Albin Owners Group

Has anyone looked into or know of anyone using this charging system?
It sounds like a great idea if you already don't have a genset installed.It is so practical and supposably quiet.

at about $7300 it looks a little too expensive for me

Yes it is expensive,but in comparison to the cost, installation and noise of a generator it may be a not so bad of a option.It is probably a lot cheaper than a genset install,and the amount of extra space gained would be a plus.
I would really like to see one in practical use on ones own vessel somewhere.I don't know either if you could run heavy loads like air conditioners for a extended period of time. Being as how we already have a 5K genny it would not be a option for us.

Interesting. I hadn't heard of them. I wonder how well they stand up in a marine environment and just how how the "waste heat" is.

I have been researching the EFOY for the past year. There was working unit at the Toronto Boat Show this past Monday. There is lots of info at the corporate site http://www.sfc.com and at http://www.efoy-comfort.com The unit is only designed to keep batteries topped up. It will not supply AC current for applications such as A/C. The capital cost is steep but it appears to be a low maintenance, silent solution. The exhaust is water and can be directed to bilge or a plastic jug (distilled water) for battery top up. Heat waste can be vented but I was advised that this was only required in a small enclosed locker. It does need some limited ventilation and will not operate in temperatures over 104F which means engine compartment is not a possible location. I'm still looking for someone with a working installation.......maybe a good excuse for a trip to Europe where there are over 20,000 units in boats and RVs

Russell you would get your AC power by using a inverter.Possibly a 2000 watt.I wonder though if the EFOY could keep ahead of the battery drain even if you had a large amp hour battery bank?
I also seen it at the Toronto Boat Show.The rep there said someone with a large yacht was using the system with great success.He also said he was using 3 units.
The part that confused me he said you can cut down on your on the amount of batteries you need,giving you more space.
I would really like to see a system in practical use.

I guess in theory you could reduce the number of batteries but if you were considering running AC with an inverter I assume you would need substantial battery reserve capacity as the EFOY unit does not generate enough power to compensate for the AC compressor. Largest unit generates 8.75AMPS. If you had three units you could generate enough power but $7,000x3 plus installation is in the 'large yacht" price bracket!

The NextGen Alternative: This is a very compact and quite dependable unit. With the optional cover it is really a fine unit. They are available out of Flor. and will ship anywhere. Reasonable easy to install and will fit through at least some of hatches without cutting and new fiberglass work. I am very happy with mine. It is a single cylinder unit 3.5. There is larger model 5.0 duel cylinder but it won't fit through most hatches without modification.
whwells "Howard:
2006 35te Sportfisher/Flybridge Conv.
2004 Osprey Pilothouse 22

I quoted one of these a while back and after doing the research found it to be a very expensive way of generating power for my customer...

The biggest problem, other than up front expense, is that even the EFOY 2200 only pumps out 7.5A of charge current or roughly 90W. Solar can easily exceed this, and for a lot less than half the installed price but it won't work 24 hours per day..

The fuel cells also need to be purchased directly from EFOY, and are pretty pricey... Over the long haul at the cost of the unit, the fuel cells and how much current we use on boats it's a tough sell until they can get these up to 20-30A output +........

The fuel cost for these units is quite steep. Roughly $20.00 per gallon plus shipping. It runs about $5.00 per kilowatt-hour or roughly $5.00 for every 80 amp-hours of charging. A single 140W solar panel will produce approx 40 +/- Ah's /day for no additional cost. Oh and when I say plus shipping, I mean PLUS.

My closest EFOY dealer is in MA and when I priced it out last time for a customer who wanted the straight dope on them I found that shipping an M-10 fuel cell, which is 2.6 GAL, it cost nearly $100.00 to get from MA to ME due to the fact that it had to go FedEX and was classified as Haz Mat shipping. So 2.6 GAL / $159.00 = $61.15 PER GALLON... That jumps the cost to well over $15.00 for every 80Ah of charging.

The other issue is the 5000 hour expected life. The realistic average I was told, by EFOY, was 3000-5000 but they use 5000 in marketing materials. I have some snowbird boats with 12 year old solar arrays that have a minimum of 26,000 hours of charging use (based on just 6 hours of charging per day) but they have also survived the ocean environment 24/7/365 for 12+ years with pretty much zero maintenance....

Great technology but until the price of fuel, the units and the ability to supply more than about 8A changes I think they are a wait and see technology for most..

Efoy 140 installed and operational. I will give a report at seasons end regarding its performance

I hope we hear a good report.If Val & I decide to take a drive your way we may get in touch before hand to see your system,if you would'nt mind.It sounded like such a great idea at the boat show. Bob& Val

I would be happy to show the installation. Best to wait until Sept when I will have some idea of its performance in use. You can reach by text or phone at 705 443 9306. Cheers,

We will see how our free time is by Sept. We will want to make the most out of this late started boating season.
This system does spark my interest.Thanks Bob

First summer with the Efoy installed is over. Unfortunately I did not spend anywhere near the overnights onboard as usual, but can report that I did s pend 11 nights on the hook. Efoy fuel consumed was 9 litres. I also had it running on day trips but did not record hours. I have light power requirements. Fridge(off for 8 hours at night), stereo and lights. The fuel cell was able to keep my house batteries topped up. I feel confident that I would have the ability to stay on the hook indefinitely and keep the beer cold.

Good to hear it worked out for you.At some point I would still like to see your system set up.Bob & val