Where to site my solar panel

[jimbouy]

Have started fitting simple electrics to my leisure 17. Mounted a battery tray and straps in the aft locker and started running cables.

Now i am wondering where to mount my solar panel.

Two options seem to be, bearing in mind she is small and lacking in space.
1) Flat on the lid of the aft locker.

2) Make up a bracket that would allow me to clamp it to one of the rails at an angle.

Any thoughts


Jimbouy

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[Alex_Blackwood]

Bearing in mind the time of year and assuming that you are alongside and not swinging around a mooring. You need to maximise the light you will get on your panel. In simple terms I would think it would need to be facing South and free from shadow. A slight angle may help, in that it will allow rain and gunge to run off as much as maximising the light available.
P.S. Try to keep cable runs as short as possible to prevent volt drop in the run. For the same reason make sure you use as big a cable as possible. Your instructions for the panel should include cable recomendations. Don't skimp!
OK. So you are on a buoy! You may have to keep it flat to maximise the light. It is probably best facing the Sun but if it is flat and clear of shadow then that may be the best compromise. You could always have two panels, ^, just like that! Connected in parallel!

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Alex_Blackwood on 27/10/2003 16:53 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[jimbouy]

I should have said that she will eventually be on a swinging mooring.


Jimbouy

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[yoda]

Mine is on the Fore hatch which works well, just a thought.

Yoda

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[duckmanton]

am l missing some thing, do you actualy get sun up there.

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