Solar panels hung from guard rails

[laika]

Has anyone tried mounting thin solar panels (I'm thinking flexible for weight reasons) on some thin backing (aluminium sheet?) for hanging on guard rails like dodgers? I've seen such things for sale commercially for quite a lot of cash, but reckon this could be done pretty cheaply using one of the chinese suppliers who'll make up panels to your dimensions. My concerns are the weight (I don't really want to put a load of new steel work on the side of the boat to support it) and the windage. Anyone tried it and want to share their design?

 

[GrahamM376]

We used to have them on the guard wires before the gantry. Rigid in frame are best, both for output and handling. Usual method on guardwire is to use saddles to fix a piece of s steel tube to the panel, a plastic pipe is fed into this and then the guard wire threaded through. The panel can then be tilted either way beamwise and held in place with lines to the toe rail, adjusted to suit the sun's direction.

 

[oldvarnish]

There are solar panel mounts in the Plastimo catalogue- somewhere.
I seem to remember they were quite pricey, but they work.
I hang 2 x 85 watt Kyocera solid panels from the pushpit - one on either side. Very, very effective.

 

[William_H]

As the price of solar panels comes down it may become practical to mount the panels the way that is most convenient as opposed to most efficient and make up for the iefficiencies with more panels.
I was looking at some solar light bollards recently. They were made with about 30cms of solar panels below the light and totally vertical.on all 4 sides. Now this means that the panels are not so efficient not being angled to the sun and indeed those on the side facing away from the sun completely useless. And yet apparently in the big picture it was more cost effective to do this than make the bollard strange shaped to get panels closer to horizontal and also to get urk installers to align the panels toward the north. (south for you) Similarly buoys with lights on seem now days to have vertical panels facing all directions. Vertical panels not being susceptible to seagull mess and with panels on all sides no concern if buoy rotates.
So point being that yes it may be practical (cost wise) to have solar panels vertical as a dodger. You will only get a fraction of the power of the total solar rating but this may be acceptable. Definitely good for a swing mooring. good luck olewill

 

[simonfraser]

also depends when you want the output.
during the summer its never a problem, during the winter the sun is lower so vertical ish is better.
mine are mounted on the side of the cabin, works well.

 

[laika]

I didn't explain that very well: What I had in mind was something you hang like dodgers but then can be raised up to horizontal or an angle, either suspended on strings from above (which might cause issues with shadows from the strings?) or propped up on struts from below. I imagined them being vertical whilst on passage.

Aren't rigid ones to heavy for suspending from guard rails (as opposed to a solid pushpit)? I'll check out the plastimo catalogue. Must confess that I'm not sure what a "saddle" is in this context (my practical education is coming along but still lacking in the wood and metalworking areas).

 

[clyst]

I didn't explain that very well: What I had in mind was something you hang like dodgers but then can be raised up to horizontal or an angle, either suspended on strings from above (which might cause issues with shadows from the strings?) or propped up on struts from below. I imagined them being vertical whilst on passage.

Aren't rigid ones to heavy for suspending from guard rails (as opposed to a solid pushpit)? I'll check out the plastimo catalogue. Must confess that I'm not sure what a "saddle" is in this context (my practical education is coming along but still lacking in the wood and metalworking areas).

I have done exactly as you describe . I used framed panels . My guard wire is slightly smaller gauge than the thickness of two m6nuts . All I did was to fix some alloy box section (from B &Q) underneath the sides of the panels used the two nuts as spaces with the guard wire between . The panel can now be stowed inboard of the wire and pushed up and over when needed . The panels are then propped up to,what ever angle required . I use modified cut down lower part of a surgical crutch. Works a treat for me .

 

[Tradewinds]

This is what I did to hang a pair of old M55 Seimens panels either side.

Bought the tubes & end fittings from Seascrew. Adapted one end fitting to take an eyebolt which clamps on end of tube to stanchion head. The other end is a fork fitting which fits over the SS loop on the pushpit where the original guardwire was lashed. Shortened the guard wires. Made a strut arrangement to support the panels in various positions. No welding involved so can be easily dismantled. Kept the original guardwires in case I want to revert.

The Panel is fixed on the tube via the hand clamp fittings which can be tightened if necessary (to stop the panels flapping when in stored (hanging down position).

All the bits & pieces add up in cost though