How To Install Shore Power On A Boat

Marine solar panel installation

article updated: January 2022

In this commodity, I provide elementary instructions for mounting solar panels on sailboats or powerboats.

When I starting time started sailing, I frequently found myself stranded at sea with a dead battery and no way to start my diesel engine. This is not fun or condom... I was using too much electricity and dragging my 12 volt battery down below ten volts.

Finally, while sailing north to Alaska, I fixed this problem past installing this bones, solar panel boat organisation.

This gunkhole is at present docked in Mexico! With this help of this solar panel, I navigated my boat into the Sea of Cortez.

I love the thought of people generating their own energy - so I'm thrilled to see that thousands of people visit this page each yr.

I installed the post-obit gear up-up a few years ago, and everything is still working bully (information technology'due south at present 2022 as I update this article). I update this page each year, to brand sure all my recommendations are accurate and relevant.

Beneath, I'm writing basic 'Do-Information technology-Yourself' instructions to install solar panels for boats. All parts total cost me well-nigh$240, which is a smashing price to mount solar ability on your boat. And it should be noted that I haven't skimped on quality, all the gear I utilise is well-respected, long-lasting stuff.

If you lot programme it correct, you tin have this project finished in one weekend

Ok, a few quick disclaimers:

I am writing the following instructions for boat people or RV campers.
I describe a basic set up that provides a charge onto your 12 Volt DC battery bank.
If you want to utilise this organisation to power your abode, then yous'll likewise need an inverter to switch the 12 Volt DC electricity to 110 Volt Air conditioning.

The gear up I describe is perfect for keeping batteries topped off while you lot're disconnected from shore power. This means that while yous're out fishing, sailing or anchored out for the evening - you can run your electronics (prison cell-phone charger, navigation lights, stereo, cabin lights, bilge pump, depth-finder, GPS ext...) and still have enough power on your batteries to start the engine and become you home.

Ok, here's my simple DIY instructions for solar installation on a boat or an RV camper.

How to install solar panels for boats

my thirty watt solar console on the stern railing of my boat

Step by stride guide for installing a solar panel boat system

First I list a quick summary on how to put this together. Details will follow after these instructions.

one. Mount your panel on your stern rail (come across photos/details below).

2. Adhere marine class copper wires to the panel. These are DC wires for a 12 Volt system, so you need 2 sets of wires (black and red). Blackness (negative) and blood-red (positive). If this set-up is for a RV camper then y'all don't need to spend more for these marine form wires.

three. Run the wires into the main cabin (this ordinarily ways drilling a small pigsty in the cockpit).

4. Attach the wires to a solar panel controller (come across photo beneath)

5. Attach a new set of the same style of marine grade wires from the controller to your battery.

half-dozen. The reddish (positive) goes on the Positive last, the black (negative) goes on the Negative concluding.

7. Crack a beer and relax while the lord's day tops off your batteries!

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FAQ: What size panel should I get?

When I was planning what gunkhole solar gear to buy, the consensus stance was that a 30 watt console was sufficient for my gunkhole. My electrical needs are considered 'light'. My electronic guru friend in Seattle pointed me to the 30-Watt Solar Console featured in the photograph to a higher place.
Size-wise, it's meaty (13x24 inches), which is nice, since it doesn't take upwards much infinite on the stern runway.

In regards to the ability my 30 watt supplies...

If you lot average 5 hours of sunlight/day X 30 watts = 150 watt-hours per twenty-four hours.

or...

You can as well call up virtually energy in terms of current (Amps.)

A 30W panel will give you near 1.8 Amps for 5 hrs a 24-hour interval. That is 9 Amp hours a twenty-four hours.

(sunlight hours volition vary based on weather conditions)

I have used my 30W panel in Seattle and San Diego, and so the whole range of sun/deject conditions and the thirty watt output has provided enough juice for me to use my electronics (stereo, GPS, depth-finder, cabin lights, cell phone charger, ext.) and keep my battery banking concern topped off.
(I've got two 12 Volt batteries in my battery banking company, a deep cycle and a starter).

FAQ: Which brand of solar console is best?

Now, in regards to what panel to install... there's currently a bunch of loftier quality solar panels on the market place. The industry is changing pretty fast, panel technology/efficiency keeps improving. Before this yr, Jan 2022, as I was updating this page, I surveyed my boat and RV friends to see what panel they similar best right now. Peradventure 80 percent of them said they still similar the Renogy panels. These panels are rugged, which is adept for boats, they withstand stormy weather condition. Plus you get a loftier quality console (Amp. output) for the price.

If you're similar me, a 'light' free energy user, then get with the Renogy thirty Watt Solar Panel

Now, that said, many boaters would fall under 'moderate' energy users. These folks would want to run some kitchen appliances, possibly some fans, perhaps a h2o heater, ext...
In that case, go with a 100 watt console. Their 100 Watt Solar Panel is the preference for mid-size boats with moderate amperage needs.

Campers/RV or folks who have an off-the-filigree cabin likewise seem to like this model.

Size-wise, the 100 watt panel is but nigh 45 inches by 20 inches. So, it should fit fairly well on your stern track or RV rooftop.

And....if you want fifty-fifty more than juice from the sun, so get a pair of these 100 watt panels and wire them together. Each panel yields 100 watts, so mount 2 for 200 watts total. Last month I helped a friend put a 100 watt on his 38 human foot sailboat. We mounted it on the railing that sits on superlative of his canvas dodger (over the cockpit). He'due south happy with the output. Nosotros used the compatible solar panel mounting subclass prepare to lock the panels onto his boat.

Here's the 100 watt panel on Amazon.

FAQ: Do I need a controller?

Yes. The controller is necessary for controlling the charge coming off the panel. Information technology is a pocket-sized circuit panal that is installed between the solar panel and your batteries. It enables the charge to be fed to the batteries at the right levels. Information technology also prevents your batteries from leaking accuse dorsum out to the panel and it also prevents over-charging the battery. You demand a controller, its

not

optional.

Information technology's a unproblematic device, just it'due south critical and you want a good quality controller. My guy at Fisheries Supply in Seattle told me to go with the Morningstar SunSaver-x, Charge Controller, 12V. I've had information technology in use for 6 years and it's worked flawlessly for me (run into photo below).
In that location'due south no moving parts here, its just diodes and fixed circuits. When the dominicus is shining, you get a green LED light on the top of the controller (run across photograph). This indicates that charge is going onto the batteries.
I'grand expecting this controller to last me another 10 years. As you lot tin meet, it mounts hands inside your boat with 4 stainless steel screws. I placed mine correct in a higher place my chart tabular array.

the SunSaver-10 controller mounted in my cabin

Here'south a link to that controller.

FAQ: How did yous mount your panel on your stern track?

DISCLAIMER: Every panel design will crave a slightly unlike mountain. The Renogy panels I mentioned higher up come with their ain mounting brackets. This is probably preferred since their mounting brackets are just 15$.

But, evidently I similar to do things the difficult fashion. I went the 'Do-it-yourself' route and built my ain mounting brackets to fit my stern rail. If you desire to do what I did, here'south how I did it.

My console has an aluminum rail on the perimeter. Drill holes in this rails and adhere two aluminum flats to serve as a center mounting runway. Adhere these strips of aluminum with stainless bolts and nuts. To foreclose galvanic corrosion (aluminum touching steel) use plastic washers. Then, attach these white plastic rail mounts to the new aluminum flats (or something similar). The dazzler of these plastic rail mounts is you can adjust their tightness on your boat's stern rail. Therefore, you can push the panel around it's centrality and so that the console is facing the sun throughout the 24-hour interval.

the backside of my solar panel showing stern rail mounts

FAQ: How exercise you wire upward the panels/controller/battery?

Okay, let's assume your console is at present mounted.
Next thing is, connect the panel to the controller (the controller will exist installed inside the boat).

Get yourself some Marine Grade copper wire. Get at to the lowest degree thirty feet of blackness and thirty feet of red. These are the marine wires I use....

If you're doing this install in a RV or motel, relieve some money and exercise Not buy the marine grade wires/terminals. You don't need it, just get the regular stuff.

marine course copper wire for 12 volt DC electronics

Decide which terminals are best to use and attach wires to the bottom of the solar unit of measurement. There should exist a contact box with a surrounding waterproof lid on the underside of the panel. To protect the circuit you lot tin can add together a fuse on the positive wire, but downstream of solar panel.

Then I use plastic zip ties to snug upward the wires to the runway and downward to the cockpit. Then observe a small pigsty in your cockpit (or drill a small-scale hole) and run the wires into the interior of your boat.

zip ties snugging upwardly the wires to continue them from getting fouled

Okay - the residue is simple. Atomic number 82 the wires to the mounted controller, then attach the incoming wires to the ' Solar + and - ' screws (See photo).
And so adhere a new gear up of wires on the ' Bombardment + and - ' screws. Run the battery wires to the bombardment terminals.

one gear up of wires coming in from the panel, another set going out to the bombardment

And of course, use marine form band terminals to fit over the battery posts. Every bit has been pointed out to me past some experts, you lot also want to include a fuse on the positive wire only earlier information technology hits the positive terminal on the battery. This makes for skilful protection of the circuit.

incoming positive wire attaches to positive terminal...

Well, that should end upward your solar panel gunkhole installation project.

FAQ: How much volition this whole solar panel projection toll?

Solar power for boats price breakdown

Morningstar SunSaver-10, Accuse Controller, 12V
about $lx

aluminum rails/plastic mounts/bolts/washers/zippo-ties
(or exercise it professional with the Renogy mounting Z Brackets)
about $20

marine class wire (ruddy and black) and terminals
$30

Price-wise, you should exist simply effectually $230 and yous haven't skimped on quality products.

Alright, that's about all you need to become set. $230 is a small price to pay for mounting solar panels on a sailboat. Plus, its an eco-friendly way to keep your batteries topped off.

It sure beats getting towed dorsum to port...

Okay - Good luck with your marine solar panel installation!

Capt. Curran

Oh and by the way...

If you are unsure about your electrical diet (aka. how much energy you require), I besides wrote up this page on how best to determine your solar panel wattage requirements. It's basically a guide to estimate how many watt/hours you'll be requiring on a typical day or week on the h2o. One time you lot've figured out how many watt/hours you require, you tin so determine how large a panel you lot'll need.

And...if you are interested in a portable solar generator. I have written this review of the best solar generators of 2022. These machines are basically fancy Lithium batteries that can receive a power input from an assortment of solar panels. Nigh of these models come with multiple ways to use the ability. Mostly, you will accept an Air-conditioning outlet, DC outlet and a USB port for phones and computers. These systems are keen for back-state travels, long boat trips or preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

I also want to share a groovy resource for the boaters that are facing the daunting task of establishing all the electrical wiring on their gunkhole. If y'all are starting from scratch and need a good tutorial on how to build your electrical circuit properly, then check out this thread on the Hull Truth site. You tin can glean a lot of cognition from this thread. Once you have the foundation of your electric circuit established, then y'all can thinking about adding on a solar panel.
Skillful luck!

Source: http://www.captaincurran.com/2014/10/diy-how-to-install-solar-panels-on-boat.html

Posted by: westmorelandhement.blogspot.com