Solar Systems

[Westfield 11]

Mainly i was looking at saving fuel and getting the genny to shutup. If i could get it to shutup for 8 hours and run my a/c wouldn't that be cool. From everything i've looked at you can do it and not to bad on price compared to what new 12k gensets are running. I'm willing to pay more to get more, and this is just something we'll have to look long and hard over for the next few months and see what happens. I think a boat is one of the best ways to go in solar. On the hook you could be as geen as you want... I like the idea of saving fuel and no noise from the genset. Mine would be considered very quite by most people on this forum but still you hear it.

I always leaned towards having a tiny quiet nightime gen-set for a/c and lights/TV and use a larger gen-set for battery charging and heavier daytime loads: oven, a/c microwave washer/dryer etc. One of the genny companies has begun selling a Stirling cycle unit that is nearly silent. This is an external combustion engine that don't go BANG, it is still reciprocating so there is some vibration. Problem is: who wants to be the R&D dept for the mfg on such a new type product?

[neosin]

The prices will drop the more they mass produce them the better. I'm really looking at the slim cells these puppies have a lot of promise. For one hell of a lot easier to install, and would be a far larger range of installation options.

Only time will tell. I don't think it would be a bad thing to buy a small system and then grow it to your needs/space you have... I don't really think my boat has the space, but someone with a MY in the 45foot range would. Then again there is better ways to control A/C without a heavy compressor but that would make to much sense.

[Pascal]

You use 400AH/day??? Holy smokes. It takes me 4-5 days to use that much, but then I've got a propane galley stove and enjoy tepid showers when it's 100* and 65% humidity.
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the biggest load is the fridge/freezer... plus galley stuff like an electtic gridle, microawave, expresso maker in the morning. Water heater isn't even connected to inverter and not included...

[MikeP]

I totally concur with Pascal re electricity use. We found that using anything less becomes too much like camping. If we wanted to camp we'd have bought a sailboat!

We have friends with a 58LRC that has no inverters at all. It has 2 20KW gennys and from the instant the boat is disconnected from shore power until it is reconnected - sometimes more than a month later, one of the gennys is running. They are never without full ac power. We used to do the same thing but I discovered that with a good inverter (Outback 3232, in our case) you can, to a great extent, have your cake and save some fuel too. The inverter can power the fridge, microwave, stereo/TV, and a couple of other wall plugs with whatever you want to connect. Obviously the genny runs when we need the stove, hot water or ac. A few hours in the evening each day does fine - the 220v hot water heater heats up the water pretty fast and in the morning is still hot enough for whatever you need.

[neosin]

I totally concur with Pascal re electricity use. We found that using anything less becomes too much like camping. If we wanted to camp we'd have bought a sailboat!

We have friends with a 58LRC that has no inverters at all. It has 2 20KW gennys and from the instant the boat is disconnected from shore power until it is reconnected - sometimes more than a month later, one of the gennys is running. They are never without full ac power. We used to do the same thing but I discovered that with a good inverter (Outback 3232, in our case) you can, to a great extent, have your cake and save some fuel too. The inverter can power the fridge, microwave, stereo/TV, and a couple of other wall plugs with whatever you want to connect. Obviously the genny runs when we need the stove, hot water or ac. A few hours in the evening each day does fine - the 220v hot water heater heats up the water pretty fast and in the morning is still hot enough for whatever you need.

True, i'm thinking about doing this and adding another bank at the same time and that would last me over night for sure without a/c, etc. A Small genset/Big Genset might be a good way to go as well... My onan 8k doesn't use much fuel, but if i was to put in a 3 -4k genset as well this would do two things. One boost my over all to 12k giving me 9k at 75% load. Could add another A/C unit easy, and with just 2 A/Cs running could run on the small genset and save more fuel.

Here is what i'm wondering. Would it be better to just go with a NothernLights 12k or something, Or would it be better to have 2 gensets? Always have that backup... hmm?

[Boss Lady]

Solar? ROFLMAO! This sounds like a bunch of rag baggers. What's next? Stop taking showers! LOL You couldn't recoup your costs in a million years. Solar panels have not come down with mass production. They have gone up with increased demand. We call these market forces. Nobody who makes this stuff is going to do it for free, they are just as greedy and will extract as much money as they can. Do you really think they care about the planet? Hell no, they do care about money. Don't believe the hype.

If you want a science experiment fine, I will buy that, but the economics currently do not make sense.

Off my soap box, LOL

[MikeP]

"Do you really think they care about the planet? Hell no, they do care about money. Don't believe the hype."

Shoot, next thing you'll be telling me that Steve Jobs/Apple are in in for the money, not just a better computer/music experience for everybody! Life is SO disappointing some times...

[Westfield 11]

"Do you really think they care about the planet? Hell no, they do care about money. Don't believe the hype."

Nothing wrong with that, or do you run your boat carpentry business @ a loss to demonstrate your compassion and humanity?

[Boss Lady]

I just get a kick out of the hype surrounding solar. It is expensive because of the amount of energy required to make the components. The unrealistic cheerleaders enthusiasm is out there hyping "free" energy, the energy is free, but the equipment to catch it is not. I saw a real solar power plant out west in 1982, it used mirrors that focus solar energy on a tower to make steam for generating electricity. Very practical, but no one has replicated it to my knowledge. Why not?

I do not begrudge the people selling equipment for a profit. Just don't fall for the propaganda on the issue that if more people buy solar then the price will go down. The prices will only go down when there is excess manufacturing capacity which creates real competition. That won't be anytime soon. If the lemmings want to believe, I do not intend to try to stop them. It is their money and they can spend it how they like.

I only see the practical side of solar being for remote areas. In that case we are talking about practical logistics which starts to tip things in favor of solar. I have installed solar cell systems in Costa Rica and here in the US, I have a pending project on a small remote Island off the coast of Honduras. So I do see the practical application for solar? you betcha, but people here have just gotten so gullible that they will believe anything. Wanna buy some land? LOL

On a yacht with fuel tanks, you don't have any logistical challenges, so it gets down to dollars and cents. Solar cannot win on that basis. But if it makes you feel good, then spend your money. Just don't try to convince me that it makes sense on a practical basis.

[krush]

If you get a really small gen you can pipe in the cooling system to the hot water heater (can do it with any engine, obviously) and then not have to use as much electricity.