Solar Generator versus 100Wh battery Prices

Apr 1, 2004
145
Catalina 34 Herring Bay Chesapeake, MD
I have 4 golf cart batteries eet cell, 6 volts each for a total of 480 Amp hours.
Best bang for the buck. It's YBYC.

Steve
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
I have 4 golf cart batteries eet cell, 6 volts each for a total of 480 Amp hours.
Best bang for the buck. It's YBYC.

Steve
What did that cost you for comparison ?

That badly named Solar Generator has a lot less (11.16Ah at its intended 110v output) of the capacity of your bank of golf batteries, for the $800.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
So, I keep seeing these very attratively priced batteries: https://www.amazon.com/JUPITEK-S120...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

1200 Wh in a nice self contained inverter. What am I missing? Boat systems are not self contained nor reasonably priced. Value versus Quality? Or are boat systems just trailing badly behind van-life systems?
I"m not sure what you are asking. A portable battery designed to power small AC appliances is a much different beast than a house battery system for a sailboat. Additionally the marine environment is more challenging than the road and an RV.

This unit is also small and does not appear capable of being paralleled into a larger system.

One big advantage of LiFePO4 is its ability to accept a large charging current, so the the battery can be recharged quickly and efficiently. The unit on Amazon, charges at a very low rate, 180 watts (15 amps). At this rate it will take over 5 hours to recharge with AC or solar if the solar is optimum for the entire 5 hours (it won't be).

Battery cost can be calculated in a number of ways. One is cost per battery, another is cost per unit of energy, and yet another the cost per unit of energy including recharging. Golf Cart batteries are a good choice for upfront cost savings, they run about $130 or so each. However, they only deliver 50% of their capacity. Firefly Carbon foam batteries cost about twice as much, however they can deliver 70% of their capacity and have 3 to 4 times the cycle life. Two Firefly are about twice the cost of 4 GCs but provide about an equal amount of energy and will last for more cycles. On a per watt-hour basis, the Fireflys are less expensive.

As always in sailing there are no simple answers. The best system is the one that matches the intended use.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
This is not a substitute for the boat batteries nor inverter system; it is just a portable generator perhaps comparable to a Honda 1000 in output. It's advantage is that it is light (22 lbs) and you do not have to carry gasoline. If the specs are true this Battery Generator has 102 A/h of capacity 100% usable or roughly the equivalent of 2 Golf Cart 6V batteries of 220A/h at 50% usable capacity. It has a 1000W inverter able to power appliances rated for up to 7A. A fair comparison perhaps could be drawn with a portable gasoline powered generator. It is a lot cheaper to fuel, it makes no noise, has no noxious fumes on the down side it will take much longer to refuel and unable to maintain a prolonged used beyond its charge capacity. Don't know the quality of this item but a comparable good quality Jackery 1500Wh sells for $1,600 in Amazon.
 
Apr 1, 2004
145
Catalina 34 Herring Bay Chesapeake, MD
What did that cost you for comparison ?

That badly named Solar Generator has a lot less (11.16Ah at its intended 110v output) of the capacity of your bank of golf batteries, for the $800.
In 2019 each 6 volt cost me $108.00 at Sam's Club, a total of $432.00
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
The unit linked sounds amazing...
  • The S1200 Portable Power Station come with 1000W wattage and 1228Wh capacity.
But what does that marketing hyperbole mean to you on a boat.

We look at battery banks based on their capacity to power the electrical needs we have on the boat. We value the systems that give us longer times away from a power source (marina plug in, generator, spinning windmill) yieldign the piece and quiet we seek while on the hook.

For $799 it sounds like the system will provide nearly endless power to run our electrical toys. This is reinforced by the idyllic image.. and the statement "powering up to 10 devices". But for how long?
AC49413B-2C24-4B3A-8BC0-9576F8C9E0EE.jpeg

What ever your power source your pleasure will be measured over the length of time you can use your devices. That is why we calculate our daily power needs using Amp Hours, and procure storage sources that will support this type of daily consumption for the length of time we desire and our pocket books can afford.

Assuming the marketing hype performance is 100% and that my math skills with electrical formulae is correct.

Watt-hours / Volts = Amp-hours
1228 Wh capacity of the battery / 12 Volts = aprox. 102 amp hours.

If my refrigerator consumes 8 amps then I would be able to cool my beer for about 12 hours before the battery died.

You need to decide if the product meets your needs.
  1. Can you believe all of the stated performance in the marketing?
  2. Will the system be reliable while you are remotely anchored?
  3. Does it meet your boat budget?
  4. Is there any back up in your plan?
The decision is yours. It is your boat your choice.
Don't you love sailing where you get to make and live with these decision!
 
Jun 11, 2004
1,621
Oday 31 Redondo Beach
I'm a cynic, but one with experience. That experience tells me that half of the capacity of any battery-powered system is written in the engineering department. The other half is written in advertising/marketing.
Lets start with that they say it weighs 22 pounds. jssailem's calcs show it to claim 102 amp hours at 12 volts. Is it possible to get 100 amp hours out of 22 pounds? All the 100 ah LiFePO4 batteries I see weigh about 30 pounds.

And why say that it is a "solar generator"? It doesn't come with solar panels.
 
  • Like
Likes: BarryL
May 17, 2004
5,026
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
I have 4 golf cart batteries eet cell, 6 volts each for a total of 480 Amp hours.

Steve
Remember that power is measured in watts, which is amps x voltage. 480 AH from the 6V batteries is 2880 watt hours. Thats more than the 1228 from this device, but not as much as it seems at first blush. Also consider that the golf cart batteries should only be discharged to 50%, so it’s only about 1400 WH usable, vs about 1000 for this device.

For comparison, a 110AH 12V BattleBorn lithium battery is the same retail price of $800.

I agree that calling this a “solar generator” is about as accurate as calling my battery charger a gas generator
 
Apr 22, 2011
865
Hunter 27 Pecan Grove, Oriental, NC
I built my own suitcase power supply a few years ago. It has a 100 ah lifepo4 battery, 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter, and all the standard ac and dc ports. I intended to use it on the boat as a backup battery supply to the main system, but I never found a good place to store it and it is too heavy to easily move about. It weighs about 60 lbs. I now use it in the house for when the power goes out to run tv and frig. I cant believe that the Jakery can have a comparable unit that weighs only 22 lbs. That would be great on a day sailer with only one battery or as a backup battery on a larger boat. I would like to see some reviews of how well it is put together and what cells they use and whether it has a pure sine wave inverter.
 

DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
I don't get it for a boat. Invest in a decent house battery setup (GC2, firefly) and an inverter permanently installed. It will be more cost effective and a LOT more convenient than any portable battery/inverter system. I have 250W of solar and GC2 house batteries plus an inverter. There is no way I would trade it for that unit.
That is not a generator, don't fool yourself.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Remember this is a portable generator and if I needed a portable source of power I would hate to have to lug 2 6V batteries around plus an inverter.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Remember this is a portable generator and if I needed a portable source of power I would hate to have to lug 2 6V batteries around plus an inverter.
It is not a generator. It is a 22 pound battery with an inverter. It doesn't generate anything except profit for the company and discussions on the internet.
 
Nov 13, 2013
723
Catalina 34 Tacoma
So, I keep seeing these very attratively priced batteries: https://www.amazon.com/JUPITEK-S120...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

1200 Wh in a nice self contained inverter. What am I missing? Boat systems are not self contained nor reasonably priced. Value versus Quality? Or are boat systems just trailing badly behind van-life systems?
No, boat systems are not trailing badly. More power is always good but I would have difficulty starting the engine with the 12v car outlet.
 
  • Like
Likes: Leeward Rail
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
It is not a generator. It is a 22 pound battery with an inverter. It doesn't generate anything except profit for the company and discussions on the internet.
Exactly. The name they are using for them is misleading. Even when paired with a solar panel, which some include, it isn't a generator.

Portable 120v battery pack is a better name.
 
Apr 22, 2011
865
Hunter 27 Pecan Grove, Oriental, NC
It is not a generator. It is a 22 pound battery with an inverter. It doesn't generate anything except profit for the company and discussions on the internet.
True, it is not a generator. And true, they are being built to make a profit for the manufacturer. But they are not marketed to make discussions on the internet. They are popular because people want them. What makes them useful is their portability. They can provide ac and dc receptacles in a small package, perfect for campers that can't cut the cord from electronic convivences. I can also see a niche for small boat sailors with an outboard and one start battery. They don't have to worry about running down their start battery while listening to music and recharging phones.
 
  • Like
Likes: BarryL

dLj

.
Mar 23, 2017
3,370
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
True, it is not a generator. And true, they are being built to make a profit for the manufacturer. But they are not marketed to make discussions on the internet. They are popular because people want them. What makes them useful is their portability. They can provide ac and dc receptacles in a small package, perfect for campers that can't cut the cord from electronic convivences. I can also see a niche for small boat sailors with an outboard and one start battery. They don't have to worry about running down their start battery while listening to music and recharging phones.
Your points are well taken, but the original post was asking towards a comparison of battery systems on boats and pricing. They are very handy and in fact I have carried one my boat as an emergency back-up. I'm not really sure how it would work for that in all reality, but I have appeased myself thinking it might help in past travels..

In the light of what's needed on a boat, it's not up to the job. Just my opinion.

dj
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
They don't have to worry about running down their start battery while listening to music and recharging phones.
Which can be done in a much cheaper and lighter way. For the price of this unit you can have batteries, 100 watt panel and controller, and even an inverter with a lot of money left over.
The original post was about comparing cost vs result for a sailboat.