How Many Solar Panels For A Sailboat

The benefits of adding solar panels to a boat or yacht when it comes to adding solar panels to your boat the benefits are endless.

How many solar panels for a sailboat.

1 out of 10 adding a flexible panel to charge while underway. In sizing a solar pv system the first two factors we work from are the sunlight levels or insolation values from your area and the daily power consumption of your electrical loads. If you need 200w a day then you could have three 90w solar panels on different parts of the boat and be covered power wise even on different tacks. How much space do you have on deck.

The number of solar panels you ll need for your boat not only depends on the type and size of your boat but also the quality of the equipment you choose how many sun hours the boat sees and the amount of electricity you require. Some boats can get by with one 100 watt solar panel or even smaller while others require a multi panel setup. For solar i would not be shy. 8 out of 10.

Here are just a few for you to consider. 4 out of 10 adding an electrical system monitor to your boat. July 2016 i just took an informal poll from my boater and rv camper friends. 2 out of 10 adding a permanent panel to the stern railing.

For more details on choosing and installing a solar panel see the march 2018 issue of practical sailor online. We present here a simple analysis based on the test boat used for our recent report on choosing and installing a solar panel. In the charging system the solar panels convert sunlight into electrical current and deliver it to the batteries via a solar charge controller. A licensed solar installer can help you determine which type of solar panel would be ideal for your boat and would hold up best on the open water.

A safety factor of 2 would be a nice start and then see if you can make those panels fit your boat. Having multiple solar panels also allows you to have smaller panels which tend to get in the way less. One system to charge the batteries and another system to provide 120 volt ac power for household appliances. 4 out of 10 adding a charge controller to your installation.

A solar power installation on a sailboat is made up of two independent systems. You can t have too much solar or too many batteries. If you think you will need twice the power of the above energy budget then install 2 separate 100 watt panels. Obviously the number of panels you would need depends on energy usage and vessel size but solar is a much better option than common fossil fuels when powering your boat.

Your required power output can be divided among them as well. An experienced california solar installer may also be able to either build a new structure on your boat to support the solar panels or hire a subcontractor that specializes in this type of work. In summary if the devices and hours used in the above list seem to be in line with your energy budget then go with a single 100 watt solar panel. Insolation one hour of maximum or 100 sunshine received by a module equals one equivalent sun hour.