Can we talk Solar

[Evil Sports]

Im so lost on solar chargers. I have a 24V set up for my trolling motor and have an onboard charger but its not always easy to get it plugged in. A solar option would be outstanding but I have no clue on them. Has anyone configured a set up for this application you could share with me??

 

[NeoBrew]

I've been thinking the same thing. I am afraid I'm no expert on things electrical though.

I have a small solar panel and a 33 amp hour camping "generator". That is my only experience with such things. I can say that my 100 watt portable panel takes the better part of a day in good sunlight to charge up that little battery.

One of the things that is holding me back on my boat (besides the fact that I have a million irons in the fire right now.) is that I suspect I would need to build a whole canopy of solar panels on my boat to even come close to offsetting the drain from the trolling motor.

I think if you used your boat occasionally and it sat in a marina for a few days between trips you might be able to get away with a reasonable amount of panels. My use study is multi day fishing/camping trips. I'm out all day using the trolling motor when the sun is shining. The only chance it would have to catch up is when the sun is low or down...which ain't gonna work. I decided to buy a small (Yamaha ) generator instead.

One of the thoughts I had if I was going to do this was to replace my T-top with a hard lid that could hold panels. (I have a 210 FSH) The other thing I was really curious about was covering the vertical sides of the boat with panels. I wondered if they would get an increase in light from the sun reflecting up off the water? If you put panels on both sides you would get energy when one of those sides was facing the right direction. Of course, you would be investing in 1/2 the panels that don't work at any given time, but I don't really think this kind of project is about economics of first cost. If that was the case an onboard generator or more and more batteries would likely be more economical.

If you decide to go ahead I'm sure there are a lot of us that would love to hear the story.

 

[Neutron]

I recently purchased a 24volt solar fountain for part of my property and modified it to be a floating fountain, it came with a battery back up and solar killer solar panel.
The company is Innovate Solar Solutions
I would check out what they offer for charging panels on their site. And give them a call and explain what you are attempting to do.
Great quality stuff

 

[BigAbe75]

Anyone know anything about residential solar to augment or offset utility prices at home?

I get a ton of FB ads from outfits that say they can do it and get me a ton of rebates and all that, but I’d prefer not to base decisions on FB. ?

Do I just call the power company? Or is it better to track down one of these installation integrators? Central IL, if that matters.

 

[Neutron]

Anyone know anything about residential solar to augment or offset utility prices at home?

I get a ton of FB ads from outfits that say they can do it and get me a ton of rebates and all that, but I’d prefer not to base decisions on FB. ?

Do I just call the power company? Or is it better to track down one of these installation integrators? Central IL, if that matters.

Do a lot of research first. My father in law got taking for a ride with a system. And its been years and he hasn't seen much of a return on his investment

 

[BigAbe75]

Do a l

Do a lot of research first. My father in law got taking for a ride with a system. And its been years and he hasn't seen much of a return on his investment

That’s what I’m afraid of.

 

[1WetBoat]

That’s what I’m afraid of.

I looked into it also for my area and chose not to do it. It was hit/miss depending who i spoke to. The deal killer for me is that in Florida you can loose power when a major hurricane strikes. Well, what better solution than hurricane rated solar panels to kick in when Utility Power goes out? I found out the local utilities lobbied and you cant get power from a home solar solution if the Utilities are out. So when I brought that up, which they all somehow forgot to inform me, they suggested I get a whole house Generator or get something like a Tesla Wall to have standby power.

You can either pay for the install cash ($30k+) or finance it. Some folks did inform me that their utility costs wer almost Zero but the Utility here charges you for solar so its never Net-Zero cost.

I just didnt feel warm and fuzzy about it so I opted not to do it at least not until things aren't so murky.

 

[Acard7]

Anyone know anything about residential solar to augment or offset utility prices at home?

I get a ton of FB ads from outfits that say they can do it and get me a ton of rebates and all that, but I’d prefer not to base decisions on FB. ?

Do I just call the power company? Or is it better to track down one of these installation integrators? Central IL, if that matters.

Out here in the sticks (rural Iowa) a friend of ours financed solar power (30k I believe). They don’t have a power bill anymore and I believe the warranty is 15 years. Their loan payment is basically as much as they were paying in a power bill so as long as they pay it off early and the solar panels last a long time then it’s worth it!

 

[Matt Phillips]

My 242x has built-in solar chargers, but my 232 didn't. I kept that boat in a wet-slip all summer and didn't have access to electricity. I did however, have lots of Sunlight, so made my own set-up. Here's the write-up I did on it several years ago...

https://jetboaters.net/threads/solar-battery-charger-install-w-pics.3414/#post-60050

I'm also in the process of adding solar to my house. There are banks that will offer 0 down, 0% financing, for 25 years for the system. I'm going with one of these offers as it's a way to lock in t electric rates for 25 years. the way it works out here in CA, is you pay $10/month for a connection charge to the grid, and then once/year you get a tru-up bill. If you've generated more electricity than you used, you get a check back from the power company. if you used more, you owe. Typically they over-build systems so you get a check back each year.

 

[BigAbe75]

Typically they over-build systems so you get a check back each year.

What you’re describing sounds like what I was thinking, too. But, I guess here’s my question… Who is the “they” that you mention above to help me get started or share real research materials? Lol

 

[Matt Phillips]

We used a local solar broker...kind of like a loan officer but for solar. they spec the system, then can give you a range of quotes depending on what you're looking for. we decided on a larger better built system with an Enphase battery backup (better version of the Tesla PowerWall).

 

[adrianp89]

Solar guys have been aggressive lately. My house is prime for sun, we get a ton of it and the roof faces east/west.

Anyways as I am typing this I am watching my neighbors get panels installed. The guy came over to do his pitch.... apparently it is no cost/no contract it just is a credit on your energy bill. Find this hard to believe but waiting on the details.

 

[1WetBoat]

Solar guys have been aggressive lately. My house is prime for sun, we get a ton of it and the roof faces east/west.

Anyways as I am typing this I am watching my neighbors get panels installed. The guy came over to do his pitch.... apparently it is no cost/no contract it just is a credit on your energy bill. Find this hard to believe but waiting on the details.

@adrianp89 That is the pitch I got also when I moved in to my house. No upfront cost/no contract, just a monthly payment. They guarantee no electrical overages for the first year unless its due to inclement weather. Credit on your utility account etc.. Ask about the solar/hurricane portion and also ask about the loan being a lean on your home which is what guarantees the loan if you go that route. Can impact you if you try to sell your house prior to paying off the solar install.

 

[NeoBrew]

My advice would be to stay very wary. There are a lot of people trying to capitalize on the new interest in solar power. I've been toying with the idea of adding them to my house for some time. There are a ton of variables that go into whether or not it makes sense including your climate (how much sun do you really get?) utility political issues (both for and against depending on where you live) technical realities, and your own financial situation.

Here are some of my thoughts.

1. If you can get a government subsidy or grant to offset the first cost it helps with the payback A LOT. Solar technology is just now on the threshold of being able to justify itself on a strictly cost basis. It very much depends on how much energy your panels can produce and how much your electricity costs. Rebates from power companies can help also, of course. (Please note that these sorts of subsidies do not actually make the system function more efficiently, you are just taking a taxpayer funded kick back to help support the system. Check your own conscience on how you feel about that.)
2. What system you buy can make all the difference. I have a colleague who bought a system several years ago for his house. The manufacturer of that system choose some proprietary controllers and voltages when they made the system. Currently only 30% of his panels are working, but nobody can fix them because the proprietary controllers are not available anymore. I believe in present day there is more consensus on panel specs. Regardless, there is a lot to know to make a good decision.
3. Solar panels and the systems that control them are likely on a development path that will see rapid innovation. Whatever you buy now is more than likely going to compare poorly with what comes out in 5 years, 10 years, etc. As long as it produces electricity for you it is doing it's job, but knowing when to buy in is going to be a crap shoot as technology changes. I am extremely skeptical that panels you buy now will last 25 years. They will either degrade or become obsolete due to new technology. I would say to be conservative planning to replace them in 10-15 years would be a smarter strategy.
4. If what you care about is reducing carbon emissions, buy them now and at any cost. Freeing ourselves from fossil fuels is undoubtedly the way of the future. Whether you can afford to get on that path now is your decision.

I would say finding someone knowledgeable would be a smart decision. Your power company probably has resources to get you started. Finding someone you can trust to advise you, well that is the trick...isn't it?

 

[lazergeek]

Here is my solar charger setup on my FSH 210 https://jetboaters.net/threads/210-fsh-sport-solar-charger.34088/
Most charge controllers are 12v / 24v a based on the battery's they are plugged into I would get a MPPT Controller however since they are ,more effecient, you would need 24v panel however. On a FSH you could probably total 300 watts with the right combination of panel sizes to fit the T-top.