When cruising or playing, there is sufficient power supply on board, which can give people a wonderful experience or a marginalized experience. Things you need to know before installing solar panels on your yacht or ship
- Determine how much energy your yacht or ship needs
Calculate the energy requirements of your yacht or watercraft. All you have to do is add up all the electricity used by each device on your boat, such as refrigerators, lights, computers, etc., in watt hours. Energy is power accumulated over time, so if power is measured in watts, energy is watt-hours. This can be tricky, for example, how long will your refrigerator run? What about staying the night? How much energy does the instrument require? Or your computer? You can calculate it through their voltage and current, P=UI. (Note: The final measured quantity increased by about 10%, because there may be some unexpected situations)
100-200w Yachts and Caravans Flexible Solar Panel
| Nominal Power | 100W-Mono | 100W-Sunpower |
|---|---|---|
| Dimension | 1175x540mm | 1050x540mm |
| Thickness | 2.5mm | 2.5mm |
| Weight | 2.25kg | 1.95kg |
| Cell | Mono 166*83mm, 36(3*12) | Sunpower Mono 125*125mm, 64(4*8) |
| Junction box | IP68 (3 bypass diodes), Compatible connectors | IP68 (3 bypass diodes), Compatible connectors |
| Connector | 44.0mm² (IEC) Conductor length: (+)250mm, (-)350mm, conductor length can be customized | 44.0mm² (IEC) Conductor length: (+)250mm, (-)350mm, conductor length can be customized |
- Determine which type of solar power panel to use.
I have mentioned before that solar panels are divided into crystalline silicon solar panels (solar cells are divided into: polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, Sunpower) and amorphous silicon solar panels. Their conversion efficiency, process, pros and cons, etc. have been mentioned in previous articles. I don’t need to explain them in detail here. If necessary, you can click on the previous articles. What type of solar panels to install is another question, how much space do you need. Sunpower solar panels have high conversion efficiency. At the same power, the area will be smaller than other solar panels, but the price will also be more expensive.
Determine where solar panels should be installed on your boat.
If you’re just installing a small panel where you’re moored to supplement your batteries, buy a cheap rigid panel and find a spot on the boat where you can tilt it so it can catch sunlight for most of the day. If you spend more time on a boat and need to get the best results from your solar panels, you’ll want to do your best to ensure they are not obscured and tilt them as much as possible at right angles to the sun. This is why boaters often install their solar PV modules on adjustable masts at the stern of their boats, or on the slipway.
