Model Boat Mayhem

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Workshop - solar power  (Read 2548 times)

timbo

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 223
  • Location: High Peak Derbyshire
Workshop - solar power
« on: April 19, 2018, 08:30:52 am »

Hi guys
Im currently starting to research a workshop for the garden which is going to plan just waiting for the prices to come in, the main question is whether solar power wil work and has anybody had experience of it.
Logged

Baldrick

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,414
  • Model Boat Mayhem is Great!
  • Location: Nether Effingham (Perfideous Albion)
Re: Workshop
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2018, 08:50:45 am »

Hi guys
Im currently starting to research a workshop for the garden which is going to plan just waiting for the prices to come in, the main question is whether solar power wil work and has anybody had experience of it.




  ?  to power some LED lighting or 6 Kw of machinery and heating
Logged
And everyone thought it was IVAN who was terrible

SteamboatPhil

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,762
  • Location: Dieppe, France
Re: Workshop
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2018, 09:14:30 am »

 {-) {-) {-)
Logged
Steamed up all the time

Neil

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,334
  • Location: near Fleetwood
Re: Workshop
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2018, 10:52:54 am »


  ?  to power some LED lighting or 6 Kw of machinery and heating


IF it  helps to reduce carbon footprint and give me dryer, sunnier summers............THEN ITS WORTH IT!!! 8) <:( 8)
Logged

GAZOU

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,083
  • Model Boat Mayhem is Great!
  • Location: ROCHEFORT FRANCE
Re: Workshop
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2018, 01:21:57 pm »

I suggest a wind turbine in complement O0 {-)
Logged

ballastanksian

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6,447
  • Model Boat Mayhem inspires me!
  • Location: Crewkerne
Re: Workshop
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2018, 07:40:35 pm »


If it helps power some lighting then go for it. Is it possible to get a system to trickle charge batteries for power tools from Solar?



Logged
Pond weed is your enemy

tigertiger

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7,748
  • Location: Kunming, city of eternal springtime, SW China.
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2018, 01:39:19 am »

***Topic name modified***
To aid future searching
Logged
The only stupid question is the one I didn't ask

roycv

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,389
  • Location: S.W. Herts
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2018, 09:05:37 am »

Hi all, some time ago I looked into having a solar panel, perhaps a second hand one but there were none I could find locally to buy.  The basics are that the sun supplies 1KW per square metre.  Solar panels are at best 15 % efficient.  I have heard that 200W per panel (UK) is good.  There are a few electronic items you need all available on ebay.  I was also going to use a deep cycle battery. The electronics to convert from say 12 volts DC to 230 volts AC is very efficient.

Wind turbines.  Lovely idea, most people have a household electric fan.  Turn it on feel the air current from it and decide how often the wind blows that strongly.  Then check the label saying how much power it is using, halve this and it will give you an idea of how much power is available.

When I was in Australia recently and near the sea I visited a marine chandlers and there were several air turbines with associated electronics designed for boats  (sheds) There were also solar based systems.  I was just north of Sydney and the projected power available was good so you have to consider local weather.

It might be an idea to check out Heat Sinks as well.

All the above are available but a shed / workshop may well have much bigger power requirement for its' size than a house.
The cost of equipment may never be recovered to a break even with paying for distributed electricity.

In its' simplest form above the door to my shed I have a solar powered LED with a single cell that charges during the day and comes on at night, I can only say it is disappointing.
regards Roy
Logged

canabus

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,347
  • Boats a hole in the water you pour money into!!!
  • Location: Tasmania,Australia
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2018, 09:31:15 am »

Hi All

I am running a 4 KW system and solar hot water on my house.
Spring, summer and autumn I end up in front, but, is the big lost.
My last winter bill was $85.85au.
All my downlights are LED and I change the others to watt saver globes.
The workshop is still day light flo tubes and with the new LED replacements is in the pipe line.
If building a new workshop, insulation and double gaze windows is the best start.
Wind power would be a good source of power in the winter as we get more wind than sun.
So in the last 30 months I have had only two bills( the other was ($2.02au and yes they sent a bill).

A new system out is with Lipo battery backup and the other backup is from the power company.

Canabus
Logged

Plastic - RIP

  • Inactive
  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,255
  • Bobbing Along!
  • Location: Watford
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2018, 02:09:02 pm »

Wind generators don't really work unless they are at least 10m up - and only then if they are matched to the wind speed of the location - the output is basically a cube law (^3) so you get the rated output at the rated speed - but almost nothing at speeds just below that.

Solar panels are almost worthwhile if you can buy and fit them yourself - or the installation costs negate any benefits.

Get the best you can - some are over 20% efficient these days - BUT - watch out for shadows cast on them - depending on the panel design, the individual cells in the shade will reverse bias and suck all the power generated by the active ones which means a small shadow = no output.

(that's why they are normally on the roof) Watch out for tree or telephone pole shadows.

Try to get pure sine inverters - your equipment will thank you and they can be more efficient. You can get an auto-switch to switch between your battery/panel setup and normal mains so the crossover is seamless (a coupe of cycles of 50Hz or about 50ms) when the battery runs down.
Logged

dreadnought72

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,892
  • Wood butcher with ten thumbs
  • Location: Airdrie, Scotland
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2018, 05:47:37 pm »

I am running a 4 KW system and solar hot water on my house.
Is it an evacuated tube, direct or indirect system?


Andy
Logged
Enjoying every minute sailing W9465 Mertensia

canabus

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,347
  • Boats a hole in the water you pour money into!!!
  • Location: Tasmania,Australia
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2018, 08:39:23 am »

Hi dreADNOUGHT72

The solar hot water is evacuated tube system with power backup and a timer to switch off the power backup in day time.
Last year we had the power back up turn off for  three months and only got caught out a few times because of bad weather.
Of course the more tubes you have the better.

Canabus
Logged

Bob K

  • Bob K
  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,686
  • Location: Windsor
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #12 on: April 21, 2018, 10:50:24 am »

Wind generators don't really work unless they are at least 10m up -

So no good for powering model boats then?

Seriously, a colleague at our club has a solar powered model boat. Almost the whole top is a solar panel which drives the prop and rudder.  He has an RX switchable backup battery, but as he only sails it on sunny days that is rarely used.

Bob K
Logged
HMS Skirmisher (1905), HMS Amazon (1906), HMS K9 (1915), Type 212A (2002), HMS Polyphemus (1881), Descartes (1897), Iggle Piggle boat (CBBC), HMS Royal Marine (1943), HMS Marshall Soult, HMS Agincourt (1912)

Jerry C

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,504
  • Location: Caernarfon, North Wales.
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2018, 12:33:27 pm »

We have 330W of solar on our Narrowboat. We have 330Ahr of deepcycle AGM Batteries. 2 x 90 Amp alternators driven by main engine (diesel) and 3kw inverter Generator powering our AC equipment and charging batteries via 30A battery charger. The solar will pay for itself in 18 months. We run the Diesel engine for two hours every day charging batteries until current drops to 25 amps when we let the solar take over to top up the batteries before darkness. We service the Diesel engine every 250 hours and the Generator every 65 hours. This costs. And the hours have a price too. The only AC 240 gear on board are two smart TVs one Apple TV washing machine Vacuum cleaner and hair drier. Everything else is 12V DC. All lights are LED. We have solar because we have to. We have a 350 W inverter to run the TVs. But it is an inefficient way of doing things. Batteries live a max 5 years and take a lot of looking after. They cost a fortune. As for wind generators they are just a joke. Even if you had the old Lucas 24V turbine you’d need thousands of pounds worth of batteries. You’d have to stick it on a nearby hill, have long really thick very expensive copper conductors to get the power to the house.
If you live in a house in the UK your laughing. Solar will save you some cash  in summer but "xxxxx" all in winter.
Jerry.

Plastic - RIP

  • Inactive
  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,255
  • Bobbing Along!
  • Location: Watford
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #14 on: April 21, 2018, 08:00:28 pm »

We run the Diesel engine for two hours every day charging batteries until current drops to 25 amps when we let the solar take over to top up the batteries before darkness.
Jerry.

How much fuel does 2 hours running burn?
Logged

Jerry C

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,504
  • Location: Caernarfon, North Wales.
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #15 on: April 22, 2018, 01:12:13 am »

Plastic, about 1 ltr/hr at about 70pence/ltr. In marina on shore power with charger on continuously and router (1amp max) DVR (1amp max) and 6 cctv cameras (2amps max) £20/6months.
Rest of the year May to November we continuously cruise. If a moving day then engine may run for maybe 5 hours. If staying around then 2 hours as previously stated. It gives us hot water for the day, charges the batteries and while running we turn fridge up full and cool it right down (12V). We consume about 80Ahrs/night and put about 110Ahrs back in. So far this set of batteries have lasted three years. On our last 6 month cruise we averaged 3 lockmiles/ day. Serviced the engine twice. We run the petrol generator for 5 minutes every morning to run the wife’s hair dryer (grrr. ) and every 10 days for 2 hrs for washing machine- hot water- charging fully loaded up to make the most of it while it’s running. Servicing takes about 1/2 hr and costs 250cc oil. Petrol is hard work getting on the cut and is not duty free but it’s cheaper running a £600 Chinese genny  until it collapses and dies than the main engine.
Solar is working as expected. 2 panels in parallel to reduce shading losses and tracker works better near battery voltage. We have to plan mooring arrangements more carefully( away from trees building etc) and not get ropes or gear cast shadows. Clean them every morning and adjust angles throughout the day to optimise collection.
Jerry


tigertiger

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7,748
  • Location: Kunming, city of eternal springtime, SW China.
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #16 on: April 22, 2018, 02:58:42 am »

You touched on another important point JerryC. Cleaning solar voltaic cell panels is important. A layer of grime will significantly reduce the output. If you are going to put them on a shed roof, make sure you can still get to clean them.
In China there are a lot of streetlights with both solar panel and wind turbine on the top. A friend with some knowledge said the solar is quickly ineffective, because of the layer of grime that coats the panel.
Logged
The only stupid question is the one I didn't ask

CyberBOB

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 142
  • Model Boat Mayhem is Great!
  • Location: canada
Re: Workshop - solar power
« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2018, 09:47:12 pm »

How often are you in the shed working? If you are in the shed a few hours a week, it would be quite possible to run your shed on solar/wind, as it is charging the batteries even if you are not in the shed.  If you are in the shed a few hours a day, to get the charging capacity you need may start to get expensive.


Of course it is all going to depend on:


1) What is your expected load? Running LED's and charging cordless tools is one thing, running heaters/AC, compressors, beer fridge etc. is something else.


2) How much power can you put back into the battery bank?  This will depend on light conditions such as direct sunlight/overcast, hours of sunlight, and how the panels are oriented to the sun.  The more direct the sun hits them, the better.

Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.102 seconds with 22 queries.