€50 off your first solar panel... See T&Cs

I recently measured my Sterling charger on float service. 40W input, 4W output.
I tested a 1kW PSU -> PWM solar controller setup also 10% efficiency at float.

I'll try my Victron charger later and see how that does.

Anyways they've all been reprimanded for crapness and sentenced to reboxing pending emergency re-instatement.

So if it costs me 960W per day to get a mains charger to float charge a battery supplied from the national grid. That's €57 per year for 35kWh in the battery or €5.70 worth of electrochemistry.


Terms and conditions:

• Offer subject to retiring your mains charger from float service in favour of solar.
• €50 discount is a recurring scheme payable every year from date of installation.
• Results may vary, for accurate figures use an AC wattmeter on the mains side of the charger and note when it reaches float stage. Most Good chargers float at 13.4V > 13.8V with +300mA.
• Offer ends if you park in the shade.
• Panel must be of an adequate size to accommodate parasitic loads.

Victron IP65 1215

Float service:
16W in
158mW out

1% efficient :rolleyes:

crabbypaddy

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Victron IP65 1215

Float service:
16W in
158mW out

1% efficient :rolleyes:

1% efficient at what duty cycle 1-2%? thats normal - at low duty cycles switching losses dominate.
Having said that there are techniques such as involve pulsing the inductor at a higher current that vastly improve on that - linear and texas have integrated circuits to implement it, but you didn't pay for that :-p

crabbypaddy

crabbypaddy wrote: »

1% efficient at what duty cycle?

0.075%