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  1. #21

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    Quote Originally Posted by jim rosenthal View Post
    I understand you’re talking about living aboard, but if you want hot water cheaply you can run a coolant loop either from your genset or from one of the mains through a water heater, and get all the hot water you want for nothing besides the cost of the setup. Obviously, this only applies when the boat’s been running.
    I will do that when the current tank needs to be replaced. Unfortunately it does not have a heat exchanger in it.
    Thom Price
    1984 Hatt 53 MY Tiramisù
    Harborview Marina, Baltimore, MD
    gondolaguy@gmail.com
    Liveaboard

  2. #22

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    Quote Originally Posted by oscarvan View Post

    Then balance it out in a budget with the cost in the last column and tweak until it makes sense, or not. Having gone through this exercise numerous times I can tell you that payback is a LOOOOONG way down the road and in the meantime you'll be sitting there wishing you had more power, and you'll be looking at the panels (never enough) and all the holes in your deck.
    The biggest expense is really the batteries, which I have to have anyway. The panels themselves are not so expensive if you install them yourself. Also, they keep getting cheaper, so my phased approach to this install will increase the ROI significantly over doing one big install and getting it done with.
    Thom Price
    1984 Hatt 53 MY Tiramisù
    Harborview Marina, Baltimore, MD
    gondolaguy@gmail.com
    Liveaboard

  3. #23

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    Quote Originally Posted by Pascal View Post
    Lol... in the Bahamas some marinas charge as much as $0.85 Per KWH... I ve had bills of up to $180 a day for an 84 footer!
    Wow! That's impressive.
    Thom Price
    1984 Hatt 53 MY Tiramisù
    Harborview Marina, Baltimore, MD
    gondolaguy@gmail.com
    Liveaboard

  4. #24

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    Well, if I was that serious about solar I would build a hard top over the entire top deck and cover it with flexible panels. Also don't rule out a thermal panel for the water heater.
    1978 53' Motor Yacht "LADY KAY V"
    Hull number 524
    Chesapeake Bay

  5. #25

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    It would require 20 or more large panels, which would require covering the entire boat. Maybe if the boat is under a covered marina and the marina allows you to install panels on the roof, but that would mean a northern marina which would mean even more panels dues to less sun. And the roof would have to be able to support the panels. When the OP works this out on a spreadsheet maybe they will share it with us. It doesn't seem doable unless you have somewhere to put all of the panels.
    Prometheus
    1978 53' MY Hull #529
    Viera, FL

  6. #26

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    The problem is air con or I guess heat up north. Right now looking at my electrical panel, I am using 0.5 amp on the DC panel (24v), 3 amp on the 120v house, 6 amps on the 120 air handlers (5 of them) and 33 amp on the 240v chiller panel

    Cook top is on the 240v panel but is off.

    So air con uses about 80 to 90% of the juice flowing thru the power cord. No matter how cheap solar panels have becoming, you can fit a bought of them to make it work.
    Pascal
    Miami, FL
    1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
    2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
    2007 Sandbarhopper 13
    12' Westphal Cat boat

  7. #27

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    I've done 3 sailboats that can exist without air conditioning on solar systems. The panels will cover the refrigerators lighting and light use of the small watermaker. If they want to use the air conditioning they start the generator.

    Cooking is gas or diesel, heat is diesel and the customers are happy with their choices as they choose to live in less than luxury.

    I don't choose to live that way so I don't bother setting my boat up that way.
    Scott
    41C117 "Hattatude"
    Port Canaveral Florida.


    Marine Electronics and Electrical Products Distributor.

  8. #28

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    It isn’t just the current you are using, it is that you use it mostly the whole 24 hours. But solar is only available for a 1/3 of the day, at best. Usually only 4 to 6 hours, after you account for seasons and weather. That is why you need so many panels to make up for that short period of solar. And when I said 20 panels, I meant 300w panels, not 100w panels. It would require 12 to 15 100w panels just for the water heater.
    Prometheus
    1978 53' MY Hull #529
    Viera, FL

  9. #29

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    Quote Originally Posted by oscarvan View Post
    Well, if I was that serious about solar I would build a hard top over the entire top deck and cover it with flexible panels. Also don't rule out a thermal panel for the water heater.
    My plan is to cover the structure of the bimini forward of the radar arch with panels. Remember that it is a two part process: First improving the energy efficiency and then using solar to meet as much of the need as practical. This wholistic approach is much more effective than trying to find a single thing to change in a complex system to make it work better.
    Today I charged my completely depleted 50AH portable power station with the 100W panel in about 3 hours. Yesterday I used it all day with my laptop using a DC charger, I went out in the dinghy and used it to run the trolling motor for an hour, then I used the inverter to run the TV for 3 hours before it died. What that tells me is that I would do better to add another portable power station, probably 100AH, than to add another panel at this point. Another member of the forum mentioned above being able to stay at anchor for about a week with only a 400W set of panels.
    Thom Price
    1984 Hatt 53 MY Tiramisù
    Harborview Marina, Baltimore, MD
    gondolaguy@gmail.com
    Liveaboard

  10. #30

    Re: Energy Efficiency and Solar Power on a 53MY

    Quote Originally Posted by gondolaguy View Post
    Another member of the forum mentioned above being able to stay at anchor for about a week with only a 400W set of panels.
    You can stay anchored for months with no panels or fuel at all. I see people do it all the time. It just depends on how rough you want it. 400 watt of panels is enough to run a laptop and a couple of candles. If you cover the Bimini with panels, you will be able to run a refrigerator, lighting and microwave, or run a water heater. The math is pretty simple and widely available. A 1200 watt hot water heater takes about 2.5 hours to heat 20 gallons of water, that is 3 kwh. Assume it has to do that twice a day, that is 6 kwh. It doesn't matter if it is 32v or 120v, 1200 watts is 1200 watts. A 300 watt solar panel will generate about 1.2 kwh of power a day, assuming that it can do so 4 hours a day on average after considering weather etc. That is probably a decent number for Florida. Thus, it would take 5 of those 300 watt panels to power the water heater. these panels are 65" x 39" so I guess you could get 6 of them on your Bimini. That would be 10 feet by 10 feet. That should cover your hot water heater and a few lights. Possibly serve all your 32v needs. The electric to power the water heater @ 0.25/kwh is $1.50 a day. Between batteries, panels and electronics, it will take around 7 years to break even.

    If you wanted an energy efficient lifestyle, you probably shouldn't have picked a boat to do it on. I doubt they will let you install a wood burning stove. From the talk about space heaters and such, it does not sound like you are from Florida, but somewhere up north, which now makes the topic of solar power possibly moot, because a very necessary ingredient for solar power is the sun. Lot's of it. You can certainly power laptops and lights with solar, just like us in Florida, but when you start talking water heaters and even worse, air conditioners, now you are talking a lot of power.

    Since you have now determined how much of the boat you are willing to cover with solar panels, you should set up a spreadsheet and google the math and see for yourself what you can do with a Bimini full of solar panels and the average hours of sun wherever you are. Maybe powering the water heater is the right choice to save some on electric, but it will take some time to break even.

    Most of us who would even consider solar mean it in the sense of using an inverter and batteries to save from running the generator continuously. Not to replace the generator. So the economics is different. If we only run our $20,000 generator a few hours a day then it runs more efficiently under a higher load, makes the rest of the day when it is not running quiet, and will last virtually forever (we save $20,000). And it does save some diesel fuel.
    Last edited by Photolomy; 09-21-2020 at 03:55 PM.
    Prometheus
    1978 53' MY Hull #529
    Viera, FL

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