ok so now I have all new solar and wind charging , approx 500 watts of each.
below is a comparison I have recorded of the amps received from both state of charge Over the past 6 months.
hope this can be helpful.
regards
Based on 400 watt wind and 500 watt solar
Clear Blue sky midday sun .........Solar = 24 amps
Wind 0 to 5 knots ................. Silent wind = 1 to 2 amps
Partly cloudy Midday sun...............Solar = 14 to 16 amps
Wind 5 to 10 knots ................Silent wind = 4 to 5 amps
Cloudy Miday sun....................Solar = 8 to 10 amps
Wind 10 to 15 knots .................Silent wind = 5 to 6 amps
Dense cloud no sun ...................Solar = 1 to 2 amps
Wind 15 to 25knots ...................Silent wind = 7 to 10 amps
Wind 25 to 35knots......................Silent wind. 10 to 17 amps
so what your saying is that if you have a lot of sun but no wind the solar cells are better, but if you have no sun but lots of wind the wind generator is better, and if you have lots of sun and lots of wind there about as good as each other, but if you have no wind and no sun your up the proverbial creek and better break out the paddles, or start the engine.
I think Solar is better at the end of the day Because I like to anchor in calm sunny anchorages!
i always have the trusty honda 2kva before the Perkins.
I look at it in a slightly different way I like the add on of the wind as a storm back power source for a autopilot and other items during a storm with the added benefits of adding extra amps to the system on good sailing days . At anchor Id think about pulling the wind gen sideways and stop it But Id be looking for a calm place to anchor just the same
a energy supply mix is not a bad thing
Im a fair wearher sailor ho2 i try not to go sailing in storms prefer to be haulded up in a nice sheltered bay. I havent really turned the wind gen on while sailing so not sure on stats there.
You don't have to have a noisy wind generator, there are some that are virtually silent, and although they don't put out a lot of amps they keep charging after sundown, so the amp - hours add up. Even quiet anchorages usually have some wind. But the good ones are not cheap and to get the most out of them you need a sophisticated regulator so that the solar and wind inputs are not mutually exclusive. So if you have the funds, OK, but otherwise maybe not.
I have wind and solar but these short rainy days with no wind I end up running the motor for a while every 2nd or 3rd day. I don't find the wind gen noisy at all.
From what I've ready the Air X 400 watt I have is good but there blades are noise
Mine came with out blades and hub and nose cone so Ive purchasing a kit from E Marine . com The kit has the silent wind carbon fibre blue blades so the Air X should be good to go
Wire it in place is connect via a amp gauge and fuse then direct to a battery post
but not the same battery the solar connected to
it has the controller built into the generator
I've also order new yaw brushes so it should be good for another ten years plus other than accedental blade breaking I hope
When comparing the two it should be remembered that the average solar power is going to be something like half the mid day peak, and then half again over the full 24 hours. So solar comes out at roughly 25% of the peak. You also have the sometimes cloudy times.
So that makes the solar around 4 amp average. Pretty similar to wind at a constant 5 to 10 knot breeze over 24 hours. I also wonder how you manage to fit 500W of solar cells. That is a lot of area.
I note older panels don't work if partially shaded?
most new solar panels state they work even if partly shaded is there any truth to this statement?
I bought a LG 300 watt a year or so ago just to work out what sort of power Id need I knew I could not keep it on board but temp fitted it.
After cruising the net I found this panel was pumping power into the batteries even after 5 pm down here.
The panel started selling as a 240 watt january before I bought it LG tweaked it up to 275 then 300 watt.
After reading info from solar installers this was the panel I purchased it also gain extra power from bouncing the sun under the cell increasing it efficiency . And i noted the installers were saying early and late sun powered these panels more than others.
When it was wired in to the boat two 150 amp hour batteries I never ran under 13 .7 volts in my batteries running two Engles drop ins and my lights and sound
I think from memory it was some thing like 37 volts output for a house system and I ran it though a MPPT from ebay . I still use the MPPT
on a semi flexible 60 watt . The semi flexibles don't pump out as much power as the solid panels thats a fact
Without a mizzen I could easily fit this bad boy either on davits or above a bimini long ways and no sunburn
In the middle of the day a semiflexible if glued down on to something solid looses power it over heats they need ventilation under the panel and most are 12 volt,
The house panels work far better as they export high voltage out puts and running a MPPT controller means n mater what voltage the panel is it can reduce it down to a boats 12 or 24 volt system. Thats what Ive read out of everthing
off the top of my pea brain
it's around 1.4 meters long and One meter wide
I'll find a link for you tonight
if you go into a forum called whirlpool . com . au and find the solar section there always a few solar fitters in there
the LG panel was called Exxon or some thing like that but they would have better cells by now
I know. ...I'm a kiss type but what did they do a hundred years ago?
What do you need to power on board?
I cook with gas and candles supply light.
p.s I think my answer to the threads question is if you need it....can afford it. ...get both