Solar Panel on guardwires

[muzzaman]

Advice or creative ideas would be appreciated here.

I am going to place an 80w victronblue solar panel where the dodgers currently are on my Sadler 32. The panel will hang vertically down outside the dodger, effectively being hung from the guardwires itself, not from the pushpit (no room there).

The top of the panel will be attached to the guardwires and I want to be able swing the bottom of the panel upwards on two adjustable legs of some kind. These legs will act as supports at the bottom of the panel allowing me to vary the angle of the panel to the sun. Would anyone have any ideas as to where to obtain such an adjustable "leg"? Any other useful ideas would be great!

Murray.

 

[clyst]

I have two p&stbd in the position as you propose but instead of fixing the panels at the guard wire I have fixed them so that the guard wire is sandwiched between the pane frame and a strip of alloy from B&Q. Now the panels can be hung on the outside of the wire or pulled up and over to stow inboard . I have fixed/made short alloy legs so that when stowed inboard the panels are supported and not suspended on the wire .
To facilitate variable angles I have shortened a pair of old adjustable alloy crutches.(one per side). The set up works fine .

 

[oldvarnish]

Would anyone have any ideas as to where to obtain such an adjustable "leg"? Any other useful ideas would be great!

Murray.

I have similar panels hung from the cockpit but mounted on the side of the pushpin. The mounts I used came from the Plastimo catalogue

 

[muzzaman]

I have two p&stbd in the position as you propose but instead of fixing the panels at the guard wire I have fixed them so that the guard wire is sandwiched between the pane frame and a strip of alloy from B&Q. Now the panels can be hung on the outside of the wire or pulled up and over to stow inboard . I have fixed/made short alloy legs so that when stowed inboard the panels are supported and not suspended on the wire .
To facilitate variable angles I have shortened a pair of old adjustable alloy crutches.(one per side). The set up works fine .

If I am imagining this correctly is that one alloy strip running vertically or would you suggest two would be required? Thanks for response.

 

[VicMallows]

or pulled up and over to stow inboard .

Interested why you choose to stow them inboard? ... they would seem to be just as vulnerable to damage, but also unlikely to contribute any charge at all in the stowed position, and less aesthetic. Is it to facilitate the 'feet' you mention so that the load is taken off the guardwires?

(curious as have been considering guardrail mount for my two rigid panels which I currently lay on the coachroof when at anchor but have to remove when underway to prevent hindering the deck).

 

[clyst]

Hi guys let me try to explain ....... My panels are ridged ones in fact I have 3 giving me 300w ,the third is mounted across the dinghy Davits . .......Back to the P&STBD mounted ones .
My guard wire is slightly thinner than the thickness of two standard M6 nuts . Down each of the alloy frame of the panel I bolted lengths of u channel from B&Q using two M6nuts as spacers top and bottom on each side of the panel giving me a slot with the guard wire trapped inside so that the panel can now be slid up and down .
The reason for stowing inside is for protection from the elements when sailing. BTW my panels are sited over the dodgers .

 

[Koeketiene]

Advice or creative ideas would be appreciated here.

I am going to place an 80w victronblue solar panel where the dodgers currently are on my Sadler 32. The panel will hang vertically down outside the dodger, effectively being hung from the guardwires itself, not from the pushpit (no room there).

The top of the panel will be attached to the guardwires and I want to be able swing the bottom of the panel upwards on two adjustable legs of some kind. These legs will act as supports at the bottom of the panel allowing me to vary the angle of the panel to the sun. Would anyone have any ideas as to where to obtain such an adjustable "leg"? Any other useful ideas would be great!

Murray.

Picture below shows our setup.
Where the panels are, I had a hollow stainless tube fitted - the guardwire runs through them.
The tilt of the panels is adjustable - can tilt them to be fully horizontal if required (eg: when at anchor).
Cost came to about £90 per panel (we have four 100W panels - 2 either side)
If interested, I will try to find the invoice/supplier.

 

[TQA]

I did this going the low tech route. Tied the panel to the life line. used a piece of wood that was tied to the toe rail. The wood had slots cut into it to take the edge of the panel. On the underside of the wood were slots to take a bungee cord from the panel.

Sometimes I thought it should have had two pieces of wood one each end but in two years it never got loose.

 

[muzzaman]

Picture below shows our setup.
Where the panels are, I had a hollow stainless tube fitted - the guardwire runs through them.
The tilt of the panels is adjustable - can tilt them to be fully horizontal if required (eg: when at anchor).
Cost came to about £90 per panel (we have four 100W panels - 2 either side)
If interested, I will try to find the invoice/supplier.

That's an interesting idea with the S/S tube. You sau the tilt is adjustable - what do you use to facilitate this? I am imagining a couple of adjustable telescopic legs but can't quite think where to source these.

Great replies and suggestions all round though - thanks folks.

 

[Pagetslady]

Hi I have one 60 w panel mounted hanging vertically down from where my guard rail was from the pushpit to the next stanchion. I bought stainless fittings and 25 mm tube fixed d the tube between the pushpit and stanchion and with plastic fittings attached to the panel top frame and clamped around the tube I use a short piece of 1"x2" wood holds it in a horizontal plane. Works fine so well in fact that I have ordered another one the same today and will fit it as soon as it arrives, I also have an Air X wind turbine which I may well dispense with as if I get an avridge 7/8 amps out I may not need the noise maker on the stern. Stainless fittings from Seascrew excellent service and an amazing range.

 

[Koeketiene]

That's an interesting idea with the S/S tube. You say the tilt is adjustable - what do you use to facilitate this? I am imagining a couple of adjustable telescopic legs but can't quite think where to source these.

You can see the back of the panels in the video clip below.
You loosen the black knobs, tilt the panel to the desired angle and tighten the knobs again.

 

[muzzaman]

Thanks for posting this. They look like the NOA solar mounts that attach to S/S tubing - would this be right?

My panel is going to hang from the guardwires so I need some kind of adjustable supporting leg which is what I am struggling to find!

You can see the back of the panels in the video clip below.
You loosen the black knobs, tilt the panel to the desired angle and tighten the knobs again.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We have three panels , one on the S / S goal posts and one ever side on the guard wire , we can sail witH them out and only in any big seas do we fold them in , the only problem is there very rarely both work same time , one is normally shaded by the Bimini so you have to take this in account what size panels you are going to use .we looking at moving them else where now .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[typhoonNige]

We have a setup similar to OR4751 using NOA mounts on 25mm tube with twin 100w panels. The mountings allow the panels to be setup inside the guard-rail if required to avoid damage, and to be tilted as required. By using countersunk machine screws to attach the mounting rail at one edge the panels can be easily removed and stowed below if the weather really gets nasty. Just needs a couple of waterproof connectors on the cables. There is some shading of one panel some of the time, but still plenty of output for our needs, more so now we are at 28N!

 

[vyv_cox]

The other issue with guardwire mounted panels is that if you are stern to the quay and the space next to you is empty then you live in fear of another boat suddenly arriving and wiping out your panel. If you fold it down you lose input and it is still vulnerable to any numpty who has his outboard stowed on the side of his pushpit - or as I had the other day a boat which had its liferaft mounted there which nearly wiped out our stanchions.

Yes. In the past ten years three of my stanchions have been severely bent and replaced. I confess that one of them was done by me, berthing in Sardinia stern-to in a near gale, but the other two were bent by collisions with other boats as they berthed. I would think that solar panels mounted on or near those stanchions would have been destroyed.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Personally, when I had panels mounted on the pushpit, I found them a real pain, as warps kept snagging on them when coming alongside.

 

[typhoonNige]

Yes. In the past ten years three of my stanchions have been severely bent and replaced. I confess that one of them was done by me, berthing in Sardinia stern-to in a near gale, but the other two were bent by collisions with other boats as they berthed. I would think that solar panels mounted on or near those stanchions would have been destroyed.

The 25mm tube on which our panels are mounted goes from the pushpit to a gate stanchion fitted to give the whole setup rigidity. Making the panels easily removable was also a priority so that they are taken off when vulnerable. Works for us and in our case was much simpler and cheaper than an arch over the stern. Even so the panels were cheaper than the mounting hardware!

 

[Koeketiene]

Personally, when I had panels mounted on the pushpit, I found them a real pain, as warps kept snagging on them when coming alongside.

Can't say we've had similar problems.

 

[NornaBiron]

We used ss angle bar attached with exhaust brackets to the stanchios and running along the top guard wire. Then screwed the panel frame to this. The legs are telescopic hatch supports. They work very well and have been in situ for four years with no problems.

 

[KAM]

The panels are so cheap now I thought it was not worth getting too hung up about shading or adjustable angles. I have 4 x 20 w semi flexible panels dotted about the boat. 2 are mounted on bi wall polycarbonate sheets which are very light and attach to the self steering gear with a couple of U clamps. 2 lie on deck forward of the spray hood. Very pleased with the results. I have already ditched the noisy wind turbine. I would like to glue the two deck mounted panels down but not sure how to do this without worrying about water getting under the panel.