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Old 15-04-2010, 21:25   #16
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Consider a MPPT Solar controller! MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) We have two 85 watt panels, and got the Blue Sky Energy "Solar Boost 2000e", it was projected to increase output our our existing solar panels by up to ~30%. It does work and is was like adding a third panel for 1/3 the price. ~$250 in cost.

Roughly works by having digital switching that keeps the output of the solar panels as high as your battery bank will allow, without letting almost charged batteries reduce the amount of energy that can be put into them...

Jeff
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Old 15-04-2010, 21:50   #17
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I have heard of solar panels which are 2x more efficient than mono-crystaline (about 30% efficient) but they cost 30x as much. Might not be practical for most of us, but if you could double the power without any extra space needed...

I have two 115W panels ($200 each) and I only get 10 watts out of both of them during a heavy downpour when the sky full of dark clouds.

Fortunately my computer only uses 7 watts, so it makes enough power to continue to surf the web the whole time.


I think a catamaran would be the best boat to have lots of solar panels.
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Old 16-04-2010, 04:37   #18
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Something like this might be adaptable to the purpose.
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