windcharger or solarpanel?

If you do decide to go the solar route make sure that you locate them in such a way as to avoid ANY shadows falling on them or at least minimize shadowing as far as possible.

A single shadow falling on a panel dramatically reduces output 2/3rds reduction is normal. You can reduce the loss a bit by going to a high voltage system with a MPPT controller.

You also get more bang for your solar buck if you can tilt the panels to follow the sun. This just about doubles the a/hs you get from your panels.
 
oldvarnish said:
If you're off to Scotland, wind will be the better choice.
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Not necessarily. We do pretty well on just solar. Anchorages will often be quite sheltered, cruising is mostly done in summer, and you don't need a fridge up here because it's always about 10 degrees max anyway.
 
Kelpie said:
Not necessarily. We do pretty well on just solar. Anchorages will often be quite sheltered, cruising is mostly done in summer, and you don't need a fridge up here because it's always about 10 degrees max anyway.
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+1. Been up their a few times with wind and solar: for the most part wind contributed little (although on one 'orrible night I got 20A out of an Aero4gen). Solar loves those long days.
 
Agree. I did away with the wind generator last season and went solar. Much quieter, lighter and cheaper. Plenty of daylight up in Orkney. I can now run the fridge full time. Was also thinking of going down to one domestic battery after going LED on the lights.
 
Obviously it depends on how you use your boat. If you are aboard all the time, or the boat is alongside a berth, solar is probably better. If you're aboard, you can make sure that the panels are at the correct angle. If your boat spends most of the time on a swinging mooring, or at anchor, wind is probably better.
 
pyrojames said:
I had/have a water generator which did all my power on passage, autopilot, fridge, freezer and lights. I also had 270w of solar panels but they were almost always in the shade while sailing. They covered all power needs once they they were in full sun at anchor.
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Can you share the manufacturer or the water generator?

Tony
 
NormanS said:
Obviously it depends on how you use your boat. If you are aboard all the time, or the boat is alongside a berth, solar is probably better. If you're aboard, you can make sure that the panels are at the correct angle. If your boat spends most of the time on a swinging mooring, or at anchor, wind is probably better.
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I don't think that's true as a general rule. I kept my current boat on a swinging mooring in Holy loch for a few years and mainly used it at weekends. Wind gen output averaged a bit less than 10Ah/day over the season but didn't really change much when I had time to cruise Scottish waters for most of the summer. Anchorages tended to be fairly sheltered.

I could just leave a 40W solar panel on flat deck to average 10Ah/day in a Scottish summer. No need to track the sun, just pick a spot without too much shade. I now have 3 panels under the boom and do move the boom or panels from time to time to improve output. However, I normally get about 80% of normal output when I do nothing with the panels.

My experience is that solar normally beats wind either at anchor or when tied up alongside (excluding places where boat gets a lot of shade). This is on basis of installation cost for a 40W rigid panel versus cost of a small wind gen such as Rutland 913 and averaging output over the summer months.
 
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Solar, solar, solar. We've had both and two 80w panels means we are self sufficient in summer, even at anchor for three of four nights and with fridge and iPad charging on constant. A Rutland 913 never kept up.
 
I have been reading this thread with much interest. A question. How long do you think an engine needs to be run to top up a 2 battery [ 75 ahr x2 ] after starting? I am sure I run mine for much longer than neccesary.
 
After starting, then a matter of minutes. Starting a small diesel takes very little out of a battery. Starter batteries often have little capacity but need high CCA. House batteries which power all the other systems on the boat is where you need capacity.
 
macd said:
...or they mean getting a solar shower. Or, if a little more ambitious, a plumbed-in solar water heater. Both are highly effective (although I know of only DIY versions of the latter).
Equally, using your engine to make leccy or hot water whilst at anchor doesn't do it much good, unless run under load.
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Mac

Where can I view the plumbed in solar heater?
I have a Bukh they don't suffer from non load running glazing of the bores.
 
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