So you are out on the hook enjoying another beautiful, sunny day on the water.
Laying out on deck, enjoying a nice cold beverage, and reminding yourself just how lucky you are.
You go below to get another cold one and you notice that the fridge is eerily quiet.
You quickly check the voltmeter and you feel a sinking sensation in your stomach.
Sound familiar? Well these situations can be avoided with marine solar panels because they can give you power while on the hook.
Solar power generation is becoming increasing more popular with powerboaters and sailors alike.
It is a free energy solution that if coupled with an inverter can provide limitless power to top off your batteries, run your appliances, and keep power to essential navigation and communication devices.
As with anything associated with "marine" there are certain considerations that must be taken into account when designing and installing a solar energy system for marine use versus a normal residential installation due to the corrosive elements boats are exposed to.
Due to the increasing demand for solar panels, a lot of chandleries both local and online carry a wide variety of ready made systems that start around $900 and can go up to as much as you need to customize.
But if you are remotely handy with tools, this makes a great weekend DIY project that can save you literally hundreds if not thousands of dollars which can either go towards fuel or keeping the rest of the boat maintained.
In order to determine the size panels required for the system, simply add together the total wattage consumption of all your essentials.
In other words, how many watts does the fridge, GPS, television, etc take to keep running.
Multiply this number by how many hours they will be running and then divide it by 2.
This will give you your wattage requirements.
Once you have figured out the size of the system it is now time to make the determination to either purchase a kit or do it yourself.
I would advise additional research to help in the decision making process.
Laying out on deck, enjoying a nice cold beverage, and reminding yourself just how lucky you are.
You go below to get another cold one and you notice that the fridge is eerily quiet.
You quickly check the voltmeter and you feel a sinking sensation in your stomach.
Sound familiar? Well these situations can be avoided with marine solar panels because they can give you power while on the hook.
Solar power generation is becoming increasing more popular with powerboaters and sailors alike.
It is a free energy solution that if coupled with an inverter can provide limitless power to top off your batteries, run your appliances, and keep power to essential navigation and communication devices.
As with anything associated with "marine" there are certain considerations that must be taken into account when designing and installing a solar energy system for marine use versus a normal residential installation due to the corrosive elements boats are exposed to.
Due to the increasing demand for solar panels, a lot of chandleries both local and online carry a wide variety of ready made systems that start around $900 and can go up to as much as you need to customize.
But if you are remotely handy with tools, this makes a great weekend DIY project that can save you literally hundreds if not thousands of dollars which can either go towards fuel or keeping the rest of the boat maintained.
In order to determine the size panels required for the system, simply add together the total wattage consumption of all your essentials.
In other words, how many watts does the fridge, GPS, television, etc take to keep running.
Multiply this number by how many hours they will be running and then divide it by 2.
This will give you your wattage requirements.
Once you have figured out the size of the system it is now time to make the determination to either purchase a kit or do it yourself.
I would advise additional research to help in the decision making process.
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