Where To Put Solar Panels?

[Teknav]

I'm surprised that no one has designed "delta wings" for the upper most portion of the mast to hold a pair of solar panels. That would be a perfect place for them!

Mauritz
Simplicity and Elegance by Design!

[familycruisers]

My Sun World panels have a twenty five year warranty, and salt water exposure is covered. These are American made panels too. At .85 per watt, you can't beat the prices.

[Teknav]

Hiya Family! A 25-year warranty is kinda suspicious, especially in a salty spray environment. I'd say that if you get 5 years of uninterrupted service from them, you'd have gotten a great value. Anything above that, is a bonus.

Mauritz
Simplicity and Elegance by Design

[zboss]

Originally Posted by o_q

I figure I'd want to power a laptop, a fridge, and up to 150 watts of stereo (probably mostly at medium-low volume). But I don't own a boat, so I don't know what else I'd need besides lighting and VHF.

150 watts of stereo????? Please don't anchor near me

Seriously, you will rarely ever use all that 150 watts. Maybe around 30-60 watts depending on the number of speakers you are driving... you would have to be blasting out the neighbors to use all that.

I must confess - I have considered adding a subwoofer to the boat. Maybe some chromed spinning wheels and underwater lights.

[White island]

Can you guys walk around your boat with all this STUFF hanging everywhere? does it blow off when the wind howls?

[jared1048]

Originally Posted by zboss

150 watts of stereo????? Please don't anchor near me

Seriously, you will rarely ever use all that 150 watts. Maybe around 30-60 watts depending on the number of speakers you are driving... you would have to be blasting out the neighbors to use all that.

I must confess - I have considered adding a subwoofer to the boat. Maybe some chromed spinning wheels and underwater lights.

then you most certainly wouldn't want to be next to me with 1400 watts! 1000 for the sub and 400 for the bose 6x9's and bookshelf speakers in cabin of boat but we are the party boat with all the girls dancing on our deck


we have blue spreader lights to light up the deck/mast/rigging....ill post pictures later. Gotta have some fun too!

[Eleven]

It's a real problem on the small boat I have now. I have just a battery on shore charge which will run the Ship to Shore and Depth for a six hours. Outboard has no electrics.
Usually I have to turn off the radio just in case I really need it. Night lighting is the same, just not enough for more than a couple of hours.
I'd get a 900x600mm up where the hatch slides forwards and covers it. From experience my battery will always be good to go, and it will extend my daylight running but it's not going to be enough to run radio and depth gauge but the battery still won't do the night lighting.
The flexible ones seems to charge from dawn to dusk, the rigid ones give more amps for less hours.
If I did the big Prout again then I'd use port and starb'd control units so the working ones aren't being wasted leaking through the shaded ones. Plus I have a spare on board that I know works!
The eight 600x 200 mm panels on that ran a 24v fridge that froze milk (lasted months like that) chilled meat to the bone, etc. And ran decent interior lighting, mastheads for two to three days but did benefit from whatever engine running we did.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by jared1048

then you most certainly wouldn't want to be next to me with 1400 watts! 1000 for the sub and 400 for the bose 6x9's and bookshelf speakers in cabin of boat but we are the party boat with all the girls dancing on our deck


we have blue spreader lights to light up the deck/mast/rigging....ill post pictures later. Gotta have some fun too!

I must report you to the moral majority!! There shall be no frocliking about in bikini's allowed on deck!!! My wife will be outraged! Call the police!

[familycruisers]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Hiya Family! A 25-year warranty is kinda suspicious, especially in a salty spray environment. I'd say that if you get 5 years of uninterrupted service from them, you'd have gotten a great value. Anything above that, is a bonus.

Mauritz
Simplicity and Elegance by Design

Here its Sun Worlds warranty page. Theirs is sliding scale, but 85% after 20 years, I can handle.

SolarWorld warranty

[D&D]

Originally Posted by familycruisers

My Sun World panels have a twenty five year warranty, and salt water exposure is covered. These are American made panels too. At .85 per watt, you can't beat the prices.

A point of clarification (or perhaps misunderstanding, somewhere?) seems appropriate here as the SolarWorld -- We assume that's the same as Sun World? -- warranty linked to your post #54 specifically excludes "use of products on mobile units such as...ships"...

[familycruisers]

Originally Posted by D&D

A point of clarification (or perhaps misunderstanding, somewhere?) seems appropriate here as the SolarWorld -- We assume that's the same as Sun World? -- warranty linked to your post #54 specifically excludes "use of products on mobile units such as...ships"...

Actually never noticed that but my setup, two handles unscrewed, two connectors disconnected and the panel comes off. I get my panels from our local United Electric, so if ever needed I'll just pull it off.
Of course like I said before the panels are the cheap part of the equation@ .85 per watt.