How do I install a solar system on a sailing boat?
Hey guys,
So I own a saling boat and I want to put a solar power system on it. I was wondering if the system is similar to residential systems. Also, how do I install it?
Thanks
Comments
nate,
The solar PV system on a boat is totally different than that of a residential system. First of all, you are using DC current to power up your boat, unlike the AC current in the house.
Secondly, the boat has batteries which are hard to find in a normal house unless it's a offgrid cabin. You can use the batteries to store the power.
Lastly, you have less energy consumption but also less available space to put your solar modules.
Briefly,
You are going to need "solar panels" that are mounted safely on the boat. The panels are going to charge your "batteries" through a "charge controller". If you need any AC power on the boat (eg. for your laptop), then you'd need an "inverter" to convert the DC power on the battery to AC power.
Comments
nate,
The solar PV system on a boat is totally different than that of a residential system. First of all, you are using DC current to power up your boat, unlike the AC current in the house.
Secondly, the boat has batteries which are hard to find in a normal house unless it's a offgrid cabin. You can use the batteries to store the power.
Lastly, you have less energy consumption but also less available space to put your solar modules.
Briefly,
You are going to need "solar panels" that are mounted safely on the boat. The panels are going to charge your "batteries" through a "charge controller". If you need any AC power on the boat (eg. for your laptop), then you'd need an "inverter" to convert the DC power on the battery to AC power.
There is a very basic article here:
https://www.greentechrenewables.com/resource/components-grid-systems
Here is an image I found on the samlexsolar website. The application on a boat is very similar to an RV.