Monday, February 04, 2013

Help Needed Solar Panel Purchase

New Bern, NC

My next item on my list of products is to buy and install a solar panel.  I'm feeling inadequate in this department.  I read the specs on the panels and I'm bewildered.
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I currently have a 50 watt panel that is mounted above the wind vane of the Monitor self-steering.  I also have an inexpensive pulse width controller that can handle 7 amps, and that limits battery voltage to 13.8   I figure that it makes 1/3 to 1/2 of our power needs at anchor.   A calculation of our needs says that we should have 120w at 25 degrees latitude or 180W at latitude 45.

I'm looking to replace it or to supplement the existing panel.  I figure that next year I can replace the controller with a MPPT controller.

Sunelec.com out of Miami has long had the best prices around (under $1/watt), but recently they seem to have shifted to selling pallet lots only.

I would really appreciate it if a blog reader would volunteer to consult with me on this purchase dickandlibbymills@gmail.com

Thanks,
Dick



1 comment:

  1. Personally, I'm going to wait until these babies are on the market in a size suitable for use on the boat.

    http://www.dvice.com/archives/2012/10/spinning-solar.php

    ReplyDelete

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