Saturday, March 07, 2009

Boat Solar Panels - Alternative Way of Powering up Boats

If you own a boat or any form of small vessel that you use to enjoy both the cool and roughness of the sees, would you consider running it on boat solar panels? The fact is that not many people are using the energy from the sun to power their boats. For one thing, the  panels would be hard to use during night time, since the sun will not be out. Of course, the best thing to do is make sure that the device collects as much power during the day, in order to run the boat during nighttime.



However, there are now a number of boats that run some of the vessel’s small appliances such as fans, ovens, cookers and lights through the energy harnessed from the sun. For consumers who might be interested, there are many boat specialty shops that sell efficient, yet affordable kits to create alternative sun energy that is enough to provide power to the boat's requirements, even if only partially. A lot of these do-it-yourself kits are very effective, being able to make use of the latest in sun power technology. If you have such device, even if just the portable one which mainly consists of PV panel and wire components, this is enough to run your small devices in the vessel.

It is a good thing that more and more boat owners have realized the potentials and benefits of alternative power from the sun, with a great number already using these reliable and efficient boat solar panels to power as much as they can on the boat, rather than utilizing diesel. It is a known fact that the utilization of this popular alternative energy is a boon to the environment as no pollutions is ever caused with the use of photovoltaic panel devices.

Another great advantage of such a device is that it works quietly while providing power to run the vessel. On the other hand, this is not the case when it comes to diesel run types, which tend to produce noise, which is definitely irritating to users of the boat. Not only do they produce and emit toxic fumes and chemicals, which clearly pollutes the seas and air, but they also create what is called noise pollution, which is considered to be a nuisance to sea passengers.

Just a tip when using this device to power up your vessel: Whenever installing your gadget, you must see to it that it is 100% secure in its place. You never know if you will encounter any extreme weather condition such as high waves and rough winds while sailing the oceans. This will definitely cause instability of your boat as it sail along. See to it that mounting kits of your boat solar panels are used correctly to secure it in its proper place. Image credit: Solar panel on a house boat by Hans and Carolyn

105 comments:

SolarLad said...

Boating is definitely a great opportunity to get your feet wet in the solar power lake. It's sunny (hopefully), most of the appliances don't require too much power, and there are many products specifically designed for boaters.

Unknown said...

Wow.. that's awesome. Combine that with a beer can solar collector for heating in the early spring or later fall and you're all set!
http://energy4power.blogspot.com/2009/03/solar-energy-from-beer-drinking.html

Tamar Vart said...

The only problem i can foresee is many solar panels are only warranted if they are installed a certain distance from the water. Basically since they do have such long warranties (25 years usually) proximity to water will lead to rust issues. But there are exceptions, so folks should be careful before they install to make sure they're covered.

Anonymous said...

Excellent Idea!
I Buy Solar Panels

Unknown said...

Nice write up. would you mind if I shared this at the solar transportation forum on http://www.solarpaneltalk.com?

James said...

The best plans for building solar panels can be found at The Solar Powered Home.

Way2Green said...

Don't you think the solar energy generated might not as strong as from fossil fuel?

Mani said...

Good info but i like to know how much the installation cost.
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Bala said...

Good info thanks for sharing

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Anonymous said...

Hi,

Thank You Very Much for sharing this helpful informative article here.

-- earth4energy | home made energy

Sara said...

You can build your own Solar Panels, saving $10,000’s off of retail price?

Almost anyone can do this, even if they have no solar experience.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I truly believe solar and all alternate energy sources are the key to our future as human beings. This blog is a great example.

Have you heard about building your own DIY solar panels by chance? Check out this product review of earth4energy and let me know what you think... Think it works?

Unknown said...

Thank You Very Much for sharing
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Blair Stephens said...

There are a lot of great resources out on the web about renewables and marine applications.

There are specific types of solar panels, batteries and components that are specifically developed for this kind of application.

Check out: http://www.altestore.com/howto/Solar-Power-Residential-Mobile-PV/Mobile-Power-Systems/c28/

Unknown said...

Building your own solar panels is pure nonsense, don't waste your time exploring this.

Ray C. Parrish said...

I have friends that use the 12 volt coolers on their boats and walk them into camp to plug into small Harbor Freight Systems or the Sunforce system from Costco. Very cool when they use to tote around gas burning generators for the same thing.

Dave said...

I love this blog. Boats, solar panels and i never thought of the two together. I have a 36 foot cruise boat, and there would be a perfect spot for a few solar panels ontop of the fly-bridge (and unless you are looking from above, you probably wouldn't even know it exested).

Thanks for the insite!

Dave
Make your own Solar Panels

HimuRa KensHin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
HimuRa KensHin said...

We truly need to become energy independent and stop wasting time on this small “band-aids” that will not solve the whole problem.

We should completely forget about using oil as fuel, and boost electricty production. If nearly every home owner could conserve energy and produce some of their own electricity then we might not need nuclear. The first things that need to change are the attitudes of the people and the government.

http://bit.ly/solar-power-energy-for-home

StuartWards.com said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
StuartWards.com said...

Very interesting. Good to see that solar panels are coming into their own now in so many more areas of life. http://www.g00d0il.com/solar

Steve said...

Hey, I’m a new blogger you can find here at solarlightssite.com, and your site is very related to mine; I thought it would be beneficial for both of us to do a blogroll link exchange. Please let me know if you’re interested.

Pamela said...

This idea is good. people need to be aware that the usage of Solar Panels in this way will be very useful for the coming generations. this prevents the misuse of lots of petrol and diesel.

Aleks Kos said...

A basic solar installation from a retailer can take 30 years to pay back and cost you well over $20,000?
I just made my own solar panel. It was so simple and looks just like a bought panel.
I managed to build 4 solar panels for under $200!
For more datailed information click HERE

Eric_Lam said...

Combine that with a beer can solar collector for heating in the early spring or later fall
Boating is definitely a great opportunity to get your feet wet in the solar power lake.
Excellent Idea!

Homemade Solar Energy

Dahmood Savaak said...

The best kind of mounts for most boats are adjustable tracking mounts. You can learn more at this handy Solar Panel Mounts Guide.

Fieldstone said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fieldstone said...

If anybody is looking for more information on how to make solar panels, here is a great resource for smart people who are sick of paying too much http://solar-windenergy.info/ - this kind of thing is especially useful in these tough economic times. Highly recommended. So solar wind energy is a great resource for how to make a solar panel
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Markaz said...

i think this is a very green trend, more so because boats emit plenty of co2. i'd love to see this gain popularity in fishing boats in less developed countries eventually.

X said...

Solar panel system or any solar power generator is a MUST HAVE if you're planning to sail around the world. Imagine getting into some kinda trouble and running out of diesel.. Not much of a problem for small-time sailors though.

Check this out, tells you how to make solar panels
Earth4Energy

Didem and Kirthi said...

I'm glad that boats are using solar panels: They don't pollute the water. I was wondering: where on your blog does it tell how to make a homemade solar panel?
-Kirthi

Didem and Kirthi said...

oh, please e-mail globalpeace8@yahoo.com for the answer. Thanks for your time!

EoghanC said...

Love the shot of the boat! wouldn't like to see it go under any low bridges though!

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Prescott said...

I'm trying to get a hold of whoever runs this blog, i've got some stuff i'd like to show you. do you have an email adress or something?

Unknown said...

Alot of people are also installing a hybrid system with a wind turbine to optimise their energy production. A great, self-sustainable way of generating energy.

chalacuna said...

Solar energy is free and is the least form of energy that is being utilised to power our homes. The initial cost of the panels is now very competitive and affordable.

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Gprofessionals said...

This is great to know about the solar power driven boats. I was not aware of such kind of boats. I think this technology is very advanced that boats can run normally even at the night time.
Solar Energy

Unknown said...

This is so cool, I would love to power some of my appliances with solar, but I don’t know how.
Home solar panels

Unknown said...

My friend has a boat he actually DIY all the solar stuff around his house and I thought that it is so cool.
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mikesac said...

This should be an excellent way of utilizing the solar energy indeed.it would save a lot of costs too.great find from research and great implementation indeed.

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Eric_Lam said...

This is very good appliance ,the boat can be use sunlight energy , this is convenient for many no power place.

thank you for sharing

Build Your Own Solar Panel

Kperez said...

Solar powered boats is a great idea! Especially the fact that majority of the times, boats are out in the sun! :) Another great solar idea! way to go :)

Kristine
www.sunetric.com

GreenEnergyFeed said...

I am working towards a complete off gird and sustainable RV setup which is quite exciting. A solar house boat might be the next step! Especially with a renewable energy resource as the foundation of your home. All of your water needs are handled. Throw up some wind turbines for flare and some energy. Put your solar panels on some trackers and fish and drink beer from your porch off the grid with 0 travel time.

... one can dream :o)

why you need solar panels said...

Very good write up, and it obviously makes sense having the solar panels on a boat.
kind regards
harry

Unknown said...

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Cassie said...

For sure, boating can be one of the most relaxing way to spice up a very stressful weekend.. :) It's a good thing that these solar panel boats exist, as it can save a lot of energy..

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mikesac said...

It is great to have a solar panel and use the energy for various needs of the house.The boat that uses this energy is awesome.I think the most common ones are room and water heating.
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yartech solar systems said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Finding alternate solutions to energy is now a financially viable option and more and more companies and people are now looking to things like solar energy which is really good!

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Rosie said...

Wow, this is just another example of how solar has many applicatons.

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Unknown said...

Really nice job man,we know the solar energy advantages are so many.We should be aware about using of pv cell,we can use it where there is no chance of electricity even.

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mikesac said...

This is very good idea indeed.The energy that is always available to the boats is used up for a better and energy sufficient usage.
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webmaster said...

Hi

marine solar panels works in 3 modes. in the first mode it collects sunlight and produce a charge for you. in the second mode it would charge the controler. and in third mode panels chrge the battries to store the energy however it's exact functioning can be known with solar simulator software.

jack said...

Great story! What an interesting spin, I doubt many peoeple think of putting solar panels on boats. The photos add a lot.

I love how you said, "It is a good thing that some boat owners have seen the potential of solar power, that’s why they use boat solar panels to power as much as they can on the boat, rather than utilizing diesel. It is a known fact that the utilization of solar energy is a boon to the environment as no pollutions is ever caused with the use of photovoltaic panel devices."

Diesel is something we really need to move away from in the decades to come. I believe as the technology improves, as it is sure to in the coming years, prices will go down and efficiency will go up. I am thinking that many other homeowners will realize how beneficial it is to install solar panels. And it’s a fun project, too.

I should know, I am a business owner who recently made the switch to solar energy. I am saving a TON of money on my monthly energy bills since I switch to solar power.

Here’s more of my story for those who are interested:

http://www.keepers-storage.com/20100921-self-storage-goes-green-with-solar-panels/

Love your blog, keep it up!

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Unknown said...

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dreamfab said...

Hello, I am from France.

I'm happy to see that project, because want also to add solar panel on a boat (a Péniche).

I have find Sunelec.com wich seems to sell grat material to a low price, dose anybody here hade already buy something to theime?

Thank you,

Fabien

dreamfab said...

Hello, I'm from France. I work actually on a special solar systeme on a boat, and I will buy some solar panels.

I need precisly what I want and I have see the material that I need at the lowest price on http://sunelec.com/ .

I need to find some reviews about it, so, dose anybody here had already deal with them?

Thank you for your help,

Fabien

SPWS said...

There is lots of sunlight in the ocean and using small solar panels in your boat is really great. I will apply this technology to my own boat.

Unknown said...

it is fantastic people are coming up with creative ways to tap solar energy for use, this underscores the many solar energy advantages that we can productively harness.

you can find more objective information of real users of solar panel electricity in your neighborhood and find out what they have to say about solar energy advantages

SPWS said...

Boat owners should use solar panel to power up their boats. This is very good because boats are always exposed to sunlight during the day.
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Jacklewis said...

Awesome ideas, interesting and informative article. thanks for sharing along such an useful idea with us here!!!

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Hvacservice said...

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