Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 19-10-2012, 09:11   #31
Registered User
 
cfarrar's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brooklin, Maine U.S.A
Boat: Allures 44
Posts: 734
Images: 2
Re: Be Honest, What do Your Panels Really Put Out...

Rebel's correct: "average" days are rare and relatively meaningless.

We've got 216 Watts via a MMPT controller. On a clear, June day in Maine we can get at least 75 amp-hrs. On a rainy, foggy day we might get 7.5 amp-hrs.
cfarrar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2012, 09:32   #32
Moderator
 
noelex 77's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Jul 2007
Boat: Bestevaer.
Posts: 14,678
Re: Be Honest, What do Your Panels Really Put Out...

An average day by day in the same season is an important number. The batteries will essentially average the production over a few days.

Where an average does not work is from the different seasons or different locations. No battery bank is large enough to average over summer and winter.

If you want to live on your boat in winter (as I do) you need enough energy production so that the input=output.

There are often savings in power usage. Lower temperatures means the fridge uses less. More rain means the watermaker runs are shorter. If you want to live on your boat full time, nevertheless, you need to consider what will happen in in the worst months, or location, for power production.

General rules can be very misleading in this way.
noelex 77 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2012, 09:53   #33
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,483
Re: Be Honest, What do Your Panels Really Put Out...

only 45 AH a day for refrigeration wounds pretty low to me.... ??
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2012, 10:06   #34
Registered User
 
Sumner's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SE Utah
Boat: 1981 Endeavour 37 & 1990 MacGregor 26 Classic
Posts: 372
Re: Be Honest, What do Your Panels Really Put Out...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako View Post
only 45 AH a day for refrigeration wounds pretty low to me.... ??
Our 2.3 cu. ft. portable we use in the Mac is in the 30 to low 40's depending on if it is Dec or May. The new 4 cu. ft. one with small freezer section that we made for the Endeavour is probably less than half of that based on our use in May-July in Florida but it has way more insulation.

I just bought some 99 cent hour meters thanks to an earlier post and when we go back I'll have some "for sure" figures on that fridge and will probably put one on the portable also the next time we use it.

I think the key with the fridge is to be reasonable on a size that will work and then build it with lots of insulation, which might mean pulling the current one out and starting over again (what we did)....

Endeavour 37 Interion Mods Index

...if not then you are right 45 is a low number,

Sum
Sumner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2012, 10:10   #35
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,483
Re: Be Honest, What do Your Panels Really Put Out...

Just asking , because the HC38 and another boat I had had maybe 2-2.5 cu ft fridges. With that and some laptop use etc. I found I needed to replenish 100-120 AH a day. With the wind gen churning often.. I still needed to run the engine at least 1 hour with a 100 amp alternator... and If I didnt move to another anchorage and motor longer every 3-5 days.. I needed to run the engine twice a day...
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2012, 10:34   #36
Registered User
 
Sumner's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SE Utah
Boat: 1981 Endeavour 37 & 1990 MacGregor 26 Classic
Posts: 372
Re: Be Honest, What do Your Panels Really Put Out...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako View Post
Just asking , because the HC38 and another boat I had had maybe 2-2.5 cu ft fridges. With that and some laptop use etc. I found I needed to replenish 100-120 AH a day. With the wind gen churning often.. I still needed to run the engine at least 1 hour with a 100 amp alternator... and If I didnt move to another anchorage and motor longer every 3-5 days.. I needed to run the engine twice a day...
I can believe it. I just don't think that the manufactures are welling to spend the money on putting in really well insulated boxes. That also cuts down on the box size and most people would buy the boat that has the 5 cu. ft. box over a 2.5 cu. ft. box if everything else was the same. I see it all the time in home construction. People would buy homes with 4 inches of insulation in the walls vs. 6 because the one house was cheaper. Then even with the 6 you have no way of knowing how well the insulation is put in and after building my own home and being on construction sites there is a big difference. Like I said it isn't easy or even cheap, but some boat owners might be best off ripping out the inefficient fridge and starting over. You should be able in most cases to re-use the compressor/condenser and maybe the evaporator if they are in good shape.

On the computer laptops can use 6 amps or more. First thing is don't run it off an inverter use a good DC-DC converter like a Lind. Second look for as effecient laptop as possible up front or if you can use it get a notebook which uses way less power. I took it to the extreme and instead of spending $600 on a new laptop made a computer for about the same price that is way more effecient as it is base on the same chip set as in some notebooks. The computer and 16 inch monitor use right at 2 amps and run directly off of 12 volts and has serial ports for NEMA communications (use it as our chart plotter), has lots of USB ports, DVD drive and long distance WiFi......

Compurer-Chart Plotter-Navigation Index

...you can buy these already made and ready to go for a little more,

Sum
Sumner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-10-2012, 12:11   #37
Registered User
 
cfarrar's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brooklin, Maine U.S.A
Boat: Allures 44
Posts: 734
Images: 2
Re: Be Honest, What do Your Panels Really Put Out...

Quote:
An average day by day in the same season is an important number. The batteries will essentially average the production over a few days.
Good point, though my batteries can only average two days of heavy overcast & fog with two days of bright sun. The third day of fog requires another power source, and three days of sun means surplus amp-hrs.
cfarrar is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
panels

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 23:17.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.