My common knowledge, experience from other cruisers and other research
differs from the below:

GBM wrote:
"Glenn Ashmore" wrote
First of all 150 watts of panels is not going to produce 430 AH. You
would
be very lucky to get 300 or so. If you can produce 56 AH/day extra just
leave the refrigerator running and have the cold beer ready and waiting
for
next weekend. A half way decent refrigeration system should keep cold
without being opened on 50 AH a day.

You are right Glenn - 150 watt panels will probably not produce 430 AH. But,
according to this link it should have been about 405 AH:

http://www.qsl.net/ve3lgs/solarpnl.htm


Everything I've heard suggest that you'll get 1/4 typical minimum, 1/3
usually, and about 1/2 AH/watt..

This was confirmed recently by someone who came to check out my wifi,
whose 250W through an MPPT controller reliably gives an average of
80AH/day in St. Petersburg FL, for the last 8 months' experience.

I expect my 360W bank to provide us minimum 90, and probably more like
180 given that we're in the tropics (well, will be when we get there),
and on the order of 120 during our Bahamas winter time. During the day
here in St. Pete, with my batteries typically full because it easily
keeps up with our profligate use of electricity, but no electronics to
speak of, I routinely get 15-20A mid-day, and from 7 on get 7 or more
until the sun's up, or it's going down. If I have a 12 hour sunlight
day (typical in the tropics) and the top is 20-25A in peak times, I see
it as reasonable to get the above.

However, I'd love to be proven wrong and get a full 300AH from our
bank!!

L8R

Skip and Lydia, on the boat, over wifi while Lydia talks to her mother
in England on Vonage, free with the unlimited package we buy...