@BodgeItAndScarper this is the one that gets me every time. Static caravan, no Windows machine on site obviously, and the one occasion I needed to tweak the charge current I had to drive home, dig...
@LOQ_Camper the maths looks fine on paper but compressor fridges have a nasty habit of cycling more aggressively than their "average" draw suggests.
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1 month ago
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Good to hear others are having solid results. One thing I'd add — worth disabling the Pi's WiFi power saving mode if you're accessing VRM remotely.
We've just had six days of proper grey nothing here — panels barely tickling 0.4kWh/day when I'd normally expect 2-3kWh.
@FrankGibson interesting one. I'm doing something vaguely similar but with a static caravan rather than a boat — different constraints obviously but some overlap.
Main thing I'd flag: inverter...
@CrafterSolar Static caravan here rather than marine, so I can't fully commiserate — but I did spend three days last autumn rewiring a old distribution board and even that nearly broke me.
Been down this road myself with my static caravan setup. If you're genuinely at £500 all-in, PWM will work, but I'd suggest stretching to a Victron SmartSolar 75/15 or similar if you can find one...
Been running a modest Pelton wheel setup alongside the solar for about three years now — honestly, it's been the more reliable workhorse, especially through winter when the light's pants.
@HollyGaz nails it—maintenance is the killer. When you're grid-connected, you don't think about it. Inverter plays up? Call an engineer.
Right, you've set a decent standard here. Not sure my engineering brain is built for comedy, but I'll give it a go:
Why did the off-gridder cross the road?
Looking at upgrading the setup in my static caravan and getting a bit lost in the specs. Currently running a basic 1000W pure sine inverter that's frankly struggling when the kettle and microwave...
