What is your Real Amp Hour per Day Usage

[ColdEH]

Back to the original thread.


We just had a little two week cruise , on the anchor 90% of the time . I designed the system to use 200ah a day under way we haven't done a full 24 hours sail as yet lake Ontario runs out of water in 24 hrs . But had many 12 hour and 14 hour sails , that being said I think our highest AH use was around 120 , and I barley use 80ah on the hook . Our only charging source is the generator, but it is really not a generator . Take a look at the you tube link below for a full description. I have a 600 AHs of LiFePo4 batteries so I go days between charging , I have no solar on board .
WE sail with all electronics going including AIS and 4G radar and two MFDs , all up and running under autopilot Im pulling around 8 amps . Refrigeration draws 20 to 25 ah a day , My deep freeze is under construction as I write this , I figured that will add a few daily amp hours when I commission it.

Regards

[chala]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Ah, no. The heat transfer from the panel to the air does not increase the earths energy heat balance. That energy is already part of the daily surface heat gain, it simply moves it from panel to air, increasing panel efficiency. The net gain in earth temperature is zero.

Because the heat gain was from solar radiation, it's part of the natural heat gain/heat loss cycle between day and night. That is the sun side of the planet gains heat during the day, but at night it looses the heat back to space.

The panel is human made therefore not natural.

[a64pilot]

I don't have a strong handle on my consumption either, but am planning on 200 AH per 24 hour cycle. I have TV's, a Stereo and a lot of other unnecessary "stuff"
I don't have a handle on it as I don't have anything but a Smart Gauge to determine usage total and an amp meter to determine rate, an issue is my electronics are hooked through a power supply that skips the amp meter.
Oddly my Smart Gauge drops to 94% in less than an hour, then seems to drop at an acceptable rate, battery SOC in the morning is usually about 85%

When this bank dies, I hope to go LIfePO4, everything except the alternator will support Lithium.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by chala

The panel is human made therefore not natural.

Therefor it must be evil..

SailorChic was talking about the "natural" process.

[chala]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Stu is correct. The power companies have to keep several plants (coal or more likely in the USA natural gas fired boilers) on low fire hold, ready to take up the slack should the wind die down unexpectedly. They also have gas turbine generators that can be going in just a few minutes.

Of course the fuel burned just keeping the boilers on hot standby is far less then when its firing at 80+% percent. So there is emissions reductions.

I doubt. This was specific to a location.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by chala

I doubt. This was specific to a location.

It wasn't and isn't specific to any location . Power companies have to keep " traditional fired" power plants in a ready standby to pickup the load if it drops for any reason.

[chala]

Originally Posted by GoingWalkabout

Therefor it must be evil..

SailorChic was talking about the "natural" process.

If you believe in evil.

[chala]

Originally Posted by newhaul

It wasn't and isn't specific to any location . Power companies have to keep " traditional fired" power plants in a ready standby to pickup the load if it drops for any reason.

It was.

[StuM]

I see mum let someone have internet access in the basement again.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by StuM

I see mum let someone have internet access in the basement again.

You are on a roll. Don't hold back. Let it all out and it'll make you feel better.


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[SV THIRD DAY]

For the love of Pete...can you folks take your BS to another thread...some folks are actually interested in this topic to help them plan and the back and forth BS is contributing NADA except reflecting poorly on the individuals involved. I'm actually surprised the Moderators have not stepped yet to blow the yard duty whistle.

Now how can you use so much power is a typical questions I get asked....
Well my inverter takes 1.5A just to be "On", which it always is to keep the eighteen 115v AC electrical outlets on the boat powered up. So that is 36AH right there before we even fire up the bread maker, microwave or immersion mixer for my famous beef stew. Yesterday my wife fired up the 115v hair clippers to give my son and I hair cuts and it all takes power.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by chala

The panel is human made therefore not natural.

You are correct. But the solar panel by it's self does not generate heat. The heat being produced is from solar radiation warming the panel, which is as natural as one gets. When adding water to cool the panel, your simply transferring the heat of the panel to the water. No additional heat is generated.

This is unlike a engine or fuel heater which does add heat to the world.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Well my inverter takes 1.5A just to be "On", which it always is to keep the eighteen 115v AC electrical outlets on the boat powered up. So that is 36AH right there before we even fire up the bread maker, microwave or immersion mixer for my famous beef stew.

Many fancy marine inverters have a standby mode in addition to the idle mode, where no power is used which drops amps drawn down to about 0.6 amps. So it might not be as bad as you think.

My cheap $40 (now $60 darn inflation) MSW inverter does use about .6 amp at idle, but its a simpliler circuit so has less load to keep the transformer saturated.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Many fancy marine inverters have a standby mode in addition to the idle mode, where no power is used which drops amps drawn down to about 0.6 amps. So it might not be as bad as you think.

My cheap $40 (now $60 darn inflation) MSW inverter does use about .6 amp at idle, but its a simpliler circuit so has less load to keep the transformer saturated.

My Xantrex does that also...in the search mode when no "Load" is detected it shuts down...wakes up a few minutes later and looks for load then shuts down if none is found. BUT when it does that it typically can't see the load of some of my small phone chargers (remember 4 people living aboard so that's 4 phones and 4 laptops) so the charger/phone beeps off and on as the charge comes and goes and drives YOU CRAZY. So I've found the "search" mode of the inverter to be worthless to me for anything more than a 2AM wake up beeping alarm. The solution of course is to install USB chargers every 3ft on port and starboard from Bow to stern so that we are not charging with AC but with DC. Ok that solves the phone problem but what about my Microwave and DVD player clocks...they will always be flashing 12:00 and to a OCD person like me that will send you to the mental hospital...as if I'm not already there. My wife put black tape over our link 10 battery monitor while we were out cruising so that I wouldn't stare at it and drive everyone crazy....maybe that is my microwave and DVD player clock solution...na...just give me more POWER.....

[sailorchic34]

I still use wall warts for phone and hot spot charging as the little usb adapters that plug into the 12v outlet seem to die after a few weeks. I might try a hard wired USB. Actually my cheap inverter has two usb ports. THough not in the ideal location for charging.

I figure I'm using .6 amps just keeping the inverter going that might as well use the 110V adapters.

Good lord, sell Third Day.... So going for a cat?