Adding Solar Panels To Boat

While it certainly adds a new dynamic to one s life it s not the most straightforward investment since maintenance is a huge component of owning a sea vessel.

Adding solar panels to boat. The purchase of a boat or a yacht is a coveted purchase for many people. A solar power installation on a sailboat is made up of two independent systems. Installing one or more photovoltaic solar panels on your boat is a great way to keep your batteries topped off and in larger installations replace the power consumed by house loads. Others have placed solar panels on the sides of the boat embedded them in the deck or purchased foldable panels that they can take out and reposition around the ship.

One system to charge the batteries and another system to provide 120 volt ac power for household appliances. All you have to do is add up all the energy in watt hours used by each device on your boat such as the fridge lights computers and so on. In the charging system the solar panels convert sunlight into electrical current and deliver it to the batteries via a solar charge controller. Other than the physical maintenance of your boat fuel management and maintenance is often a logistical nightmare for many boat owners.

Your charge controller has to be able to handle at least 10 more than this. In other words the marine solar panel is just a solar panel that collects energy from the sun and uses it to power the boat in many ways. Your required power output can be divided among them as well. Small panels maintain or trickle charge batteries while you re unplugged from shore power.

Add together the wattage of the two solar panels. If your existing solar panel is 100 watts and you want to add a 50 watt solar panel you will need a charge controller that can handle 150 watts plus 10. If you have a flybridge you might want to use thin flexible panels and mount them on your canvas. The first step is to work out your boat s power requirements.

Solar panels for boats and yachts. It s important to take careful measurements so the panels will fit where you want them and get the maximum sun exposure. Ditto for sailboats where you can put panels on a bimini or dodger. The most popular use of this type and the sunpower marine solar panels is to recharge the batteries in the boat but it can be used to power the electrical system of the sailboat.

Energy is power accrued over time so if power is measured in watts energy is watt hours.