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This New 427-Foot Superyacht Is Powered by 16,000 Square Feet of Solar Panels

Dubbed the solar express, the vessel was was penned by anthony glasson of design studio m51., rachel cormack.

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Sometimes a name can tell you everything you need to know about a superyacht . That’s certainly the case with Solar Express, at least.

The futuristic new concept, which was penned by Anthony Glasson of design studio M51 , was inspired by steam trains like the one featured in the 2004 film The Polar Express . It’s also covered from tip to tail with solar panels for cleaner cruising. Hence the punning moniker.

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Spanning an imposing 427 feet, the Solar Express sports a sleek, locomotive-like silhouette and a huge spike at the bow that Glasson says takes cues from a “narwhal tusk.” Looks aside, the vessel incorporates naval architecture that’s at the bleeding edge.

Glasson, who has spent a decade-plus working as an engineer on superyachts ranging all the way up to 295 feet, has centered the design on solar power. The foredeck, sundeck and stern are fitted with more than 16,000 square feet of solar panels. All the energy that’s harnessed from the sun is then stored in large batteries and used to power the yacht’s onboard amenities. It’s also used to power part of the hybrid propulsion system, which is comprised of twin Azipods and electric generators.

The superyacht sports two lavish VIP cabins that overlook the pool below.  M51 Concepts

To improve efficiency, the Solar Express is equipped with a lightweight aluminum hull. She also features lightweight luxury materials throughout. Less excess weight allows for a greater battery capacity, though the firm did not give any figures regarding speed or range.

With a volume of 5,260 GT, Solar Express has a relatively small interior for her class. She also has fewer glitzy amenities than some other superyachts of the same size. This was a necessary measure to ensure there was enough space for solar panels.

“The idea behind the concept was inspired from my many years working as a crew member on large superyachts and witnessing the huge energy consumption first hand,” Glasson told Robb Report via email. “Solar Express is an attempt (far from perfect) to reduce fuel usage over the service life of the yacht.”

Suffice it to say, Solar Express is still plenty luxurious. She is fitted with two lavish VIP cabins on the upper deck that offer panoramic views, along with a large 33-foot swimming pool and a hot tub. You can also expect a sizable swim platform and accompanying tender.

Now show us a steam train that has all of that.

Check out more photos below:

M51 Concepts

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Silent Yachts

Creators of the world’s first series produced, solar-powered electric yachts.

Unlimited Range

Noiseless cruising, zero emission, minimal maintenance, pioneering solar powered yachting since 2009.

The Original Solar Yacht

As the original inventors of series produced solar-electric yachts, we pioneered this innovative approach. Our first model, the Silent 64, was launched to the market in 2016, several years before any other shipyard considered the possibility of going electric.

Leading Technology

Our founders began to research alternative energy sources to power yachts during the mid 1990s. Today, the technology of our in-house developed solar-electric drivetrain has been perfected and is multiple generations ahead in terms of reliability, performance and efficiency.

Historical Track-Record

In 2009, the Solarwave 46 was launched as our first prototype of a fully solar-electric, self-sufficient ocean-going catamaran. Since then, our electric yachts have cruised many 10.000s of nautical miles, performing flawlessly during a variety of weather conditions.

Enabling Self-Sufficiency

What differentiates a Silent is the unprecedented level of autonomy provided by our yachts. Being able to produce your own energy enables a fully self-sufficient lifestyle on board. Travel the oceans sustainably while making them your infinite playground.

The award-winning entry to solar-electric yachts.

Timeless design meets state-of-the-art technology.

120 Explorer

The boldest expression of solar powered yachting yet.

What Makes Us Unique

The tranquility on board of our yachts is unique. A lack of noise, fumes and vibrations create a deep connection with the sea. Luxury and sustainability finally merged into a holistic experience, working hand in hand with nature by minimizing the impact on the marine environment without compromising comfort.

For optimal performance and efficiency, our solar-electric drivetrain integrates seamlessly with all onboard systems. Compared to fossil fuelled powertrains of motoryachts, electric powertrains have very few moving parts, resulting in minimal maintenance, maximum reliability and significantly lower running costs.

The ability to recharge your own batteries with the sun marks a new era of freedom. Depending on cruising speeds and weather conditions, a Silent has virtually unlimited range, enabling you to live a fully self-sufficient lifestyle on board. Unbound by the limitations of fossil fuels, you are free to explore the horizons.

The technology powering our yachts today has been pioneered by our founders almost three decades ago. Continuous upgrading and steady optimization of the entire system are some of the key reasons our in-house developed solar-electric drivetrain offers a comprehensive portfolio of assurances and warranties.

Why Silent Yachts

A sensible approach to yachting which works in self-sufficient harmony with nature and creates a completely new experience on board.

Tech Corner

Why a Solar Powered Yacht?

Let’s break down the advantages of harnessing the sun’s energy for yacht propulsion: solar power offers remarkable efficiency, significant environmental benefits, and an unmatched synergy with the yachting experience. Join us as we dive into the future of sustainable yachting and discover how solar-powered yachts are revolutionizing the seas.

Living on a Silent 62 Solar Electric yacht

Silent Yachts’ range is designed to harness the power of the sun, providing green energy and silent cruising. But what can owners truly expect? How much power does the Silent 62 use while cruising? In this article, we evaluate a typical day onboard the Silent 62, based on actual data from our yachts.

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“The Tesla of the seas! An amazing founding couple, a highly innovative product as well as a really cool story behind it. Furthermore, a lot of love and attention has been invested into every single detail – truly impressive!” Frank Thelen / TV Personality, Founder, Angel Investor & Disruption Expert

While the present has brought us the dawn of smart cars, I strongly believe the future will bring us solar powered smart boats – and I definitely want to be at the frontline of that journey. Michael Jost / Former Head of Group Strategy of Volkswagen Group

The idea of sailing while charging your own battery is super powerful to me – solar powered sailing is the perfect love story! Jochen Rudat / Former Tesla Central Europa Director, Advisory Board Silent Group

Elon Musk single handedly forced an entire industry to go electric, as a matter of fact if they don’t all go electric now they will soon die. I would like to see the same thing happening for boating. You are not just selling boats – you are the actual leading edge of a crucial and much overdue revolution to sustainable transport!” Klaus Obermeyer / Emmy Award Winner

I am completely excited about solar catamarans. I knew before they are great but now I truly believe this is the future. After so many boats I’ve seen in over 18 years with Boote Exclusiv, this yacht truly blew my mind. Such a silent and peaceful cruising experience – just the way it should be. Martin Hager / Editor in Chief for Boote Exclusiv - Yachts

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80 Sunreef Power ECO Sól

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DISCOVER THE MODEL

Description.

Sunreef Yachts launched the world’s most advanced electric motor yacht , Sol, in its Gdansk facility in Poland . The luxury catamaran is customized to the owner’s specifications and uses the latest green tech to attain the highest levels of sustainability and energy efficiency.

Apart from being equipped with two 360kW engines and a set of 990kWh batteries, this electric catamaran boasts Sunreef Yachts’ revolutionary solar power system with panels fully integrated with the composite structures. Owing to this in-house engineered technology, the 80 Sunreef Power Eco provides unrivaled solar power for extended range and a clean cruising experience.

The solar catamaran was commissioned by an experienced family of yacht owners deeply engaged in sustainability and looking for the perfect eco-responsible motor yacht. The four-cabin catamaran boasts a custom-tailored layout and décor to accommodate eight guests in full luxury. With an energy-saving air conditioning system and smart energy management, this  electric yacht  sets new standards for  eco-cruising .

To know more about the 80 Sunreef Power Eco and the entire Eco range , feel free to contact the Sunreef Yachts team.

SPECIFICATION

• ECO VERSION

Construction

Length overall

Beam overall

12+4 (crew)

Solar panels

Main engines

990 kW (700 Volts)

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Review: Silent 55, the extraordinary solar powered yacht

• January 18, 2019

Silent Yachts is tapping into the solar zeitgeist and creating a new meaning for the term ‘powercat’.  Sam Fortescue reports

There is a slow, silent revolution under way in the yachting world. It is a revolution that is introducing tonnes of lithium and a sprinkling of silicon to the spec list of new boats. Holding out the promise of silent mobility, plus limitless domestic power on board, it made a big splash at the last Cannes Festival of Yachting – not least thanks to the new Silent 55 catamaran which debuted there.

From the pontoon side, the Silent 55 looks like a typical modern catamaran, with a big coachroof studded with windows and a flybridge helm. Except there’s no mast. Now, bear with me here. I realise that this is a sailing magazine, but we will shortly get back to more familiar territory. The unique qualities of this catamaran only become apparent from up top, where an expanse of solar panels stretches away fore and aft, embedded into the coachroof. The hard top itself carries yet more panels, and can be folded down flush to give an unshaded solar array of 49m2. During the heat of a summer day in the Med, this is capable of generating 10kW of power and up to around 60kWh in the course of the day.

But to make a solar system work in reality, Köhler had to go back to the drawing board on yacht design. The saloon and hulls have extra thermal insulation to keep air-con losses down, and the use of carbon and aramid in key areas helps reduce the overall weight to a decent 17 tonnes (a Lagoon 52 weighs 22.5 tonnes). He has tried to keep windows out of the direct sun with long overhangs and in contrast to the Lagoon’s 12 deck hatches, the Silent 55 has just two.

Holistic design

On the other hand, it has lots of opening windows, to allow a natural draught to do its job. “It’s a holistic approach – you can’t take the batteries and the drivetrain and drop it into another boat.”

Of course, using the propulsion system quickly takes its toll of the boat’s 140kW battery bank. The model on display at Cannes had two 135kW motors, giving you just half an hour of silent motoring flat-out, albeit at a top speed of over 20 knots. More reasonable 30kW engines and a single-digit speed give you greater range. Nonetheless, the electric drive alone isn’t going to allow you to outrun a storm, or race home after a day at anchor, so the boat is designed to work with a generator hidden in the heavily insulated transom of its starboard hull. At cruising speed of around 5-6 knots, Köhler says there is rarely any need to use the generator, citing an owner who has just emailed him triumphantly about a second year totally generator-free. “In the end, you have to compare it to the performance of a sailing boat,” Köhler says. “It is as fast as a sailing boat in similar conditions – after all, there is no wind without sun.” He went so far as to tell me during the sea trial in Palma, Mallorca, that he believed the majority of sailors would happily dispense with the hassle of sails and a rig if only they could enjoy silent motoring and anchoring. “As soon as people realise the incredible concept of this boat, they won’t understand why they ever did anything else.”

The market does not seem to agree with him – yet. Sales of the boat have been good – they have already sold six, five of which are already in the water. But of those, four customers have taken the sail option, which means planting a 19.7m tall mast complete with boom and rigging slap bang in the middle of the coachroof solar array. “I was a bit amazed,” Köhler admits. “The shade from the rig reduces the energy generated by the solar area, while it costs more and is heavier, so consumes more fuel. Maybe it is for optical reasons.” In fact, the shade of the rig slashes the average yield of the solar panels in half. In the Med, that means around 30kWh per day. But perhaps it figures. The typical profile of buyers is an environmentalist who has a Tesla electric car and is “an early adopter who likes to have things before others”. And at low speeds, with modest use of the air-con, the reduced energy generation should still cover daily consumption.

The performance under sail should be reasonable because of the lightweight build of the boat, its broad 8.47m beam and stub keels added to each hull. Control lines are led back via conduits in the coachroof to the flybridge helm station, to make single-handing under sail a possibility.

More interesting, I think, is a sort of halfway-house option using a kite rig. This optimises the performance of the solar panels and gives plenty of propulsion. On the smaller 55 and the 64, Silent Yachts currently recommends a 19m2 kite that costs around €25,000 – a fraction of the cost of a new mast, boom, shrouds and sails. “The sail automatically makes a figure of eight above the boat, and you can steer it with a joystick or an app on an android phone,” Köhler explains. “It can propel the 55 at up to 6 knots, even in light winds.” Perfect for an Atlantic crossing, then.

For the bigger Silent 79, which will hit the water in the summer, a commercial grade Sky Sail system needs to be used – a smaller version of the ones used on cargo ships. This kite can propel the boat at ten knots, but it costs more than ten times as much as its smaller cousin. Both are capable of pulling the boat upwind. So far, so new. But outside the novel energy and propulsion system, the Silent 55 aims to do what many other cruising catamarans are trying to achieve. “Most of our clients order for circumnavigation and long-term cruising,” Köhler says. So the boat is aimed to be as comfortable and capable as possible with watermakers, TVs and an induction hob that all capitalise on the boat’s abundant energy. A flexible configuration allows owners the choice 
of between three and six cabins – the latter designed for charter. The owner’s cabin lies forward of the saloon, under the windows of the coachroof, which provide magnificent views and abundant natural light. There’s a walk-around bed and steps down into the starboard hull give access to an en-suite shower room and heads.

In my view, the best cabin lies aft of this, accessed in the traditional manner down steps out of the saloon. The king-sized bed lies athwartships and the shower is larger than that of the master cabin. There’s more space down here, better headroom and still plenty of light courtesy of the many hull lights.

When I had the chance to sea trial the Silent 55, albeit in motorboat format, I jumped at it. It was a contrary autumn day on Mallorca with 15 knots breeze – just a shame, then, that this wasn’t one of the sailing configured versions.

To start with, getting on board is made really easy courtesy of deep boarding platforms on the skirts. She feels rather square because of that vast, glazed saloon with its deep overhang, and perhaps because of the utilitarian nature of the hard top, which is really about supporting more solar panels. Nevertheless, the side decks are broad and uncluttered. The space up top is designed to concertina down flat, hence the hydraulic rams, fold-down seat back and lowering console. It makes a great sailing position, though, with all round visibility, and is also perfect for sundowners at anchor. When the rain comes down, this feels quite exposed, but there is a fully sheltered helm at the front of the saloon, and it is also possible to drive the boat from anywhere using a tablet thanks to smart electronics. Under power, the handling is superb. The quietness of the motors is astonishing, and I gather they’ll be inaudible on the next boat, which will do away with the gearbox. Even in the aft cabins, directly above the motors, there is no more than a distant hum. The boat responds instantly to the power and the wind seemed to have no impact at all. As with any propulsion system, the power consumption jumps as you pile on the speed – it was sobering to see. At 6 knots, both motors drew 10kW but at 8 knots it was closer to 30kW. I liked the huge saloon with its raised table for 360º views. And the sliding door and window gives great access aft, connecting the saloon and cockpit in fine conditions. The finish was smart and in muted tones, feeling more Scandinavian than German.

Intriguingly, at least it seems to me, Köhler has tapped into something with the concept behind Silent Yachts – but not entirely for the reasons that he expected. Buyers are opting for the sail or kite versions of the boat because they want a comfortable wind-powered craft with abundant, quiet energy on tap. It brings a whole new meaning to the 
term ‘powercat’

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Multihulls: owners’ experiences and reviews

They have two different boats, different sailing plans and two very different sets of experience. But what these cruisers have…

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Solar Powered Yachts

Solar panels are a fundamental element of today’s quest for responsible energy generation. Used in households, commercial facilities, and power stations across the globe, they are also a vital source of energy for solar powered yachts. With significant progress made over the last years, photovoltaic technology has emerged as the natural energy source with the most exciting growth potential.

Thanks to photovoltaic cells, solar panels absorb sun radiation to generate direct current (DC). When sunlight reaches a solar cell, it causes silicon electrons to move. This motion will start the flow of electricity that is captured by wires and directed to an inverter. Inverter technology is then used to convert it to alternating current (AC) ready to power household appliances.

The solar power systems on solar powered yachts usually consist of solar panels, batteries, charge controllers and inverters. While batteries store the energy obtained from the solar panels, charge controllers prevent batteries from overcharging. Solar catamarans with house appliances on board will usually need to convert the DC energy into AC with the help of an inverter.

Sunreef Yachts produces solar panels in-house and uses a new (patent-pending) technology to integrate them within structural components. The panels are made of the industry’s most efficient cells with a peak performance of 24%.

Thanks to the solar cells’ outstanding flexibility, Sunreef Yachts’ solar panels can be mounted on any surface of the solar powered yacht. As a result, they are integrated with various areas on board, such as hull sides, mast, superstructure, bimini roof or bow terrace to maximize energy generation.

With a thickness below 1mm and weighing around 1,8 kg per square meter (average solar panels will weigh between 8 and 15 kg per square meter), they are one of the lightest solar power systems in the world. In addition, tests have proven that thanks to their advanced integration technique, Sunreef Yachts solar panels have a very high resistance to shock and abrasion. This allows them to be used on any surface, including hull sides.

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The Best Solar Panels for Boats for Eco-Friendly Energy

Solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy source. Harnessing the sun's power is a reliable and eco-friendly way to power your boat and get where you want to go. It’s also a great backup energy source during an emergency. You can save money and reduce pollution—it's a win-win!

Solar panels are a great way to give your boat energy and power. The Renogy Solar Panels for Boats (our favorite) has panels that are compact, reliable, and built to last with corrosion-resistant aluminum frames and low-iron-tempered glass. Keep reading and learn which solar panel is right for your boat!

Our Top Picks For Solar Panels for Boats

• Best Overall: Renogy Solar Panels for Boats Shop Now ➔
• Largest Panels: Rophie Solar Panels for Boats Shop Now ➔
• Most Durable: TopSolar Solar Panels for Boats Shop Now ➔
• Most Lightweight: ECO-WORTHY Solar Panels for Boats Shop Now ➔
• Easiest Installation: Sunway Solar Panels for Boats Shop Now ➔
• Most Surface Area: EF ECOFLOW Solar Panels for Boats Shop Now ➔
• 1 What to Consider When Buying Solar Panels? 
• 4 Accessories 
• 5 How Do Solar Panels for Boats Work? 
• 6 Installation
• 7 What Are Care Requirements to Enhance the Life of Solar Panels for Boats? 
• 9 Cleaning 
• 10 What Are the Properties of Charge Controllers for Solar Panels for Boats? 
• 11 Basic charge controllers 
• 12 Mid-range charge controllers
• 13 Max power charge controllers 
• 14 Conclusion 

Can solar panels for boats run a trolling boat motor?

How long does it take for a solar panel to charge your boat’s battery, why do people consider installing solar panels for boats, related articles, the best solar panels for boats, best overall.

Renogy Solar Panels for Boats

The Renogy are 100W monocrystalline solar panels providing an average of 400-500Wh or 33-41Ah of electricity per day, so you have reliable performance. It has bypass diodes that protect the solar cells from overheating, so you don’t have to worry about maintenance. In addition, it features a corrosion-resistant aluminum train providing extended outdoor use without any extra damage.

These solar panels come with pre-drilled holes on the back so that you can install and mount them without spending money on professional help. They measure 42.2 x 19.6 x 1.38 inches and weigh 14.3 pounds, making them lightweight and convenient. Moreover, you can install them on boats, rooftops, cabins, and more for multifunctional use. Because of their efficiency and reliability, these solar panels stand at the top of our list.

• They are weather-resistant 
• These solar panels maintain cell temperature 
• Provide reliable performance
• Only compatible with Renogy ground mounts and brackets

Largest Panels

Rophie Solar Panels for Boats

The Rophie Solar Panels easily stands out on this list. Designed with impeccable efficiency, they accelerate solar charging to the next level, making it ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and off-grid boat owners. These solar panels convert sunlight into power rapidly, while their ultra-light, foldable design ensures convenience during transport and installation. Don’t let their light weight fool you, though, as they pack an impressive 200 watts, delivering unmatched power performance for your boat or outdoor camping.

These panels don’t just excel in efficiency and power; they’re also built to endure. Their IP67 waterproof grading ensures that they remain operational even under challenging weather conditions. Their high-quality MC-4 connectors further optimize power transfer while ensuring safe and secure connections. Plus, their compact design won’t take up much space, proving to be the optimal choice for boat owners who value both power and convenience.

• Lightweight and easily transportable
• Durable and water-resistant
• High-performance with 200W
• Can be a little pricey

Most Durable

TopSolar Solar Panels for Boats

The TopSolar Solar Panels are available in a kit containing 20W solar panels, a solar charger regulator of 12V/24V, two 6.5-foot cables with alligator clips, and an O-ring terminal to have a complete experience while on the go. They are perfect for off-grid 12-volt battery charging systems providing you with various DC applications like cabins, boats, battery-operated gates, and more. They come with a 10A solar charger controller preventing the battery from overcharging, discharging, and risk of short circuit for a safe experience. 

These solar panels have aluminum and tempered glass frames, ensuring a durable and weather-resistant use. Weighing 2.75 pounds and measuring 2.32 x 13.86 x 17.13 inches, they are compact and portable. 

• Easy to store and carry 
• They come in a complete kit 
• Provide excellent weather resistance
• Not suitable for large areas and machinery

Most Lightweight

ECO-WORTHY Solar Panels for Boats

The Eco-Worthy Solar Panels are 10W 12V solar car battery chargers that can be used to recharge boats, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, and tractors. They feature a cigarette plug option supplying you with constant power when needed. This kit includes a cigarette lighter adapter, one pair of battery clips, and four-piece PVC suckers ensuring maximum results in no time. 

They also have energy-saving, built-in blocking diodes that prevent reverse discharge from maintaining and extending battery life for maximum durability. It measures 1.4 x 9.6 x 15.3 inches and weighs only 1.5 pounds, so you have a compact product at hand

• They are available in a complete kit 
• These panels are lightweight and compact 
• They can recharge different types of vehicles
• Longer charging times

Easiest Installation

Sunway Solar Panels for Boats

The Sunway Solar Panels are battery charger panel mounts that require a simple installation on any windshield or dash, giving you a quick and convenient experience. They come with 12-volt batteries and a maintainer that protect your panels from overheating and discharging, ensuring safe and convenient use. In addition, these panels are equipped with ultra-clear PC glass, so you have a strong and durable product. 

They contain built-in blocking diodes that prevent reverse charging allowing your battery to maintain its useful life. Moreover, they also come with a blinking LED charge indicator that lets you know when the job is done.

• Comes with a battery maintainer
• Do not require professional installation 
• Comes with charging indicators
• Suitable to recharge small batteries only

Most Surface Area

EF ECOFLOW Solar Panels for Boats

The EF Ecoflow provides 160W foldable solar panels are designed to produce maximum power at any time of the day when paired with an EcoFlow power station, so you never run out of electricity. Moreover, they have a seamless one-piece waterproof design, so you can use them during outdoor activities like camping and hiking. 

These solar panels are also equipped with protection during transportation, enabling you to carry them without any concerns. Each pack comes with an Ecoflow 160W solar panel, kickstand case, user manual, and warranty card, so you don’t have to make any additional purchases. 

• They can be folded for easy storage 
• Comes in a complete kit
• Suitable for different outdoor activities
• Can only be paired with an Ecoflow power station

The Best Solar Panels for Boats Buying Guide

What to consider when buying solar panels .

Since solar panels are an expensive addition to your asset list, here are a couple of essentials to remember when purchasing. 

The size of panels is directly related to the size of your boat. You must get something to match the energy requirements of your boat or greater. A solar panel too small might not power it and leave you frustrated. Other than this, smaller products have less battery time which means they will turn off much quicker than something explicitly designed for the size of your boat. 

From PVC to glass covering and fully flexible panels, the type you choose determines their cost. This helps you establish your budget according to your needs. A glass-fronted solar panel is among the most budget-friendly options, but they are not as weather resistant. Besides this, a polycarbonate version is more expensive, but they are incredibly weather resistant and have a longer life. 

Accessories 

A charge controller or maintainer is an essential component available for your boat’s solar panels. This product protects your panels from battery damage. They prevent any risk of overheating, battery discharge, or sudden drops. A charge controller is essential if you want to elongate the battery’s life. Most brands also offer mount brackets, so you don’t have to purchase them separately. 

How Do Solar Panels for Boats Work? 

Solar panels for boats work just like any other portable energy provider. To install it successfully, you must have four components: the solar panel itself, charge controller, inverter, and battery. When solar panels in the boat hit sunlight, they convert it into the electrical current, supplying your boat with the required energy. 

Boat solar panels can work without a charger maintainer (controller), but there is a risk of overcharging your device. Therefore, you must keep it in place to avoid any risk of battery damage. 

The need for an inverter depends on the number of appliances that need a charge. For instance, if you wish to charge multiple devices other than the boat, consider buying a large-capacity product. 

You can opt for professional installation if offered by the brand or any other reputed company. But individuals who have the basics can do it all by themselves. However, you must make sure that all the relevant accessories are available at your convenience. 

Installation

The installation method is divided into three main stages. The first stage is to conduct an energy assessment. In this, you will determine the level of energy that your boat needs to function. Buy a panel that has a higher voltage than your requirements. This gives more room and flexibility to charge other devices. 

Check whether the solar panel can produce that level of energy. Once the capacity is determined, you can decide the exterior of your panels. In most cases, you choose between glass-fronted, polycarbonate, and fully flexible panels. 

What Are Care Requirements to Enhance the Life of Solar Panels for Boats? 

Caring for solar panels is essential as they are a long-term investment and should last accordingly.

Most solar panels are designed to last two to three decades. Caring for them is fairly simple but requires regular attention. All you have to do is keep them clean from dirt, leaves, and other obstructions. Solar panels from reputable brands always come with a warranty for a couple of years. 

Always get a professional repair from the brand in case of any damage. Even if your warranty has expired, we recommend taking your boat’s solar panels to a professional. They might cost a bit more than a local mechanic, but your panels get the treatment they require. 

Another factor to consider here is the useful life of your solar panel. This indicates that they will not be as effective as they age. The depreciation in their quality is slow and gradual. 

If your product has met the end of its useful life, it won’t stop working but will get more prone to damage. So instead of getting frustrated with why your solar panel for boats isn’t working properly, consider getting a replacement from the same brand or changing your product. 

To clean a solar panel, use lukewarm water with a mild, non-acidic detergent and apply water pressure to remove any visible dirt and debris. Panels for boats are relatively smaller, so you won’t need a lot of supply. Clean any unwanted spots with a damp cloth and leave it to dry. Avoid applying water pressure on smaller models as they might not sustain the burden.

What Are the Properties of Charge Controllers for Solar Panels for Boats? 

Charge controllers are an essential component. They help protect your panels’ battery from damage. There are three main types of charge controllers available. 

Basic charge controllers 

They use pulse width modulation to encode transmission information allowing control of the power supplied to boats or other devices. These are simple chargers that come in at an affordable price range. A primary charge controller is designed to control batteries of smaller solar panels. They might not deliver desirable results if connected with a high-capacity panel. 

Mid-range charge controllers

These controllers also use pulse width modulation but feature an LCD display to indicate current charging levels. This helps the user keep track of the system and unplug the device when it’s ready to use. 

Max power charge controllers 

Designed for high-end and powerful solar panels, they are one of the most expensive charge controllers. You should only attach them to devices recommended by the brand itself. They also maximize the performance of panels. 

Conclusion 

Solar panels are a great way to maximize energy efficiency in your boat and create a durable backup. They are available in different sizes and capacities, so you can find a suitable fit for your boat. This article carefully reviewed the most in-demand solar panels for boats in 2024 that can make a difference in your overall experience. Besides the panel, you should also grab a top-notch charge controller that protects the device from damage and enhances its life.

People Also Asked

Yes, you can run a trolling motor with solar panels, but it is essential to opt for a device that has suitable capacity.

If the panel is according to the desired capacity of the boat, it might take 4 to 6 hours for a full charge.

Solar panels reduce carbon emissions and save money by reducing fuel costs. They also reduce the noise levels caused by a fuel-ignited engine.

Article Contributors

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Best boat solar panels: 6 options for boosting your yacht’s power

• Phil Sampson

We take a look at 6 of the best solar panels for boats, from folding units to cutting-edge flexible panels

Free power forever? If only it was that simple! Photo: Graham Snook

For many in the boating community, boat solar panels represent something of a holy grail. They are, after all, the gift that keeps on giving, aren’t they? Free power forever, (or many years anyway), coupled with zero running costs – what could possibly be better than that?

All you have to do to make this dream come true is banish the memory of the purchase price from your mind – something boaters are notoriously adept at doing – and wait for the sun to shine. If only it were that simple…

The fact of the matter is that there are costs associated with boat solar panels beyond the price of the panels themselves. While some types of panels can be simply laid on the deck, in many cases some form of mount will be required.

Then there’s the wiring to hook them up to your battery, plus any fitment and/or cosmetic work needed to hide the cabling from view. If your panels are to be left connected permanently, you’ll require a regulator too.

This will prevent both overcharging and a reverse flow of power out of the battery after dark. If you do not fit a regulator, a blocking diode can be used to halt the reverse flow instead.

But once all of the above have been overcome – and providing you’ve done your homework to ensure your panels will generate sufficient power to cover your needs – then, yes, it’s a power free for all!

There are many other benefits to boat solar panels too: First and foremost, they work all on their own – solar panels are automatic, so you can just let them get on with the job.

Apart from the occasional wipe over and a wiring check, they’re largely maintenance-free too. Unlike wind generators, (especially like the one with wonky bearings on that boat moored next to you), they don’t make any noise.

And finally, your battery will be pleased, because keeping it from going flat can extend its life.

Here’s our choice of the best boat solar panels.

6 of the best boat solar panels available right now

Giosolar 1,000W flexible solar panel

Best flexible boat solar panel

Delivering a mighty kilowatt of power, (not far off the amount used by a one bedroom house), this Giostar package comprises ten separate 100W panels, each of which is 1,050 x 540 x 2.5mm in size.

Capable of charging either 12 or 24V batteries, a kit of this magnitude is one for the most serious of solar enthusiasts – Eco Experts reckons 660-990W is sufficient for a liveaboard.

Giostar panels are abrasion resistant, anti-rust and dust proof and their junction boxes are sealed and waterproof. The panels are also light, thin and flexible, and can withstand being bent up to 30 degrees.

Price: £1,464.45

Buy it now on Amazon (UK)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Mobisolar 100W foldable solar panel

Best foldable boat solar panel

Mobisolar’s foldable panels are light (4.5kg) and measure 121 x 56.5 x 3 cm when unfolded, with the longest dimension reducing to 60 cm when folded, making them easy to transport.

The panels use advanced technology to provide superior performance, with each panel subjected to a thorough testing routine before and after assembly.

So confident is Mobisolar in its products that the company stands behind its panels with a two-year defect warranty and a five years’ electrical performance warranty.

For maximum flexibility in operation, three USB power outputs are fitted per panel, one delivering 100W, the second 60W and the third 10W.

Price: £145.00

Buy it now on eBay

Eco-worthy 100W solar panel kit

With 100W panels being ideal for keeping batteries topped up, our second offering in this power class is from Eco-worthy, a major player in the solar panel field.

Competitively priced, our link below is for a kit which includes an LCD control unit and four ‘Z’ brackets in addition to the panel itself.

The Eco-worthy 100W panel is of the monocrystalline type, which means their cells are made from an ingot grown from a single silicon crystal of high purity. It’s also a rigid panel, so this particular product would need to be mounted on a frame or flat surface.

Price: £113.99

PV Logic 20W Flexi solar panel

Offered by Force 4 Chandlery, this lightweight semi-flexible solar panel comes complete with a dual battery solar charge controller.

The panel is completely waterproof thanks to its six-layer, heavy-duty laminate finish, and should a wayward crew member plod over it in their size 9s the panel’s dimpled top surface is ‘self healing’.

The controller can handle both 12 and 24V systems and the panel’s PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) charging system is efficient and battery-lifetime friendly.

Supplied with LED battery-status indicators and 4 metres of cable, PV Logic Flexi panels can be bonded to flat or curved surfaces.

Price: £149.95

Buy it now on Force 4 Chandlery

Powoxi 10W solar panel

At the budget end of the market comes this Powoxi 10W solar panel charger kit. While you won’t go far on just 10W of power, this kit claims to be capable of charging and maintaining various 12V batteries.

The kit features a fully automatic charging and maintenance controller, which provides intelligent three-level charging and protection against short- and open-circuits, under voltage and overloading.

A reverse flow system is included and the interface is described as ‘plug and play’. While the panel is rainproof, it will not withstand immersion in water, so this is a product to perhaps leave behind on the dock when you take to the water.

Price: £27.59

Eco-worthy 10W/5W solar panel

The least pricey option we could find anywhere, this baby 5W solar panel is simply a trickle charger. But if that’s all you need then look no further, for this is another Eco-worthy product.

The technology in the panel is polycrystalline, so it’s not the most efficient on the market, but for this power that’s hardly a great concern.

The panel is supplied with two charging options; a pair of crocodile clips which attach directly to the battery, and a cigarette lighter plug.

According to the product’s eBay listing, this seller alone has sold approaching 3,000 of these units – and at this price, we can understand why!

Price: £9.99

Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

Boat solar panels: Everything you need to know to get started

• David Berry
• October 13, 2021

Want to add some boat solar panels, or wonder how to make the most of those you already have? David Berry has some advice...

While it seems like a good idea to mount a panel on the coachroof the chances of it becoming shaded are increased. Here the mast or rigging can easily throw a shadow over at least part of the panel, seriously reducing its output. Photo: Catchlight Visual Services/Alamy

Keeping batteries topped up without resorting to running the engine is an ongoing problem for yachtsmen. Boat solar panels are an obvious option, not just in the Med but also around the coasts of the UK as the price of panels has fallen over the years.

But choosing them can seem a bit of a black art: after all, how can you possibly predict how much sun you’re going to get during the season, or how much power your panel will produce if it’s not exactly aligned with the sun? But provided you accept a statistical approach using established databases, then prediction is easier than you think.

Ultimately the only thing we need to know is the conversion efficiency, or, how much sun turns into electrical power. NASA do a trick: they use multi-layer panels where each layer responds to a different wavelength so the usual 20% or so is doubled.

Article continues below…

Battery maintenance for boat owners: How to look after your boat batteries

For all but the smallest and simplest of craft a reliable supply of battery power is essential to keep both…

What is insolation? How much power is reaching my boat’s solar panels?

The sun is 93 million miles away, give or take. Packets of energy called photons leave it and travel at…

And there is a new material called Perovskite which is also used to provide an overlay on the standard silicone panel and the tandem panel is claimed to convert up to 28% of the sun’s energy into electricity.

Don’t rush though, when I looked on Amazon for one I discovered even the books describing it cost around £100! The panels themselves seem to be still in development.

How much energy does my boat need?

The first step is to work out your boat’s energy requirements. All you have to do is add up all the energy in watt-hours used by each device on your boat, such as the fridge, lights, computers and so on.

Energy is power accrued over time, so if power is measured in watts, energy is watt-hours. This can be tricky, for example how long is your fridge running for? And how about overnight? How much energy do the instruments take? Or your computer?

You can measure the power by measuring the Amps and Volts and multiplying them together to get Watts, but somehow you need to come up with a table similar to the one below. Once you have your energy requirements worked out, I suggest you add a goodly margin for expansion and errors – at least 10%.

Energy requirement for Aderyn Glas over the course of a day. ‘Current’ is Amps. ‘Duty’ is the portion of the day the (12V) appliance is powered up. eg Fridge 4A x 12V x 12hr = 576Wh

Next, you need to decide how much of this requirement should be met by the boat solar panels. We sail our Moody 33 Aderyn Glas throughout the summer season from our base in Preveza, Greece, so our requirements are essentially those of liveaboard sailors.

We want the panels to be able to supply most of our power needs and allow us not to have to ruin the peace of a quiet anchorage by running the engine simply for charging.

Weekend sailors might be content with a small panel to recharge – over the course of a week – the energy used during a weekend’s sailing. Getting the balance right is important, especially if you want to install enough boat solar panels to more or less cover your power requirements.

David Berry’s Moody Eclipse Aderyn Glas has boat solar panels mounted on a stern gantry where shadows are greatly reduced

But will you get the quoted wattage from your panel? If the panel is a 100W panel, will you get 100W? Panels are rated as the electrical power produced under certain strict test conditions, and these are solar irradiation (called insolation) of 1,000W/m2 at 25°C and an atmosphere of a particular clarity. Do we ever get these conditions in practice? Well, yes, we do, but life is never that simple – in this article I explain about how to assess the real insolation over the course of a day in your chosen location.

Types of boat solar panel

Leaving aside the exotic new Perovskite panels, there are three types that you might consider – a choice that hasn’t changed in years.

There are amorphous panels (good in shady conditions but large for any given wattage), printed panels (manufactured with an inkjet printer but really low conversion efficiency) and crystalline panels either poly- or mono-crystalline.

The smaller amorphous panel is 15W and the larger crystalline panel is 100W. So the larger panel is approximately twice the area, but seven times the power

What type of boat solar panels should I fit?

This question is a bit of a red herring – in reality, the question should be ‘How much space do I have?’

The academic drive is to make panels that are more environmentally friendly, both to make and dispose of, and to reduce the cost per watt.

But ironically this has resulted in a much poorer conversion efficiency generation by generation, which is not helpful to sailors with a small area available to mount the panels.

These panels are printed on a continuous inkjet printer with the idea that they can effectively be an endless strip. The problem with that, though, is the current can build up and eventually burn out the connecting cables. Furthermore, they are no good for yachts because the conversion efficiency is so low so you’d need a battleship in order to have enough space!

So, back to the first generation: crystalline panels come in mono- or polycrystalline species, but they only differ slightly in cost per watt and efficiency.

Added to the mix is the flexibility aspect: flexible panels require a bit of clever manufacture, and this is passed on in higher prices.

Many sailors think flexible panels are a solution because they can be mounted on the deck or coachroof or even the bimini but I’ve not considered them because all those places seem to suffer from shading, more of which later.

A hypothetical energy balance. The red line is the clear-sky power that the panel could provide during daylight. The blue line is the power your boat requires. Light blue is surplus energy, where the panel is outputting more than the load, and dark blue is where the load is greater than the panel can deliver. When night falls, the boat’s energy needs have to be met by the battery. In daylight, the battery becomes a load for the panels as it is charged. The green line is a notional illustration of the state of the battery; it winds downwards when there’s a shortfall and upwards when there’s a surplus available for charging. In winter, the load profile will be different and the captured power will be lower.

So does this mean the default starting point for any installation is a rigid, crystalline panel? In short: yes!

Where should I install my boat solar panels?

If you’re just fitting a small panel to top-up batteries on a mooring, buy a cheap rigid panel and find places on your boat where you can tilt it to catch the sun’s rays for the majority of the day.

We do this during the winter in Greece, where we strap on 20W or so of car battery top-up panels, and it works well for us. Choose a spot that isn’t shaded for the majority of the day and this technique should serve you well.

Do the sums. I have heard of people whose batteries have been damaged by a constant high power being applied to an already charged battery, even through a regulator. My rule of thumb for trickle-charging is a panel wattage about 10% of the battery’s stated amp-hours, but that’s a guess.

Aderyn Glas is fitted with two monocrystalline panels which are rated at 100W apiece – they take the same space previously occupied by amorphous panels which could only muster 75W between them

If you spend more time on board and need to get the best from your panels, mono- or polycrystalline panels will give more power from the same space. We replaced our 75W bank of amorphous panels with 200W of monocrystalline panels in the same area.

But with the higher efficiency comes higher sensitivity to poor mounting conditions, so if you want the best from your panels you need to do your utmost to ensure they’re not shaded, and also that they are tilted as close to a right-angle to the sun as possible. This is why liveaboards often mount theirs on adjustable gantries at the stern or on the pushpit.

Intrinsic losses

Let me just revisit this: the relationship between the nominal power of a boat solar panel and what you really get. When the manufacturer quotes, for example, 100W for a panel, that is the expected output under test conditions.

Choose your site carefully – this coachroof panel will be shaded by the boom, reducing its output by a considerable margin

The test conditions are an insolation of 1,000W/m2 at 25°C. So a typical panel of half a square metre will receive 500W of insolation, then we multiply by the efficiency of 22% or 0.22 and you get roughly 100W. So if you get a sunny day that insolates your 100W panel at 1kW/m2 then you have the potential to get 100W output for a short time around solar noon.

But the energy over 24 hours will be below this owing to the declination of the sun over the course of the day. This can be partly remedied with a tracking panel, but as the sun declines the light has to pass at a more oblique angle through the atmosphere, hence losing power.

The insolation will also be affected by your latitude, and by any form of shading or scattering from atmospheric dust, haze or cloud. Another important intrinsic loss is that heat reduces a panel’s output by about 5% for every 10°C rise in temperature greater than 25°C. For this reason, it’s quite possible to get a higher output from a boat solar panel in cooler northern latitudes than on the Equator!

This is the comparison between an MPPT controller and a PWM type over a 30 minute periodSo you see what I mean when I say the question is all about how much space you have: the default option should be a crystalline panel because it has the best watt per unit area coupled with price per watt, and we only need to deviate from this simple first-generation solution if other factors are important.

Cost and efficiency

Since we’re only talking about crystalline panels the efficiency is always going to be around 20% and the cost less than £1/Watt.

There are a large number of suppliers out there now but I should stick to the well known names such as Kodak, Polaroid, LG, Panasonic and Victron.

For suppliers I would look at Amazon (of course) or, in the UK, Midsummer Energy which stocks not just panels but all the cables and bits you will need to fit them.

Victron MPPT controller

Other boat solar panel system losses

Losses in cables are proportional to the square of the current. The equation is P=(i x 2) x R where ‘i’ is the current in amps, R is the resistance in ohms and P is the power lost in watts. The voltage gradient from the high voltage at the panels to the lower one at the regulator is fixed by the cable resistance and current (Ohm’s law), which is in turn set by how sunny it is and the power required.

But the resistance is a matter of design. To minimise cable losses and prevent potential cable overheating, large-core cables are needed. Resistance is also proportional to the length of the cable, so long cables need to be even fatter than short ones. I tend to use car speaker cable which is fat and can insulate the 12V we need.

Of all the possible ways to lose power from a panel, this is the most significant. On a crystalline panel, even the stripe of a rope’s shadow can wipe out a huge amount of the potential output power. Why is this? The individual cells in a crystalline panel are wired in such a way that a cell which is in shadow and not producing will act as a sink for the power produced by the other cells it’s wired to, with the result that virtually no power escapes from the panels as a whole.

You must have a regulator. The job of the regulator is to throw power away. It does this to ensure the power passing on to the batteries or services is not too great for them to handle. Normally it does this by controlling the amount of power passing through it and hold the output voltage at some predetermined value such as the float charge voltage of 13.4V.

The value of the power it passes depends on the current required by the load: the sum of batteries, lights, fridge and so on that are sucking the current from the panels. If the fridge is on, for example, more power will flow through the regulator and it will throw less power away as heat.

Most common, older regulators use a pulse width modulation (PWM) system which is more efficient than simply controlling the output voltage. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) devices provide more usable power by seeking the panel’s optimum power voltage although they are expensive.

Chief among the suppliers is Victron (avoid the so-called MPPT types from ebay, they are almost certainly not MPPT controllers). And if you have the room it might be better to spend the money on a larger boat solar panel than on an MPPT controller. This is what we’ve done on our canal boat, settling for a PWM type.

To the boat solar panel, the regulator is part of the load – a consumer of power – which is why the entry to the regulator is an appropriate place to measure the voltage and current if you want to see exactly how much is being generated by the panels.

What power do I really get from boat solar panels?

If you do the sums, the unavoidable losses on a new panel operating at 65°C (measured in full summer sunlight in Greece) are going to be in excess of 20% from the temperature increase alone. Our example 100W panel is therefore only putting out 80W, and that’s only for a few hours.

If you really need every scrap of power then you need to find a way to keep the panel cool, and you need to invest in an MPPT regulator. As the panel gets older its performance will drop off even more. All a bit depressing, isn’t it?

I have to say, though, that in our particular installation on Aderyn Glas we regularly get more than 10A from our 200W panels, and our highest recorded value was 170W, which suggests that these loss figures are conservative.

In reality, with a well set-up installation you can expect to get a maximum of 75% of the power you would expect from a continuously insolated panel operating at its rated power.

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Adding Solar Power to a Sailboat

• By Emily Fagan
• Updated: October 18, 2019

During our nearly four-year cruise of Mexico, my husband, Mark, and I lived almost exclusively on 555 watts of solar power charging a 640-amp-hour house battery bank. We anchored out virtually every night aboard our 2008 Hunter 44DS, Groovy , and relied on the sun for power. During one 10-week stretch, while we waited for a replacement engine alternator to arrive, our boat’s solar panels were our sole source of power. We had no backup charging system to turn to, and yet we lived and sailed comfortably the entire time. Mounting solar panels on a sailboat was not difficult, but a few key decisions made a huge difference in how effective our panels were.

A solar-power installation on a sailboat is made up of two independent systems: one system to charge the batteries, and another system to provide 120-volt AC power for household appliances. In the charging system, the solar panels convert sunlight into electrical current and deliver it to the batteries via a solar charge controller. Similar to a voltage regulator, the charge controller acts as a gatekeeper to protect the batteries from receiving more current than they need as they are being charged. In the AC power system, an inverter or inverter/charger converts the 12-volt DC power in the battery into 120 volts AC whenever it is turned on.

Panel Positioning and Wiring Considerations

One of the biggest challenges for sailors installing solar power on a sailboat is finding a place on the boat where the panels will be shaded as little as possible. Just a few square inches of shade on one panel can render that panel all but inoperable. Unfortunately, between the mast, radome, spreaders and boom, shadows cross the deck all day long, especially as the boat swings back and forth at anchor.

What’s worse, if the panels are wired in series rather than in parallel, this little bit of shade can shut down the entire solar-panel array. When we installed solar power on Groovy , we had already lived exclusively on solar power in an RV for over two years. Our RV solar panels had been wired in series, and we had witnessed the array shutting down current production when just half of one panel was shaded.

Choosing whether to wire the panels in series or parallel on a boat affects the wire gauge required, which is why many solar-power installers lean toward wiring the panels in series. Panels wired in series can be wired all the way to the solar charge controller with a thinner-gauge wire than those wired in parallel. This is because the voltage of panels wired in series is additive, while the current remains constant, so the current flowing is just that of a single panel. In contrast, the current flowing from panels that are wired in parallel is additive, while the voltage across them is not. This means that in a parallel installation, the current going to the charge controller is several times higher and requires much thicker cable to avoid any voltage loss over the length of the wire.

Not only is thinner-gauge wire less expensive, but it is also more supple and easier to work with, making the job of snaking it in and around various crevices in the boat and connecting it to the solar charge controller much less of a struggle. Thus the choice between series and parallel wiring boils down to a trade-off between system performance, expense and ease of solar system installation.

Luckily, the size of the wire can be reduced if higher-­voltage solar panels are chosen. Since watts are determined by multiplying volts by amps, a higher-voltage panel that generates the same watts as a lower-voltage panel will produce less current. Therefore, selecting nominal 24-volt panels instead of 12-volt panels allows for the use of thinner wire sizes no matter how they are wired.

Our Marine Solar Panel Design Choices

In our installation, we decided to mount three 185-watt, 24-volt (nominal) Kyocera solar panels high above the cockpit, well aft of the boom, as far away as possible from potential shade. Our Hunter came with a big, solid stainless-steel arch, and we turned to Alejandro Ulloa, a brilliant metal fabricator at Baja Naval Boatyard in Ensenada, Mexico, to build a polished stainless-steel solar-panel arch extension onto the existing structure. He designed the arch extension with integrated telescoping davits to hoist our dinghy as well as support the solar panels. These davits were strong enough — and the lines and blocks had enough purchase — that either of us could lift our light Porta-Bote dinghy with its 6-horsepower outboard without a winch.

We spaced the panels about a half-inch apart and wired them in parallel. Using two twin-lead wires, we snaked the three positive leads and one common ground down through the inside of the arch tubes so they wouldn’t be visible, and placed wire loom over the exposed wires under the panels.

The junction points for the three parallel panels were on positive and negative bus bars inside a combiner box, all mounted in a cockpit lazarette. Inside the combiner box, we installed three breakers, one for each panel. This gave us the ability to shut off any or all of the panels if we needed to (we never did).

We mounted a Xantrex solar charge controller (model XW MPPT 60-150) in a hanging locker, as close to the batteries as possible, in a spot where it was easy to monitor and program. We ran twin-lead wire from the combiner box to the charge controller and from there to the batteries.

Our boat came with three new 12-volt Mastervolt 4D AGM house batteries, all wired in parallel, for a total of 480 amp-hours of capacity. We wanted a bigger house battery bank, and because it is best for the age, type and size of the batteries to be matched, we added a fourth new Mastervolt 4D AGM house battery, which brought our total to 640 amp-hours. Our batteries were installed at the lowest point in the hull, below the floorboards, and they ran the length of the saloon, from just forward of the companionway stairs to just aft of the V-berth stateroom door.

The best way to charge a bank of batteries that are wired in parallel is to span the entire battery bank with the leads coming from the charge controller. We did this by connecting the positive lead from the charge controller to the positive terminal of the first battery in the bank, and the negative lead from the charge controller to the negative terminal of the last battery. By spanning the entire bank, the batteries were charged equally rather than having the charging current focused on just the first battery in the bank.

We feel that AGM batteries are superior to wet cell (flooded) batteries because they can be installed in any orientation, don’t require maintenance, can’t spill (even in a capsize), and charge more quickly. Our Mastervolt batteries, like almost all AGM batteries on the market, are dual-purpose, combining the very different characteristics of both deep-cycle and start batteries. Our batteries work well, but if we were doing an installation from scratch today, we would consider the new Trojan Reliant AGM batteries. These batteries are engineered strictly for deep-cycle use and have been optimized to provide consistent current and maximize battery life.

Our boat came with a Xantrex Freedom 2,500-watt inverter/charger wired into the boat’s AC wiring system with a transfer switch. The inverter/charger performed two functions. While the boat was disconnected from shore power, it converted the batteries’ 12-volt DC power into 120-volt AC power, allowing us to operate 120-volt appliances, like our microwave. When the boat was connected to shore power, it charged the batteries.

Because this inverter/charger was a modified-sine-wave inverter, mimicking AC ­current with a stair-stepped square wave, we also had a 600-watt pure-sine-wave inverter to power our potentially more sensitive electronic devices. We chose Exeltech because its inverters produce an electrical signal that is clean enough to power medical equipment, and they are NASA’s choice for both the Russian and American sides of the International Space Station. For simplicity, rather than wiring the inverter into the cabin’s AC wiring, we plugged ordinary household power strips into the AC outlets on the inverter and plugged our appliances into the power strips. Like the charge controller, the inverter must be located as close to the batteries as possible. Ours was under a settee.

Shade’s Impact on Sailboat Solar Panels

Once our solar installation was completed on our sailboat, we closely observed the effects of shade on our solar-panel array. We were often anchored in an orientation that put the panels in full sun. Just as often, however, we were angled in such a way that shade from the mast and boom covered portions of our panels. It was fascinating to monitor the solar charge controller’s LCD display whenever the sun was forward of the beam — the current from the panels to the batteries fluctuated up and down as we swung at anchor.

Taking notes one morning, we noticed that the charging current was repeatedly creeping up and down between 9.5 and 24.5 amps as the boat moved to and fro. When the entire solar-panel array was in full sun, it generated 24.5 amps of current. When we moved so the mast shaded a portion of one panel, the array generated 15 amps. When it shaded portions of two panels and only one was in full sun, the array produced just 9.5 amps. Of course, it would have been preferable to see a steady 24.5 amps all morning, but this sure beat watching the current drop to zero whenever a shadow crossed a panel.

We discovered that shade makes a huge impact while sailing, too. Surprisingly, it is far worse to have the panels shaded by the sails than to have the panels in full sun but tilted away from its direct rays. One afternoon, we noticed that while we were on a tack that tilted the panels away from the sun, they generated 24.5 amps of current, whereas on a tack where the panels were tilted toward the sun but two of the three were partially shaded by the sails, the current dropped to a mere 10 amps.

Reflections On Our Solar Panel Installation

A wonderful and surprising side benefit of our large solar panels and arch system was that the setup created fabulous shade over the jumpseats at the stern end of the cockpit. Our metal fabricator, Alejandro, placed a support strut at hand-holding height, and sitting in those seats feels secure and comfortable while sailing, no matter the conditions.

After living on solar power for eight years of cruising and land-yacht travel, we’ve learned that you can never have too much solar power. Groovy’s 555 watts was enough to run all our household appliances as needed, including our nearly 4-cubic-foot DC refrigerator, two laptops, a TV/DVD player, and lights at night. However, it was not quite enough power to run all that plus our stand-alone 2.5-cubic-foot DC freezer during the short days and low sun angles of the winter months without supplemental charging from the engine alternator every few days. For the 10 weeks that we did not have a functioning alternator, our solution was to turn off the freezer, which enabled our batteries to reach full charge every afternoon.

Solar power made a world of difference in our cruise. Not only did it allow us to live comfortably and with ample electricity for weeks on end when our engine alternator went on the blink, but as a “set-it-and-forget-it” system, it also gave us the freedom to anchor out for as long as we wished without worrying about the batteries. In our eyes, the solar-panel arch enhanced the beauty and lines of our boat, giving her a sleek and clean appearance. It was true icing on the cake to discover that the panels and arch system also provided much-needed shade over the cockpit and helm from the hot tropical sunshine. If you are preparing for a cruise, consider turning to the sun for electricity and outfitting your sailboat with solar power.

The Installation:

Emily and Mark Fagan offer cruising tips and share their stories and photos on their website, roadslesstraveled.us . They are currently enjoying a land cruise across America aboard an RV.

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Solar Learning Center > Solar Panels for Home > Solar Panel Installation Process > Solar Panels For Boats and Yachts Solar Learning Center > Solar Panels for Home > Solar Panel Installation Process > Solar Panels For Boats and Yachts -->

Solar Panels For Boats and Yachts

By Michael Olenick | Jul 26, 2022

The purchase of a boat or a yacht is a coveted purchase for many people. While it certainly adds a new dynamic to one’s life, it’s not the most straightforward investment since maintenance is a huge component of owning a sea vessel. Other than the physical maintenance of your boat, fuel management and maintenance is often a logistical nightmare for many boat owners. Some of these problems include keeping batteries topped off; doing it quietly, as not to bother the surrounding communities; and refueling costs. An easy solution to these problems: solar panels.

Sizing a Solar System for Your Boat or Yacht

• Refrigerator(s)
• Radar & sonar units

When adding up your energy consumption, always round up and add about 10-15% extra Watt-hours to your total, as certain appliances tend to use up more energy during spring and summer months. Once you reach the conclusion that you are ready for a further discussion, you can always reach out to a solar panel expert to get solar quotes, help with your energy calculations, and aid in determining the right number of panels you would need to offset your yacht or boat’s energy usage. Obviously, the number of panels you would need depends on energy usage and vessel size, but solar is a much better option than common fossil fuels when powering your boat.

The Benefits of Adding Solar Panels To a Boat or Yacht

When it comes to adding solar panels to your boat, the benefits are endless. Here are just a few for you to consider:

• Silence: Noisy refueling at docks and extremely loud on-board generators are a thing of the past. Cruise the seas in with zero mechanical noises, and enjoy the natural ocean sounds.
• Minimal Maintenance: The only maintenance solar panels require is a simple rinse off every couple of months, as salt can build up when the seawater evaporates.

• Travel Lightly: With your new panels, you won’t have to lug heavy containers of fuel with you on your trips. More room for wine or martini mix.
• Unlimited Energy: Aside from the occasional cloud in the sky, you will have full access to the sun on the open seas.

Besides the affordability and convenience, solar panels could inevitably save your life. You will never have to worry about running out of fuel when you are out on the water. This will help you avoid any potential emergencies or disasters.

Solar Panel Placement

This is where most caution needs to be taken. When choosing where you are going to place your solar panels on your yacht or boat, you need to take two big things into consideration: shading and security.

When it comes to shading, you want to make sure you place your panels in an area that receives the most sunlight. Having your boom shade some of the panels, or any lines can reduce your energy production. The wiring of solar panels can also be delicate. That is why you need to place your solar system in the most secure spot possible – rough seas or choppy waters could lead to a wire shaking loose.

If you’re longing to make a maintenance upgrade to your nautical vessel, a solar system should be seriously considered. Not only will it reduce noise, weight, and fueling costs, but it will differentiate your boat from all the other vessels at your next port.

Whether you have questions about panel placement, efficiency, or just if your boat is right for solar, please click here to speak to an expert!

Solar Panel Installation Process

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We're often asked the question, "How many solar panels do I need?"  It's important to size the right solar system for your yacht, but as "roof space" is often limited it may also be a case of maximizing it with solar panels . 

This is where Maxeon cell technology excels, with their high efficiency solar cells it means more power in less space!

Based on our time and experience sailing, on short trips and living at sea, we have created a Power Usage Chart below.  You can see more details on what each system could power on your weekend or live aboard sailing adventure.  Create your own power usage table and see what your power needs are aboard your own yacht then choose the number of solar panels accordingly.

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Rooftop solar has a fraud problem. The industry is working to build back trust

A crew installs a solar array on the roof of a home in Frankfort, Ky., in 2023. Michael Conroy/AP hide caption

PHILADELPHIA — The solar power industry is booming and that growth helps the world meet its climate goals by replacing fossil fuels . But an emerging problem in the U.S. solar business that installs panels on homes risks slowing the effort to cut the country’s emissions.

Customer complaints against the country’s residential rooftop solar industry have increased dramatically in recent years. One-star ratings on Solar Reviews increased more than 1,000% since 2018. Across the country, prosecutors are investigating high-pressure sales tactics and misleading financing arrangements. Some customers say they were victims of fraud and forgery. This threatens rooftop solar’s impressive momentum . Now, some solar companies are working to repair the industry’s reputation.

Thinking about rooftop solar? 4 things to consider and how to protect yourself

“There have been a lot of shady business practices in residential solar. And I think it's hurting the market,” says Micah Gold-Markel, who founded the company Solar States in 2008. He says the solar industry started with, “hippies who looked at the idea of getting electricity from the sun and had very pure intentions” and wanted to make that clean electricity available to everyone.

But now Gold-Markel says larger companies with more of a profit motive have introduced questionable sales and financing practices that are hurting the industry’s reputation.

Even prosecutors who are investigating companies across the country say a good idea has been corrupted.

“We think that having rooftop solar is good for the environment and does save people money. We don't want people deceived, though,” says Adam Welle, a lawyer with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office who is pursuing a case against solar financing companies.

Beyond the industry’s reputation, real people – many of them already financially vulnerable – have been hurt.

“I will die before I could pay this off”

Ninety-one year-old Emanuel Minto’s Northeast Philadelphia house has a tidy front yard, where the Jamaican immigrant proudly flies an American flag. On his roof there are solar panels. They generate electricity but also have become a source of frustration for the retired machinist.

In December 2022, Minto says a door-to-door salesman approached him about a government program to help senior citizens save on their electric bills.

“Well, everybody wants a cheaper electric bill, right?” Minto says.

“‘This program is going to cost about $20,000 out of your pocket, but don’t worry about it, you’re only going to pay about $100 a month,’” Minto says the salesman told him. The cost would be over 20 years, and Minto says the salesman told him it would cut his electric bill in half. “So I said, ‘Well, that would be good.’”

Emanuel Minto, 91, stands outside his Philadelphia home, where he says a salesman created an email address and then forged his name on an electronic contract for solar panels. Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption

But there was no such government program, and the monthly payments ended up being four times what Minto says he was promised. “I will die before I could pay this off,” Minto says.

Minto didn’t have a computer or an email address and says the salesman created an email and then forged his signature onto an electronic contract.

“Him sit right here,” says Minto, referring to the salesman and pointing to a chair on his enclosed front porch, “and said, ‘This is your email address and this is your password.’” Minto says he never saw or signed an electronic contract.

According to a lawsuit filed against the companies involved, the contract was discovered later when Minto’s granddaughter got access to the email. His attorney says the only messages in the inbox were from the solar installer and the financing company.

“I wish I could say it was surprising,” says Andy Milz, an attorney who specializes in solar fraud and who is representing Minto. “We've seen so much of this.’”

Milz says as part of the loan, a lien was placed on Minto’s paid-for home to secure a nearly $50,000 loan. “Part of the scam here, especially when it comes to elderly consumers, is to strip equity from their homes – to steal their nest egg from them.”

Why the U.S. government is spending $7 billion on solar for low-income homes

The salesman no longer works for the solar sales company Graysquare Solar. Owner Tim Koontz disputes many of the facts in the case, though he confirms the salesman created the email address. He says there are safeguards in place to prevent what Minto claims happened. And he accuses the elderly Minto of scamming him.

“I feel like I'm the one being defrauded. I feel like this is a hustle to try and get money,” Koontz told NPR. He says the case likely will bankrupt his company.

Milz says Graysquare Solar didn’t even appear in court to defend itself, “Actions speak louder than words.”

The finance company involved in the Minto case, Solar Mosaic, said in an email, “We dispute the allegations and cannot comment further due to pending litigation.”

Milz says in cases of fraud, he generally tries to get mandatory arbitration clauses voided and move the case to a regular court before a jury. But that process could last years and given Minto’s age, he’s pursuing arbitration to get it resolved as quickly as possible.

Milz says he’s handled more than 100 cases like this, and he’s part of a loose network of attorneys around the country who specialize in fraudulent solar sales.

As complaints against solar companies mount, state attorneys general are also getting involved.

Complaints grow faster than installations

In online forums like Reddit , there’s a constant stream of complaints and requests for help from dissatisfied residential solar customers. Part of the reason is that many customers who feel victimized don’t know where to turn.

“There's not really one place for consumers to complain to,” says Jenifer Bosco, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center. “If they do have a problem with solar companies, they can complain to the Federal Trade Commission. They might complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, they might complain to their state AG's office.”

That makes it difficult to identify the exact number of complaints against residential solar companies. But it’s clear the number of dissatisfied customers has increased faster than the industry’s healthy growth rate.

Complaints to the Federal Trade Commission’s ReportFraud.ftc.gov that contain the word “solar” increased four-fold over as many years. One-star ratings on Solar Reviews increased more than 11-fold. That is much higher than the two-and-half-fold increase in residential solar installations.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently warned solar customers about hidden fees, and misleading statements about the financial benefits of solar.

“The Minnesota Attorney General's Office, like a lot of AG's offices, has received a large volume of complaints in the last few years from consumers about misleading, deceptive, high pressure tactics by certain companies selling rooftop solar panel systems,” says Adam Welle, assistant attorney general.

In July, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong sued SunRun, and two smaller companies it worked with, alleging deceptive, unfair and illegal sales of solar power systems.

“The complaints we have seen—including forged signatures, impersonations of consumers, non-permitted work, and non-functioning systems—are beyond shocking,” Tong said in a statement .

In one case, the complaint says sales people signed a household up for a 25-year solar lease even though a father and daughter had both said no to the proposal. Tong’s office says the sales people used a false signature on an electronic contract and impersonated the customer on the phone.

Bright Planet and Elevate Solar, two firms sued by Tong’s office, did not respond to NPR requests for comment. SunRun says in a statement to NPR, “In these instances, the sales representatives and installation crews allegedly did not meet our expectations, which we are addressing through the lawsuit and otherwise.”

Rooftop solar panels installed on homes in Folsom, Calif. in 2020. This segment of the solar industry has grown more than 5,000% in just the last 15 years, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption

Minnesota is suing firms who finance solar power systems for homes. The case alleges that four lending companies deceived customers with hidden, upfront fees in exchange for lower interest rates.

“It's misleading people about the price of the system and misleading people about the price of financing,” says Assistant Attorney General Welle. “People have a right to know what are the costs of all these things involved. What's the cost of the system [and] what's the cost of me taking out a loan.”

One of the companies, GoodLeap, wrote in a statement to NPR that these fees are used in several industries, including auto financing.

“The practice is regulated by the Truth in Lending Act, which GoodLeap complies with, and we look forward to demonstrating our compliance in court,” wrote Jesse Comart, chief marketing and communications officer.

The three other companies being sued by the Minnesota AG, Dividend Solar Finance, Sunlight Financial and SolarMosaic, disputed the allegations but declined to comment specifically on the allegations.

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In some cases Welle reviewed, he says the fees are so high they violate Minnesota’s usury law, which caps interest rates on loans.

Statistics from solar marketing firm EnergySage show that for the last half of 2023, fees for the most popular loan averaged 47% of the cost of a rooftop solar panel installation. That can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a solar panel system.

“We never had a dealer fee that high. That would have made me sick,” says Gold-Markel. He says his firm Solar States stopped offering loans with hidden upfront fees. “There were all sorts of restrictions that the lenders were putting on us, where we couldn't talk about the dealer fees, which is absolutely crazy.”

Raising residential solar business standards

Gold-Markel is among a few installers around the country involved in a cooperative called Amicus Solar . It pools resources for independent solar companies so they can compete against the large ones. It also requires members to follow certain business practices.

“We're treating our employees fairly. We're looking at the supply chain and saying, are there unethical things happening in the manufacturing side of things? And we're trying to stay away from forced-labor solar panels, that sort of thing,” Gold-Markel says.

Micah Gold-Markel founded the company Solar States in 2008. He says the solar industry started with, “hippies who looked at the idea of getting electricity from the sun and had very pure intentions.” Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption

For lending, Amicus members steer customers toward lenders, like Clean Energy Credit Union in Colorado, that don’t offer programs with hidden upfront fees.

Others in the solar industry have signed onto a service called Recheck , which will allow “companies to vet sales partners, prevent poor practices by unregistered salespeople, and identify individuals with a history of consumer protection violations who try to move from company to company.”

While Recheck’s registry isn’t intended for consumers, anyone who has a sales person’s Recheck identification number can look them up.

A technician installs a solar energy system at a home in 2018, in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. Across the U.S. solar power is booming and that helps the country meet its climate goals by replacing fossil fuels. Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo/AP hide caption

A new federal program, called Solar for All , offers solar to low-income households. To avoid “unscrupulous characters,” the Environmental Protection Agency plans to fund efforts to create lists of reputable solar installers who participate in the program.

And the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is taking on the reputation issue by developing standards member companies can agree to follow.

“We want to make sure that there are no exploitative or unfair sales practices happening in our industry,” says Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA president and CEO.

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The accredited standard will outline training requirements for solar salespeople and ensure customers have the information they need to make an informed decision.

“They [the standards] will have important rules around disclosing all the information about how you compare energy prices, how you talk about savings with regard to solar installation, what the long-term benefits are [and] what the long-term costs may be,” Hopper says.

SEIA is currently accepting comments on the proposed standards and expects to finalize them this Fall.

“Solar is the most popular form of energy and we are very committed to keeping it that way,” Hopper says.

Considering roof top solar? Here's what to consider and how to protect yourself

Solar energy breakthrough could reduce need for solar farms

Scientists at Oxford University Physics Department have developed a revolutionary approach which could generate increasing amounts of solar electricity without the need for silicon-based solar panels. Instead, their innovation works by coating a new power-generating material onto the surfaces of everyday objects such as rucksacks, cars, and mobile phones.

This ultra-thin material, using this so-called multi-junction approach, has now been independently certified to deliver over 27% energy efficiency, for the first time matching the performance of traditional, single-layer, energy-generating materials known as silicon photovoltaics. Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), gave its certification prior to publication of the researchers’ scientific study later this year.

‘During just five years experimenting with our stacking or multi-junction approach we have raised power conversion efficiency from around 6% to over 27%, close to the limits of what single-layer photovoltaics can achieve today,’ said Dr Shuaifeng Hu , Post Doctoral Fellow at Oxford University Physics. ‘We believe that, over time, this approach could enable the photovoltaic devices to achieve far greater efficiencies, exceeding 45%.’

This compares with around 22% energy efficiency from solar panels today (meaning they convert around 22% of the energy in sunlight), but the versatility of the new ultra-thin and flexible material is also key. At just over one micron thick, it is almost 150 times thinner than a silicon wafer. Unlike existing photovoltaics, generally applied to silicon panels, this can be applied to almost any surface.

‘By using new materials which can be applied as a coating, we’ve shown we can replicate and out-perform silicon whilst also gaining flexibility. This is important because it promises more solar power without the need for so many silicon-based panels or specially-built solar farms,’ said Dr Junke Wang , Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions Postdoc Fellow at Oxford University Physics.

The latest innovations in solar materials and techniques demonstrated in our labs could become a platform for a new industry, manufacturing materials to generate solar energy more sustainably and cheaply by using existing buildings, vehicles, and objects. Henry Snaith , Professor of Renewable Energy, Oxford University Physics Department.

The researchers believe their approach will continue to reduce the cost of solar and also make it the most sustainable form of renewable energy. Since 2010, the global average cost of solar electricity has fallen by almost 90%, making it almost a third cheaper than that generated from fossil fuels. Innovations promise additional cost savings as new materials, like thin-film perovskite, reduce the need for silicon panels and purpose-built solar farms.

‘We can envisage perovskite coatings being applied to broader types of surface to generate cheap solar power, such as the roof of cars and buildings and even the backs of mobile phones. If more solar energy can be generated in this way, we can foresee less need in the longer term to use silicon panels or build more and more solar farms’ Dr Wang added.

The researchers are among 40 scientists working on photovoltaics led by Professor of Renewable Energy Henry Snaith at Oxford University Physics Department. Their pioneering work in photovoltaics and especially the use of thin-film perovskite began around a decade ago and benefits from a bespoke, robotic laboratory.

Oxford PV, a UK company spun out of Oxford University Physics in 2010 by co-founder and chief scientific officer Professor Henry Snaith to commercialise perovskite photovoltaics, recently started large-scale manufacturing of perovskite photovoltaics at its factory in Brandenburg-an-der-Havel, near Berlin, Germany. This is the world’s first volume manufacturing line for ‘perovskite-on-silicon’ tandem solar cells.

‘We originally looked at UK sites to start manufacturing but the government has yet to match the fiscal and commercial incentives on offer in other parts of Europe and the United States,’ Professor Snaith said. ‘Thus far the UK has thought about solar energy purely in terms of building new solar farms, but the real growth will come from commercialising innovations – we very much hope that the newly-created British Energy will direct its attention to this.’

‘Supplying these materials will be a fast-growth new industry in the global green economy and we have shown that the UK is innovating and leading the way scientifically. However, without new incentives and a better pathway to convert this innovation into manufacturing the UK will miss the opportunity to lead this new global industry,’ Professor Snaith added.

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6 Best RV Solar Panels and Kits

Best expandable solar rv kit.

Renogy 100-watt solar kit + 30-amp charge controller + cables

If running a solar system to power electrical items in your RV is new to you, and you want to try it on a small scale, this 12-volt kit is ideal. The Renogy name has a superb track record in the field, and this kit comes with an oversized 30-amp charge controller. A charge controller is essential with every photovoltaic system that uses batteries. It governs the amount of power going to the battery so it lasts as long as possible.

With this kit, all you need to do is add a battery to enjoy DC power without firing up a generator. Add an inverter to the system if you need AC power to run small appliances and charging equipment. At 100 watts of peak output, this solar kit can recharge a 100-amp-hour battery from 50 percent discharged to 100 percent in six to eight hours. Not crazy-fast, but you can add additional panels later if you want a faster charge time. The basic 30-amp charge controller that comes with this kit offers room to expand your system. It can safely handle an additional 260 watts of solar panel output.

Best Basic Solar RV Kit

XINPUGUANG 200 watt kit + 20 amp charge controller + cables

In addition to offering energy output that’s more than adequate for a small RV system, the solar panels in this 12-volt kit are physically flexible enough to conform to the curved roof of an RV for mounting. Each kit also comes with cables to connect the photovoltaic panels to the basic 20-amp charge controller, plus other cables to connect the charge controller and the battery. Although adequate, the charge controller that comes as part of the kit offers no capacity for additional photovoltaic panels if you want to add any for faster recharging times.

Best Large, Complete Solar RV Kit

WindyNation 400 watt + 30 amp charge controller + 1500 watt inverter + AGM battery + cables

This is a big, complete, 12-volt RV solar power kit that includes everything you need to get up and running. WindyNation has a long track record in the off-grid energy world, and this kit comes with four 100-watt photovoltaic panels.

The 1,500-watt inverter that’s also part of the kit is large enough to provide 120 volts of AC power for fairly high-draw items such as an electric kettle, a microwave or a clothes iron. If you want more peak power than this you’ll need a larger inverter. Although the charge controller that comes with this system has no excess capacity to accommodate additional panels, the 400 watts of peak solar power is large enough to satisfy most RVers.

Best Small Solar RV Kit

ECO-WORTHY 200 watt + 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter+ 20 amp charge controller + cables

This kit includes everything you need to generate 12-volt DC and 120-volt AC power. Just add one or more batteries to the system and you’re ready to go. Although the inverter can only put out a maximum of 1,000 watts of AC power, the pure sine wave power output is clean and suitable for safely powering the most sensitive electronics.

(“Pure sine wave power output” refers to the quality and cleanliness of electrical output. Modified sine wave inverters cost less but can’t be used to power electronics.)

RV owners install systems like this to handle small electrical loads such as lighting, charging and small-scale cooling, leaving the big power demands to a gas-powered generator . The non-flexible solar panels come with mounting clips. And the charge controller has a particularly easy-to-read screen so you can easily monitor battery voltage and charge state.

Best Micro Solar RV Kit

ACOPOWER 50 watt panel + 5 amp charge controller + cables

This economical, compact kit has a great track record in the field. It’s made for people who want solar power only for small-draw applications such as charging phones and energizing a few LED lights. If you’ve already got decent generator support for your RV and just want something to provide basic power that’s silent and fume-free, this kit is worth a look.

The panel itself weighs only 10 pounds and measures a compact 26-1/2 in. x 21-3/4 in. x 1-1/2 in. Although you’ll need to buy and connect an inverter to your battery to get 120-volt AC power output, the charge controller itself has a USB port for direct charging of phones, lithium booster batteries and anything else that uses a USB cable.

Best Flexible Panel Solar RV Kit

Giosolar 200 watt kit + 20 amp charge controller + cables

This kit includes physically flexible solar panels that can be mounted on the curved roof of any RV. In addition to what’s included with the kit, you’ll need to add a battery to make this a functional system that delivers DC power. If you also want 120-volt AC power, you’ll need an inverter in your setup.

Any solar panel will only deliver its rated wattage output under ideal conditions, so gauge your expectations accordingly. The 200-watt panels in this kit can recharge a 200-amp-hour battery bank from 50% to 100% during a typical day of RV driving in sunny conditions. For what it’s worth, the Giosolar panels also come with a 25-year output warranty.

How many solar panels do I need to fully power my RV?

The amount or size of solar panels you need to power your RV depends on how much you are powering within your vehicle. If you’re looking to power a small fridge along with a few other small appliances, 100 watts will suffice. If your RV has a large fridge, air conditioning, an electric stove and other large appliances, you may need closer to 500 watts of solar power.

We recommend starting with the Renogy solar kit mentioned above. It will allow you to gauge how much energy you need to run your RV and add more panels if needed. Also,  take into account how much sun your solar panels will be exposed to. Thoroughly read product descriptions to help you find the most efficient option.

Should I use mounted or portable RV panels on my RV?

Think about how much energy you’re looking to source from solar, how often and where you travel and the size or shape of your RV when considering purchasing mounted or portable solar panels. Mounted RV panels typically come with equipment to permanently install them on the roof of your RV. They are more durable and made to withstand the elements since they will be outside all season. Portable RV panels fold up for easy storage and are built to be taken down and set up again at each new site you travel to. They can withstand light wind and rain but are not built to be set up outside permanently.

What other equipment will I need to use solar panels on my RV?

Depending on the kit you buy, you may also need to purchase a battery for energy storage, an inverter, a charge controller to help the battery last longer and a battery monitor to alert you when the charge is low. Thoroughly read the product description of the solar panel you’re looking to purchase before getting any of these additional pieces of equipment. Many times these items are included in the kit with the panels.

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Ukraine's parliament approves ban on Moscow-linked religious groups

Verkhovna rada approved the bill on tuesday with 265 affirmative votes and only 29 opposed, making explicit ban on russian orthodox church, seen as aimed at ukrainian orthodox church.

The approval of the legislation comes more than a year and a half after it was first endorsed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and underwent multiple revisions | (Photo: Reuters)

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How to improve power management on a yacht

• August 21, 2024

Mike Morgan offers advice on how to improve power management on a yacht and preserve precious amps for those that like their home comforts

I confess, I’m not a marine electrician, and my understanding of boat electronics is at best rudimentary, but I’ve now been managing my boat’s power generation and consumption for three seasons and have developed an approach which seems to work well. Hopefully, you will find some of the following advice useful when it comes to managing your own yacht’s energy needs.

Every boat has its own particular balance of power generation and demand, so my system may not work perfectly for you, but it might help you start managing your precious amps a lot more effectively.

My wife Debbie and I sail up to nine months a year around the Med, predominantly lying at anchor. We avoid marinas and use our generator infrequently, to help save the planet and our budget.

I won’t address power needs whilst under sail here, as it’s not relevant to our cruising profile. Clearly, if you’re taking on an Atlantic crossing , then you’ll need to consider the power demands from your navigation equipment, lights and auto pilot.

We bought our pride and joy, Spirit, a Bavaria C57, brand new in 2021, and made several upgrades in an attempt to achieve the holy grail of self-sufficiency at anchor. We opted for 800 amp hours (Ah) hours provided by lithium batteries that weigh less than a single 150Ah lead acid battery.

Because lithium offers roughly twice the capacity of lead acid, that’s equivalent to 16 100Ah lead acid batteries with a combined weight of just over a third of a ton. Given Spirit’s generous beam, we’ve been able to accommodate four 420W solar panels, giving a potential maximum of 1,680W.

A few of the electrical galley appliances aboard Mike’s Bavaria C57 and the wattages that similar products might draw off your battery if you have an inverter

State of charge

The amount of electrical power you have available is all about batteries. Boat batteries are usually measured in amp hours (Ah) – the total number of amps devoured in one hour of use. So, a 120Ah battery will, theoretically, deliver 120A for one hour or 1A for 120 hours. But, of course, this is a little simplistic.

If you have lead acid batteries, you must never completely discharge them, unless you want to replace them regularly. Lead acid batteries should never be discharged below 50 per cent, so the practical Ah they really offer is half the theoretical Ah rating. In the above example, 60 hours at 1 amp would be the limit before you had to recharge the battery. Typically, the state of a battery’s charge is monitored by volts or a shunt battery monitor.

Knowing the state of charge of your batteries is critical to managing your power needs.

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I replaced our Bavaria’s standard 240Ah of domestic lead acid batteries with 800Ah of lithium batteries. The advantage of a lithium battery is its light weight. And, unlike a lead acid battery, it can be run down to a much lower charge. The downside is that lithium batteries have been known to explode.

To avoid this, they need to be paired with a battery management system, which is best left to a professional, who knows what they are doing, to install.

Oceanvolt lithium batteries aboard a Feeling 32

Charging sources

A standard ‘off the shelf’ mid-size production boat is likely to be fitted with a 60A battery charger which is used by the boat’s generator, if it has one, or when shore power is plugged in. The engine will also have an alternator which will typically produce between 35 and 60A of charge, depending on the size of the engine.

Assuming a 60A charge source, the batteries will receive 60A of charge in one hour. So, to put it very simplistically, if you have, as I do, 800Ah of lithium batteries and they are at 50 per cent, to charge them up to capacity would take 6.6 hours (400 amps divided by the charging source of 60 amps equals 6.6 hours).

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as that. For example, there are various charging states – bulk, absorption and trickle (also known as maintenance or float) – and different types of batteries with different ratings, but I have kept it as simple as possible here for the purposes of explanation.

If you don’t have shore power (when at anchor, for instance), or don’t have a generator, the alternative is to run your engine for six hours under light load, which is not good for the engine and won’t win you many friends nearby who are trying to relax and enjoy a peaceful sundowner.

Mike’s customised electrical control panel

Battery charger

Increasing the size of your battery charger will speed up the process of charging from both a generator and shore power. I opted to fit a 120A charger and a 3kW inverter for my 240V appliances. There is always the option to beef up the engine alternator to feed a hungry family of batteries, but again, this means the boat engine needs to run for prolonged periods of time.

The 9kW Paguro 9000 generator I fitted produces a lot more power than we ever need. The generator powers both the 240V ‘ring main’ and the battery charger. However, the battery charging will be limited by the power rating of the charger, which in my case is 120A.

Four solar panels on Spirit’s stern arch produce a maximun 1,600W

Renewable energy

Renewable energy for boats is either wind, hydro or solar. I opted for solar on a custom-made stern arch. I fitted four 400W panels, which produce a theoretical maximum output of 1,600W at 12V or, in amp speak, 133A.

Like lithium batteries, the voltage and charge from solar panels needs to be managed, so each panel is equipped with an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller to ensure the batteries are getting the right amount of charge when the sun is shining. The next conundrum was to get all this in perfect balance based on the boat’s power consumption.

The stern arch was custom-built to support the solar panels

Background noise

I started by building a spreadsheet to calculate the various power ratings of my many onboard electrical appliances. However, this isn’t simple as you must calculate the power demand of each appliance, estimate how long you will run it for, and when you will run it.

You then need to map this over time to calculate a theoretical power demand and how much power you need to be generated. Estimating the power output from my solar panels alone became a headache: calculating the assumed number of ‘sunny’ daylight hours, the angle of the sun, solar panel efficiency, and when the next solar eclipse would be! So, like all people with limited brain capacity, I gave up.

I decided, instead, to take a more pragmatic approach. The first thing I did was to measure the ‘background noise’ of my boat; that is, the power being consumed whilst at anchor and not running any major appliances.

It turned out to be around 200A, which is very high; but then I do have three fridges, a deep freeze and more internal lighting than Blackpool Illuminations.

The time it takes to recharge my batteries once the sun has dragged itself up to the right angle differs dramatically based on which way the boat is lying. If my stern is exposed to the sunny side my batteries will fill to the brim in a few hours. However, if my bow is facing the sun, it takes a lot longer.

On an average day, we are at 100 per cent by midday or early afternoon, leaving a good four or five hours of surplus power generation for running more critical systems.

Air-con is a battery power ‘killer’

We have a lot of power consuming paraphernalia on board, for example the kettle, coffee maker, hair dryer, microwave oven, and so on, but I ignore these when it comes to power management as they are used randomly and are never on for long.

However, we do have several appliances that are critical to our power management, including a washing machine, water maker, ice maker and water heater. All of these have high demand and can run for long periods of time. I also have air-conditioning which can be run off the inverter, but I prefer to use fans and open hatches to keep the temperature tolerable when we are at anchor. Air-con is a battery power killer and is best left to when shore power is connected or the generator is running.

Our Bavaria came with a built-in utility room, so we decided to fit a full-sized washer-dryer, which has proven to be our favourite upgrade.

For this equipment I simply use a rota and allocate a specific day to run either water production, laundry, ice making or water heating. We do laundry once a week without using the drying function and relying instead on nature’s outside dryer, which does tend to lower the tone of an idyllic anchorage.

The water maker produces 60 litres an hour and I typically run it for around four hours, which will then keep us going for several days. I fit in ice-making and heating the water at other times.

Having guests on board who insist on having a shower every time they go for a dip off the swimming platform requires the water maker to be run most days. Inevitably under these circumstances I lose the battle of consumption versus generation and will need to resort to running the generator.

We chose a Schenker Smart 60-litre-per-hour, 12V water maker rated at 20A, which enables free freshwater production all day long thanks to Spirit’s cluster of four solar panels.

I always delay this until my battery charge is showing 30 per cent or less in the morning. At that point I will run the generator for three to four hours, which is enough to get my batteries back up to around 70-80 per cent, and then let the solar panels take over.

When I run the generator, I take advantage of the surplus power it produces by running as many devices as possible: I make water, run the air-con and heat water. Never waste any of those precious amps! I find that I run the generator, on average, every eight to 10 days when we’re on our own and every four to five days when we have guests.

Batteries can be easily distributed around a yacht

Before increasing the capacity of your service battery bank you need to calculate your total power requirement by multiplying the amperage of all the equipment by the period of time it will be run over a charge cycle (usually 24hrs).

Tally up the amp hours and then double the result (to allow for not going below 50 per cent of your charge capacity). Then add another 20 per cent to ensure you will always have enough to spare.

If you already have separate engine start and service batteries but want to add further service batteries, they should all be of the same age, type and capacity (Ah rating) to the first. It’s best to create your service bank from a number of smaller batteries and then link them together to achieve the total voltage and capacity you require.

If you’re planning to install a large bank (500Ah or more), it is often better to use 6V cells for this as these allow a large deep-cycling bank to be created, while still having the ability to move them around easily or distribute them evenly over a greater area.

Create an improved service bank by connecting a number of smaller batteries

Stay in charge

Once you’ve decided on the battery type, make sure you have enough charging power to fully charge them between cycles. As a rough guide you will need to be able to bulk-charge the bank at a minimum of 10 per cent of its rated capacity (ie. 20A for a 200Ah battery).

However, 20 per cent is a better figure to aim for if you’re looking to fully recharge over one night in a marina. Modern AGM (absorbent glass mat) style batteries can usually take a greater charge than wet lead-acid type, although gel cells require a more particular regime if they are not to be damaged.

Chargers (both mains and alternator regulators) should be of the multi-stage type, with bulk, absorb and float stages. This allows the batteries to be rapidly charged until they reach around 90 per cent charge, then the charge voltage drops to attain the final part of the charge more slowly, keeping temperature (and hence internal resistance) down, and eliminating gassing.

A smart battery monitor will allow you see your state of charge and remaining capacity

Temperature noticeably affects a battery’s ability to give out and absorb charge. The colder a battery gets, the greater the power required to charge it fully. For this reason, always fit a charger or regulator with a temperature sensor that will automatically compensate for these differences.

Most power devices produce a trickle charge, and are used to keep the engine battery topped up. However, if you’re planning to install a powerful (5A+) wind or water generator, or a large solar array, then you’ll need to install some sort of voltage regulator to prevent overcharging. This can vary, from a small solid-state switch for small solar panels, to a large dump resistor that dissipates excess charge from a wind generator through heating up a wire-wound resistor.

Monitoring your batteries

The easiest way to ensure your batteries are kept in tip-top condition is to observe their state of charge every day you’re on board, using a modern ‘smart’ battery monitor. This will give you a real-time display of the current going in and out, the state of charge (SOC), and the remaining capacity available. They also often have alarms to warn you when the voltage is dropping dangerously low, or if too high a charge is being applied.

A rough idea of the SOC can be attained using a voltmeter, but this is not particularly accurate and can indicate a false condition when recently charged or under a heavy load. It’s far better to install a monitor that has a shunt, which measures current flow over time and can calculate the available charge capacity remaining much more precisely.

Hydrogenerators, like this Remoran Wave 3, will quickly recharge a yacht’s batteries underway

Optimising solar power

The efficiency of solar panels can be compromised by saltwater and long-term exposure to UV and high temperatures. Good regular maintenance will improve a solar panel’s performance.

Clean your solar panels early in the morning, while they are at their coolest, as cleaning them when they are warm or exposed to direct sunlight can cause internal thermal stresses.

Use distilled or deionized water to avoid the formation of mineral stains or deposits on the surface of the panels, and avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive solvents that could scratch the photovoltaic cells. Let the panels air-dry or use soft cloths, and make sure no water residue is left. Check regularly for cracks, breaks or loose connections.

Hydrogenerators

Hydrogeneration has become a great deal more efficient in recent years. It’s a very simple concept: the yacht’s motion through the water turns an alternator on the transom-mounted hydrogenerator which generates electricity to recharge the boat’s batteries. Achieving 300Ah each day is a realistic expectation when cruising at 7-8 knots.

Oceanvolt’s High Power ServoProp 25 electric saildrive

Main prop regeneration

You can also use your main propeller to ‘regenerate’ electricity whilst under sail by using a parallel hybrid propulsion system where an electric motor is installed alongside the engine. Lynch Motors in Devon has supplied its systems to Vendée Globe boats for years, purely as a re-generator, and now produces a Red Snapper electric motor for cruising yachts.

The only problem with a regeneration system is that the pitch required for the propeller to drive the boat efficiently through the water may not always be the same as the pitch for optimum regeneration. Manufacturers have tackled this in different ways.

Oceanvolt has developed its ServoProp for saildrives, which electronically adjusts its pitch depending on speed and function. The latest incarnation allows total 360° blade mobility and faces forwards, increasing efficiency: at six knots, it produces an eye-watering 1kW of power.

Bruntons has another solution with the cleverly engineered Autoprop, which automatically pitches up to match the boat speed. Its Ecostar version of the prop can generate 200W at five knots and up to 1kW at 10 knots when connected to an electric motor.

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Australia approves world's 'largest' solar hub

The $24b suncable project, which would power three million homes and export energy to singapore, gets environmental approvals.

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Published: Wed 21 Aug 2024, 5:14 PM

Australia on Wednesday approved plans for a massive solar and battery farm that would export energy to Singapore, a project dubbed the "largest solar precinct in the world".

Authorities announced environmental approvals for the US$24 billion SunCable project in Australia's remote north that is slated to power three million homes.

The project, which will include an array of panels, batteries and, eventually, a cable linking Australia with Singapore, is backed by tech billionaire and green activist Mike Cannon-Brookes.

"It will be the largest solar precinct in the world -- and heralds Australia as the world leader in green energy," said Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

It is hoped that energy production will begin in 2030.

The 12,000-hectare project will provide four gigawatts of energy per hour for domestic use. Two more gigawatts sent to Singapore via undersea cable will supply about 15 percent of the city-state's needs.

Batteries would be able to store about 40 gigawatts

SunCable Australia's managing director Cameron Garnsworthy said the approval was "a landmark moment in the project's journey".

Despite Wednesday's green light, numerous approval processes remain, including working with Singapore's energy market authority, Indonesia's government and Australian Indigenous communities.

"SunCable will now focus its efforts on the next stage of planning to advance the project towards a final investment decision targeted by 2027," said Garnsworthy.

Australia is currently one of the world's leading exporters of coal and gas, but has also been ravaged by the effects of climate change — from intense heat to floods and bushfires.

Although Australians are among the world's most enthusiastic adopters of household solar panels, a string of governments have been slow to fully embrace renewables.

In 2022, renewables made up 32 per cent of Australia's total electricity generation — compared to coal, which contributed 47 per cent, according to the latest government data.

Climate Council chief executive officer Amanda McKenzie said the new solar hub was a bold step in making Australia a "clean energy powerhouse" and that such projects were essential in "delivering affordable energy and slashing climate pollution".

"With the closure of coal-fired power stations on the horizon, Australia needs to accelerate the roll-out of solar and storage at every level-rooftops, large-scale projects, and everything in between," she said.

The project would also be a significant step for Cannon-Brookes', who has expanded his portfolio from software company Atlassian — which he co-founded — to the renewable energy space, including being the latest shareholder in AGL Energy.

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