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Brian,
I understand the limitations of wind, water, and solar power. That's why I'd like to have all three. It true I could get by on just solar, but then I would need a large battery bank to get me through cloudy periods, and/or an insanely large solar array. In the early season here, things are quite cloudy/foggy. If I mix the three, I can take advantage of whatever power source(s) the day's weather offers. Plus, I have limited redundancy if one system fails. This seems to be the most cost/space effective combo for my boat. What's so bad about that?
I find it amusing that you decry the use of wind power while linking to a page that suggests that full time cruisers will probably want a mix of wind and solar power. In my case, the distance from the tack of my genoa to the clew of my main is greater than the length of the deck which leaves little in the way of areas that could arguably be unshaded. Plus the stern is quite crowded and will be very interesting to arrange as is.
As for the noise of wind gens, I can just run them during waking hours if I prefer and on a really windy day, it may only take a few hours for a full charge. Also, I've done my research and am not looking the noisiest models.
As for the water gen, who would pass up such a great source of energy on a passage? I could easily make up my day's energy in just a few hours on a strong run. If I was at hull speed, there would be no speed lost. Plus, I'm not sailing to get somewhere on a schedule, so what's half a knot anyway? (unless the weather window is closing)
In short, every boat and locale is different. For my plans, this kind of arrangement makes sense to me. If I had a different boat in a different place, I might go all solar, who knows? Just because you have a hammer doesn't mean everything is a nail.
Regarding MPPT controllers, I have seen some newer solar panels on the market with voltages as high as 5000V (I think these are for the utility market and too big for my boat anyway). The MPPT's I've seen go up to 240VDC, but I haven't done much controller shopping yet. I agree with you that a MPPT controller would be indispensible to any sailboat solar array that's more than a trickle charger.
Cheers, Colin
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