppliers but who is reliable and reasonable.
Thanks
Keith
 
You should by now know if you are running short of electric power (charge) in normal boat use. Certainly solar should give you some back up. Anyway IMHO any panel of appropriate size should be fine. I would go for Ebay from China given that china makes a huge amount of solar panels. olewill
 
I have two 50w flexible panels also from Photonic Universe. Going into their fifth year of use. Very pleased so far.

Donald
 
Agree - Photonic Universe
Link it up through good wiring to a Victron MPPT (set it up to use their charging algorithm by removing a link - from memory) and then to the batteries.
Sit back and start giggling as it starts banging the amps in at a proper charging voltage.
As you will likely find it better than your windvane, when setting up the wiring you may want to provide for the ability to add in a further source of solar - I have a couple of panels that we get out at anchor etc that keep us fully charged in the day with the fridge on.
 
I have an expensive German 120w panel and two cheap Chinese 120w panels. No difference at all in them. Cheap ones seem just as good to me. £60 off eBay. All wired in series to a Victron MPPT with Bluetooth controller so I can track performance. Works great.
 
cagey said:
Advice please, my boat is on a swinging mooring and has an efficient wind turbine but there have been a few times when anchored in a sheltered spot the turbine doesnt move. I have goal posts on stern used for lots of things turbine, radar etc., when I had them made I left an unobstructed ledge approx 100cm x 50cm with the thought to one day install solar.
My questions are how hard will it be to wire panel in bearing in mind there is a wind generator and where to buy.
Lots of suppliers but who is reliable and reasonable.
Thanks
Keith
Click to expand...

As has already been mentioned, there are plenty on eBay from China, just pick someone with plenty of positive feedback.
Wiring is straightforward, and solar regulators are inexpensive and have additional features such as providing USB power or turning circuits on when it's dark.

I've had an Aero4gen + 50W solar panel running for about six months and that combination's kept my batteries nicely topped up despite a constant drain (boring stats here).
 
KellysEye said:
I don't know if it the same with yacht panels but the best quality house panels are German that last longer than cheap Chinese ones. As told to me by a solar panel fitter.
Click to expand...

Any idea about cost? The whole thing about chinese is they have lowered the price by a lot recently.
 
DownWest said:
Any idea about cost? The whole thing about chinese is they have lowered the price by a lot recently.
Click to expand...

Around five quid for a regulator and 65 for 50W flexible monocrystalline.
Any drop in price in China is more than wiped out by the current dire Sterling exchange rate.
 
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