A few tips for getting the most out of your solar panels . . . on both our boats, we’ve lived almost entirely on the electricity generated by our solar panels. Our previous boat, a Tayana 37, had a total of 453 watts of solar. We now have 345 watts in one large panel on Barefoot Gal – the new panels and regulators are much more efficient and the use of LEDs and a more efficient watermaker and refrigerator have significantly decreased our demand for power.
Still, we try to get every possible amp-hour out of the panels. And while some of these items we’ve been doing for a long time, we keep refining things and just recently added one more trick.
- If it hasn’t rained in a while, take a damp rag and wipe the panels off. You’ll be surprised at how dusty they get!
- If your panels tilt, readjust them a few times a day to get the best sun angle and fewest shadows.
- We have lines tied to the two edges of the panel to keep it at the angle we’ve adjusted it to. That is, when we adjust the panel we also adjust how the lines are tied.
- If you’re going to be away for the day, adjust the panels level with the horizon as the best compromise.
- If you have panels on your dodger or bimini, use a boom brake or preventer when at anchor to “wing out” the boom so it’s not shading the panels.
- And our latest refinement: check the weather forecast every evening for the expected wind in the morning and tilt the panels accordingly instead of just leaving them where they were at sunset. We find this is giving us an extra 5 to 10 amp-hours a day instead of doing it after we wake up.
Our friends Tammy and Bruce on Dos Libras recently posted a further refinement on their Facebook page. You know those days when it’s impossible to get good solar production because the wind direction is putting big shadows across the panels? They used a snubber tied from their stern to their anchor line to turn the boat sufficiently that the panels were getting full sun!
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Andrea Clark says
Kevin Clark
Keri Dunham says
Josh Pekar
Tracey Lundberg says
We love our solar panels!
Marcella Balkema says
Tony Warner
Ginny Holland says
Best investment we ever made. That engine running twice a day to charge batteries was so annoying.
Bruce says
Good tips, Carolyn. As for leaving the panels level with the horizon if you are going to be away all day… If you are in a place with consistent winds (like the trades) and the boat tends to point in same direction, tilting the panels a bit to the N or S depending on the time of year and the hemisphere you’re in will definitely increase output.
Les says
How can I tell how much my panels are rated for? My new to me boat has two panels on the bimini with no markings from the manufacturer.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Hmm. Good question. I’ve never seen ones without markings. You could get a rough idea by measuring.
Brian Fogg says
Carolyn, please tell me what kind of batteries you have and how many amp hours are they rated for?
Carolyn Shearlock says
We have Trojan golf cart. Two 6 volt and one 12 volt, total of 355 amphours at 12 volts. You can read more about them here: Upgrading Batteries
Sage Hampton says
Hi Carolyn, thank you for the tips. I am just beginning the liveaboard journey and appreciate the experience you share!
Vince Bednar says
Carolyn,
What type of watermaker do you have?
Carolyn Shearlock says
We have a Katadyn 80E that came with the boat. It’s been pretty good but parts and membranes are very expensive. Katadyn was just bought by Spectra, so we’ll see what happens.
Anonymous says
Carolyn, if you don’t mind, readers of this article may be interested in this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/536718196693081/
The Boat Galley says
No I don’t mind 🙂 Always like to be able to share more resources!
Anonymous says
Hi Carolyn, I have a question: when the panels were installed and upgrades done, was the boat on hard or in the water? On mooring or at a dock? Thank you!
The Boat Galley says
In the water on a mooring ball. Our previous boat we installed them when we were on the dock at a marina. Around here, most people do it in the water unless they happen to be hauled out for something else.
Anonymous says
Great, thanks!
Mark says
Great tips, thank you. Like you on Barefoot Gal, we’ve minimised electrical consumption on our 34′ boat and get by on 200W solar panels feeding 450AH Trojan batteries. A little more solar would be nice but I have no space. Until I can afford a stern arch (which will cost me nearly 10% of what I paid for the boat, so a long time away) finding that extra 5 or 10AH a day is the way to go