You don’t have to be an eco warrior to see the advantages of using marine solar power. Marine solar panels are a tried and tested way of providing cheap, green power for boats.
With the development of boating electronics, having photovoltaic solar panels installed means you can run pumps, lights, fridges, autopilots, GPS and more without needing to keep using the engine to charge the boat’s batteries.
Because of this, it means:
- quieter boating
- cheaper on fuel
- less reliance on expensive marina berths with plug-in electricity
- more freedom, flexibility and peace of mind
Modern marine solar panels are smaller and lighter and can generate more power than ever before.
They also still work in dim conditions without direct sunlight, so are ideal for UK sailing conditions as well as blue sky boating. They can trickle charge boat batteries whenever there is visible light.
For an eco, practical boating power solution, installing marine solar panels is the obvious choice.
Traditional solar marine panels
Traditional rigid marine solar panel kits range from around 60-150W. The smaller models are ideal for running a boat’s interior lights and water pump, while the larger models are good for larger boats and can support appliances like TVs and laptops.
Prices range from around £450 to more than £900 for the largest kits.
Semi flexible marine solar panels
Semi-flexible solar panels combine robustness with flexibility, and can be attached with glue, screws or even velcro flat to your boat’s deck or to almost any gently curved surface. They are:
- fully weatherproof
- can be walked on
- glued down or fixed using screw holes
- no sharp edges
- wide range of sizes and power, although tend to be lower power models ideal for keeping batteries topped up
Flexible marine solar panels
Fully flexible marine solar panels are very versatile. They can be wrapped around uneven surfaces practically anywhere on your boat and rolled up when not in use.
Flexible panels tend to be lower wattage, so while they are very versatile you can’t expect them to produce as much power as semi-flexible or rigid marine solar panels.
Prices range from about £150 for a 7W panel to £325 for a 21W model.
Combine solar marine panels with energy savings
At Green Abode, we firmly believe that there are two sides to green energy. Firstly is reducing your power usage, and secondly is using eco-friendly power sources.
So as well as installing green solar panels to your boat, you should take a good look at overall power consumption, switching to more energy efficient appliances and instruments:
- switch to more energy efficient LCD TVs
- use T-class stereo amplifiers
- install LED and CFL lights
- think about using more DC power instead of using AC power invertors
- simply switch off lights, appliances and instrument when they’re not in use
Reducing your overall need for power will mean you need smaller solar panels and much less drain on your batteries – a winning combination.
ebay Marine Solar Panels
has a a complete range of solar panels suitable for boats. Flexible, Semi-flexible and traditional available at bargain prices.
ebay Marine Solar Panels >>
.