What do you need to know about installing solar panels on yachts or ships?

When cruising or playing, there is ample power on board for a wonderful experience or a marginal experience. Here are some things to know before installing solar panels on a yacht or ship:

1. Determine how much energy the yacht or ship needs

Calculate the energy needs of your yacht or vessel. All you have to do is add up all the power (in watt hours) used by each device on your boat, such as refrigerators, lights, computers, etc. Energy is the amount of power accumulated over time, so if power is measured in watts, energy is in watt-hours. This can be tricky, for example, how long is your refrigerator going to run? What about overnight stays? How much energy does the instrument require? Or your computer? You can measure by their voltage and current, P=UI. (Note: The final measured quantity is increased by about 10%, because there may be some unexpected situations)

2. Determine which type of solar panel to use.

I have mentioned before that solar panels are divided into crystalline silicon solar panels (the solar cells are divided into: polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, Sunpower), and amorphous silicon solar panels. Sunpower solar panels have high conversion efficiency. Under the same power, the area will be smaller than others, but the price will be more expensive.

3. Determine where the solar panels should be installed on the boat.

If it's just a small panel to supplement the battery in the moored area, buy a cheap rigid panel and find somewhere on the boat that you can tilt so that it catches the sun for most of the day. If you're on a boat for more time and need to get the best out of your solar panels, you'll want to do your best to make sure they're not shaded, and tilt them as square to the sun as possible. This is why boaters often mount their panels on adjustable gantry in the stern, or on the slipway.

If you need to know how much power you can actually get from solar panels and how much loss there will be, please follow us to learn more (www.moolsun.com)