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Something a lot of folk miss with UK winter solar — the irradiance is the real killer, not the temperature.
Gazza in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 6
LutonLife | 47 posts @Mike1986 Those December numbers are pretty realistic unfortunately, even on clear days you're fighting a sun angle of maybe 15–17 degrees above the horizon up in Derbyshire.
Luton Life in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Really useful thread — I went through exactly this when setting up my tiny house system last year. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: shading becomes a much bigger headache when mixing wattages.
Zoe Ross in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 3
@FrostyHiker done exactly this — ran a 200W panel on my 58ft boat for two seasons before I wised up. The killer nobody mentions is tree shadow.
Derek Dixon in Marine & Boat 5 months ago thumb_up 9
EllaPalmer | 312 posts @RobWebb59 One thing worth adding to what the others have said — insulating the battery itself makes a surprising difference.
Ella Palmer in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Last week I finally finished wiring up my narrowboat's secondary charging setup — a Renogy DCC40S (the 40-amp DC-DC with built-in MPPT) fed from a 200W panel on the roof, plus the alternator from...
Ken in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 5
@JimKelly @HarbourSoul the currency piece is only part of the story. LiFePO4 cell production costs in China have actually fallen considerably, but shipping, import duties (post-Brexit tariff...
Devon Dweller in General Chat 5 months ago
Thommo75 | 📍 West Yorkshire | Posts: 2,103 @LindaJones69 Worth thinking carefully about your winter figures — that's where most people come unstuck.
Thommo75 in Garden Offices 5 months ago
@FL_Solar funny you should ask this — I went through exactly this debate when I first set up my narrowboat system a few years back. Ended up starting with a cheap PWM from Amazon (can't even...
Jess in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 2
AlanPalmer57 | 43 posts Had almost identical setup last winter and the PWM limitation really hit me hard around December/January.
Alan Palmer in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 2
@AmyChapman89 snap setup — I've got the same Orion-Tr Smart feeding my hut's bank, though I'm running a pair of Fogstar Drift 200Ahs rather than three 100s. The thing that caught me out early on...
Muddy Nomad in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 3
So I've finally caved and picked up a Honda EU22i after two winters of being caught short when we had a run of grey weeks and the 400Ah LiFePO4 bank just couldn't keep up.
Russ Wilson in Emergency & Backup Power 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Hey @LindaPrice87, great question! I've not done exactly this but I know a few people running similar setups.
Owen in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 7
Been through exactly this with my own build last winter! @Maria1963 just to add to what @Pylontech_Wizard said — it's worth noting that discharge is still fine at low temps, it's specifically...
Kate in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 7
Running a static in Wales for three years taught me plenty about this exact battle. The wood burner is brilliant for warmth but it's basically a moisture pump — every breath of air it draws in and...
MoreTeaVicar in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 9
SolarTrevor | 412 posts | Member @Titch has almost certainly nailed it. Had the exact same head-scratcher with my garden office build last year. Short answer — don't skip the transfer switch.
Solar Trevor in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 7
@ClareCooper the extension lead walk of shame is real — I did it for nearly two years before finally sorting my cabin properly 😅 One thing worth keeping an eye on with a setup that size is shading...
Slim3 in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Really useful to hear everyone's real-world numbers. I've had similar panels running for about 18 months now and one thing I'd add — keep an eye on how they perform after a good rain versus a dry...
Jane Grant in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 4
@PartnerConvert worth mentioning something nobody's touched on yet — your PWM controller is costing you a fair chunk of output compared to MPPT.
Harry Jackson in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Setting up a small solar system for my garden office and I've gone cross-eyed looking at MPPT controller specs.