We’re having to run the generator. Again. Seems like every other day. Our solar just isn’t keeping up. Welcome to solar panels in winter.
Does that sound like you? Lots of people have been saying that lately – even us. So what’s the deal?
The basic problem is that it’s winter (if you’re in the northern hemisphere, of course). And even though the refrigerator may run less at this time of year, it’s not enough to compensate for the problems that the solar panels are facing:
- Days are shorter, with fewer hours of sunlight
- The sun is lower on the horizon, even at noon – and solar panels are less efficient when the sun is closer to the horizon
- The sun being lower in the sky can also cast more shadows on your solar panels
- In many places, it’s cloudier
- Depending on where you are, and how your solar panels are mounted on your boat, the wind direction may be such that your panels are more shaded
Every year, for about a month on each side of the winter solstice, our solar panels just can’t keep up and we end up running our generator more often than we’d like. In the middle of summer – even with needing more power for the refrigerator and freezer – the batteries are usually full by mid-afternoon.
Bottom line: if your solar just isn’t keeping your batteries charged as well in the winter, it’s probably not a problem with the panels, the wiring, or the controller. Patience . . . spring is coming!
Here’s your “Quick Start” to everything you need to know when living on a boat:
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