Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG
Not true. The alternator will only output as much power as needed to maintain a given battery voltage. If the panel is providing, say 50% of your electrical load requirements, the alternator's voltage regulator will look after ensuring the alternator only makes up the difference. There will still be a fuel savings.
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true but the Alt is designed to operate within a narrow band of RPM and power production and anywhere outside that and its efficiency starts to drop off. The law of diminishing returns comes into play heavily with electrical/work conversions outside of their optimum range. Its one of the reasons that Wind Power is a difficult thing to harnass. I have a PhD student friend(not my student but someone on the path to becoming a PhD) in Wind Power and thats the biggest problem it faces because you have to chose where it can produce power best and then have to deal with low returns everywhere else.