One Large Or Multiple Solar Panels Cruising Sailboat

So i m wondering what the disadvantages are of using a single large solar panel instead of several smaller ones within the same general footprint.

One large or multiple solar panels cruising sailboat. Here s the scoop on our solar power installation on a sailboat sailboat britican. 2 out of 10 adding a permanent panel to the stern railing. 6 out of 10 adding two panels to a dodger or radar arch. My question is if it is best to go for 2 or 3 small panels 100 150w each or one big panel 300 w.

There is a switch in the positive wire between the solar panel and the controller. Brendan john o reilly december 4 2019 at 11 26 pm. I am purchasing a 10m x 5m houseboat and i wish to have solar panels controller batteries and inverter. Adding a solar trickle charger to your car rv or boat.

My appliances will be washing machine standard size fridge split air con unit 12 volt lights toaster kettle microwave and tv. A solar power installation on a sailboat is made up of two independent systems. They usually have aluminum frames allowing for easy and sturdy mounting options. Rigid solar panels rigid panels are the most efficient durable economical shade tolerant and have the longest lifespans.

The two solar panels are wired in parallel using an mc4 t branch connector if one panel is shaded the other panel will still provide full power to the controller. When living in a house you turn on a switch or press a button and things work. One system to charge the batteries and another system to provide 120 volt ac power for household appliances. Having multiple solar panels also allows you to have smaller panels which tend to get in the way less.

The smaller panels would likely be easier to handle and position at the expense of more complex wiring and mounts roughly 1x 5m or 4x2ft. 4 out of 10 adding an electrical system monitor to your boat. If you need 200w a day then you could have three 90w solar panels on different parts of the boat and be covered power wise even on different tacks. 4 out of 10 adding a charge controller to your installation.

We are five years into our liveaboard lifestyle and we still cannot say we are experts about the power systems on our boat. In the charging system the solar panels convert sunlight into electrical current and deliver it to the batteries via a solar charge controller. The electrical requirement for lighting vhf and refrigeration to keep a few drinks cold would drain our batteries. But it has been enough time for us to determine that a solar power installation was in need.

The drawbacks can be the weight windage and awkwardness of a square panel on a curvy boat. Best marine solar panels for sailboats power boats and yachts for keeping the batteries charged updated 3 2018 keeping our batteries charged was a never ending problem while cruising on our catalina 34 sailboat. The cheapest watts dollar solar panels seems to be the large ones in the neighborhood of 300 watts and that the more panels the more complex the wiring and mounting needs be. We are thinking of going solar with a plan to install 300w in panel capacity although at this time that is probably more than i need.