Monday, July 21, 2014

Solarland 65W Solar Panel Installation

So... we are still in Boston. We had 3 projects we wanted to finish before leaving the dock; install a solar panel, a macerator pump, and a self steering windvane.

The solar panel installation is finished. Although, it was a bit more involved than expected. I had to fabricate a mount for the panel which consisted of an aluminum tube slid over the lifeline, supported with brackets made from aluminum L-angles. Once the solar panel arrived from e marine systems, I cut more aluminum L-angles to make mounting surfaces on the bottom of the solar panel and attached the rail clamps.

The panel was heavier than expected and would flop down with the rail clamps fully tightened. It obviously needed a solid mohagony support extending from the deck.

I would have liked to extend the aluminum tube the entire distance between the stancions but I couldn't find one long enough.

The goal of the installation is to keep the fridge cold without having to start the engine to charge the batteries. We shall see...

Solarland 65W Solar Panel - Slim Design


The two empty screws are for a small external load (e.g. a fan or light) to run directly off the panel. Maybe it can power a micro margarita blender. 

The solar panel is rated for 3.78. I saw it make 3.3 amps at 11:30 am, but the sun isn't quite as high in Boston as in the carribean. Also, it's possible that the 0.5 amps were lost in the 12 ft of wiring or the $22 PWM solar controller. 




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