32 Watt Solar Panel

[CapnTony]

I have a chance to buy a Uni-solar 32 watt solar panel with controller for $100. I've read thru forums and can't seem to find if this wattage is enough to actually supply enough amps to do any good.

Any thoughts would be helpful.

[htraudes]

At $3 per Watt that sounds very reasonable. Is it enough? For me it would be. If it produces 200 Wh per day, half of that directly consumed, half through battery (@ 75% battery efficiency) net production is approx. 175 Wh. Not much..... but enough to listen to marine radio (30 Wh per day), to have a few LED lights on for a few hours, to recharge your phone and MP3player, play your laptop PC for half an hour per day, but not more......

[camaraderie]

32 watts will get you around 10 amp hours on a typical sunny day. Not much but you don't say WHY you want the panel or what you expect it to do for you so it is hard to comment.

[GMac]

I got a 40W before Xmas and in average to good sun levels it can easily keep up with the fridge (one of those CF50 Wacos), all lights, keep laptop charged (DVD for the kids), radio, gentle stereo usage and instruments, not that we have a lot of those. Hard out stereo use I don't think so.

On a good day it's putting out 2.5-2.9amps according to the meter thingy. But then I haven't used it during a winter yet so that will be interesting. And we are a low power consumption boat.

I'd say a 32W would supply more than you may think especially on a full on sunny day. I must admit to being surprised how well my 40W does, I didn't expect quite it to keep up as well as it does. A Suntech out of China I think it is.

$100 with controller is very good. A good controller is a must have.

[camaraderie]

Yes...you DO need a regulator with that panel as output is 16.5V in full sunlight and it will fry your batteries without one. Even with the resulting 2 amp output in full sunlight...that gives you the ability to do ONE or two small things with it during full sunlight.
A basic car stereo will use 1-2 amps.
Auto pilot will use typically 4-6
VHF radio will use 1.5 on RECEIVE
As you can see...not too much in full sunlight.

[Fishspearit]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

VHF radio will use 1.5 on RECEIVE

Cam, you might want to replace that old tube radio you have, my new icom draws .2 A when receiving

[CapnTony]

Thanks guys for the info. Picked it up this morning and got it for 80 bucks....felt like a deal.