Best Marine Solar Panels
When you are a boat owner, maintaining power levels can often be a problem because you are on the high seas and you can’t exactly refill. This is where the concept of marine solar panels comes in because they are brilliant for recharging you up or for allowing you to go off-grid entirely and get away from the constant expenditure of topping up a commercial generator.
The prices of solar panels have been falling in many countries including the US and the UK because governments want to encourage the sale of these panels so that carbon footprint can be lessened and it is easier and more cost-effective for people to change their power needs to clean, renewable energy. For boats sun exposure is almost a given which is what makes these solar panels such a great idea for cutting costs without cutting out onboard entertainment.
The first step to deciding which marine solar panels are the best is gauging your power needs and what you are most likely to spend electric power on when you are actually using the boat. If you boat is a commercial one then it probably needs to power equipment for fishing or research along with lights and maybe a cooking appliance if you are gone for days at a time. If you keep your boat purely for entertainment then of course internet, television and such things become important. Decide on a power output you are comfortable with and shop accordingly.
Specialists recommending always opting for a system which is going to give you at least 10% more than your requirements and this small margin is for emergencies which can definitely occur on a boat while it away from civilization. A good tip if you are an occasional boat user (such as one who only goes out on weekends) and are looking to save some money is to invest in a smaller package with less and cheaper solar panels and charge them out during the week and then use all the power for the day you will spend inside the boat. This also means no extra generator or battery cost.
Achieving the perfect balance with your marine solar panels is also a test since they will need to supply power during the day even though it will be minimal and still charge significantly well to provide for all your nighttime needs like lighting and internet usage and so on. Monocrystalline solar panels are the best choice for this as they charge faster and last longer. Furthermore install LED lights inside the boat as they use little power for maximum illumination.
The decision you have is either regular solar panels or flexible ones and both can be found in your material of choice. Flexible marine solar panels can be mounted anywhere with ease although they are known to last for a shorter period of time then the other ones. The regular solar panels need to be mounted onto the roof and space can sometimes be an issue.