Eclectic Group & Solar Panels,

[Sean the Nailer]

Yo all, and thanks for looking.

I'm figuring that someone here deals with/in solar panels. We're looking for a few for our boat. When we are away from the dock, and/or anchored far from town, we'd like to have a few solar panels to operate our "Ukrainian Air Conditioning" and possibly 'top up' our battery bank.

I've tried a few different venue's (local, for many hundreds of dollars each) to aliexpress at 40 dollars each, and after 3 months they didn't deliver.

So, before I go down the next rabbit-hole, I'm asking this group as I'm figuring SOMEONE will either have something, or know someone....

And yeah, I'm looking at making an independent system including 12v pump(s) with 12v fans circulating a 'closed loop' through a pair of heater-core style radiators. The pump(s) will be in a drop-leg that'll use the temp difference of the river as a carrier. All running off of an independent 12v battery(s) to do this.

I'm not looking to refrigerate eggs, or make ice. I'm just looking at making the galley and stateroom of our boat to be 'some degrees cooler' than the ambient air temp.

And if I CAN support the locals/compadre's, in a reasonable manner, then I will. And happy to do such.

 

[chevy_man]

Figure out how much wattage you need. Add 40%. Buy panels.

The hardest part is usually figuring out where to put the panels.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

I honestly figured that there'd be more folks here that had a 'connect' of some-sort or another.

It is the "buy panels" thing that I'm looking for more details on. Legitimate sellers offering legitimate items that actually do what's described. As opposed to chinese ads that cure cancer and will power small cities even with cloudcover. (sarcasm font off, now)

 

[alpine44]

Look on fleabay for overstocked/surplus lots of legit panels -- once you have figured out where to put them on a boat. The latter seems to be the bigger problem as mentioned before.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Look on fleabay for overstocked/surplus lots of legit panels -- once you have figured out where to put them on a boat. The latter seems to be the bigger problem as mentioned before.

You used the term "fleabay" (quite accurately) and "legit" (quite sarcastically) in the same sentence.

That turns it into a rather circular conundrum, does it not?

It is because of the 'advertising hype' and BS offers that I've been screwed-over already, and was honestly hoping to find an actual individual (here) of whom at-the-very-least a modicum of trust could be garnered, and I'd go further with a purchase from there.

The location/placement for a (or a few) panel(s) is not a problem at all. As I have shown the picture of the boat here on the site, in the past, there is a LOT of real-estate on the bow deck for placement. I've saved up some spare "monitor bases" that are both angularly adjustable, height adjustable, and swivelable. All while fastening the bases themselves to a (or more) lash-able stanchions.

 

[BoilerUP]

I have six Hightec 200W panels on the roof of my barn, wired two parallel strings of three panels in series; bought them on eBay and have been very pleased with them. Hightec panels are manufactured (assembled?) in Michigan City, IN. fred480v is the seller of these panels, his feedback speaks for itself but I can tell you the panels are a great value.

Installed five 160w Newpowa panels in series on my dad's barn about a month and a half ago; was quite impressed with them. IIRC, these panels were from Asia...can't remember if it was China or Taiwan. I bought Newpowa for my dad's barn because they were on a killer Black Friday sale, and fred480v on eBay was out of stock on the 200/210w panels.

I used Renogy Rover 40A MPPT charge controllers for each system.