How Many Solar Panels For A Sailboat

July 2016 i just took an informal poll from my boater and rv camper friends.

How many solar panels for a sailboat. In the charging system the solar panels convert sunlight into electrical current and deliver it to the batteries via a solar charge controller. For solar i would not be shy. Insolation one hour of maximum or 100 sunshine received by a module equals one equivalent sun hour. If you think you will need twice the power of the above energy budget then install 2 separate 100 watt panels.

One system to charge the batteries and another system to provide 120 volt ac power for household appliances. A safety factor of 2 would be a nice start and then see if you can make those panels fit your boat. 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. A solar power installation on a sailboat is made up of two independent systems.

8 out of 10. Adding a solar trickle charger to your car rv or boat. You can t have too much solar or too many batteries. 4 out of 10 adding a charge controller to your installation.

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. We present here a simple analysis based on the test boat used for our recent report on choosing and installing a solar panel. How much space do you have on deck. Some values are from experience and others are accepted rules of thumb.

Your required power output can be divided among them as well. 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. 6 out of 10 adding two panels to a dodger or radar arch. 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.

2 out of 10 adding a permanent panel to the stern railing. 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. Having multiple solar panels also allows you to have smaller panels which tend to get in the way less. 4 out of 10 adding an electrical system monitor to your boat.

For more details on choosing and installing a solar panel see the march 2018 issue of practical sailor online. Here are just a few for you to consider. Some boats can get by with one 100 watt solar panel or even smaller while others require a multi panel setup. 1 out of 10 adding a flexible panel to charge while underway.