Marine Applications

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in General Solar Power Topics #1
I'm shopping for solar panels for my sailboat. Probably in the 120w (2) range.
Are there some brands that are more adapt to the marine application? Does the warranties cover marine use? I have been told that some brands do not.

Thanks
Mike
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Marine Applications

    Where will these be mounted ? flat on deck as a walking surface?
    On a rack above stay's shade (the shadow of 1 stay will shut down a panel)
    Would a wave smash them?
    There are flexible plastic panels, rigid glass panels, some with bypass diodes for partial shade.....
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #3
    Re: Marine Applications

    They will be mounted over my bimini. I plan on building a frame and attaching the panels. They will be out of the way and no waves will be able to wash on them.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #4
    Re: Marine Applications

    Mike,
    I recently left the marine industry for home construction. Wave contact is not the only thing you need to be concerned with in mounting your pannels. You are in a highly corosive environment. I would strongly recomend components made specificly for that environment. Anywhare you have dissimilar metals, like in your grounding, you will run into problems. Can you give me some more details of how and whare you use the boat. Is she a dock queen or are you doing extended blue water crossings? Do you live aboard? Saly or fresh water? What modle and year is the boat? Do you have roller furling for main or jib? Let the details fly and lets see if we can come up with some usefull info for you.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #5
    Re: Marine Applications

    We will be spending most of our time in the Great Lakes spending about 2months on the hook the rest at the dock. It is a 1994 Beneteau Oceanis 400 with roller furling. The refrigeration is the biggest user of electricity aboard using about 50-60 amps per day. A friend has a ssimiliar set up and uses 2- 120 watt panels on a hard top bimini. That seems to do the trick for him. My bimini is soft so I would have to add a tower of some sort.
    Thanks for you help.

    Mike
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Marine Applications
    c1gmlm wrote: »
    We will be spending most of our time in the Great Lakes spending about 2months on the hook the rest at the dock. It is a 1994 Beneteau Oceanis 400 with roller furling. The refrigeration is the biggest user of electricity aboard using about 50-60 amps per day. A friend has a ssimiliar set up and uses 2- 120 watt panels on a hard top bimini. That seems to do the trick for him. My bimini is soft so I would have to add a tower of some sort.
    Thanks for you help.

    Mike

    60 Amp hours , to be replaced in 6 hours of sunlight, would need 10 amps of production. 240W at 17V is 14A, but the peak will only hold for an hour, and then start to drop off
    http://www.mike-burgess.org/images/MB_May-3-2007.htm Add losses from any shadows, and charger losses, and you will nearly always be falling short, with seldom a full charge on the batteries
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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