Solar panel maintenance & potential issues

[baz]

Subject: Solar panel maintenance & potential issues

Not having a solar panel ever I'm wondering are there issues I should be aware of ?

1) Keeping the glass surface clean from crud, bird droppings
2) Checking for cracks in glass surface
3) Exposure issues due to sun and weather (cables/connectors/sealant strips etc)
4) Operational failures; what have there been if any
5) Insufficient battery charging
6) Durability and useful life span
7) Easy to replace panel when its time to do so
8) Does the solar panel carry/offer a warranty and if so, how long, and is panel guaranteed to perform to not go lower than say 80% from its new condition ?
9) On a cloudy day how much is the charging performance decreased by ?
10) Does RT install a solar panel charging display showing the power output from the solar panel ?
11) If the RT has 4 batteries; one for thruster, two for house and one for engine start, do all of them receive charging power and how is it distributed between the batteries ?

Thanks for any insights to these questions/issues. 🙂

 

[Red Raven]

Hi Barry. My experience only. Personally, I will never buy another boat without solar. Prices are now very reasonable and when we anchor out the solar is critical, especially when we visit friends on shore all day and have the refrigerator running on the boat!

1) Keeping the glass surface clean from crud, bird droppings. Yes in theory but I don't worry about it. Just spray it down with fresh water when we return to the dock.
2) Checking for cracks in glass surface. yes but never had a problem
3) Exposure issues due to sun and weather (cables/connectors/sealant strips etc) never had a problem
4) Operational failures; what have there been if any none
5) Insufficient battery charging it all depends on your load and how much sun you have. We added a second panel because we have a 12V chest freezer
6) Durability and useful life span you can look this up on the manufacturers website. Essentially they are extremely durable but the power output does degrade over time
7) Easy to replace panel when its time to do soyes, we haven't replaced but did add another to the same controller. Based on that it would be a simple process to replace as long as you can get to the bolts.
8) Does the solar panel carry/offer a warranty and if so, how long, and is panel guaranteed to perform to not go lower than say 80% from its new condition ? I don't remember the details. They do degrade over time so I doubt that is covered. I would expect at least 80% degradation over time. Considering the cost of one panel is the same as one AGM battery and the battery is less reliable and only lasts 3/4 years I don't worry about the panel.
9) On a cloudy day how much is the charging performance decreased by? A lot. From 3:1 to 10:1 depending on the cloud cover/ rain etc.
10) Does RT install a solar panel charging display showing the power output from the solar panel? Yes, on our R27 but it does not actually show Power, only Amps and AH, but that is all you need.
11) If the RT has 4 batteries; one for thruster, two for house and one for engine start, do all of them receive charging power and how is it distributed between the batteries. The controller only manages two banks and you can set the distribution to either 50/50 or 90/10. Thus the thruster battery will get charged after the engine and house are charged through the ACR.

 

[baz]

Red Raven: Thank you for those personal insights etc. Yes, there are several places I visit where I don't connect to shore power, so a solar battery charger would be beneficial. From my research the solar panel should stay operational for 10 to 20 years if maintained properly.

 

[S. Todd]

I concur with the comments by Red Raven. On our third trip out with our 2015 we were in a summer time hail storm that sounded like it was seriously beating the tug and might break some hatches (hail was probably all less than nickle size). When the storm was over there was no evidence of any damage to the solar panel or any other aspects of the boat. We spent the week without shore power and enjoyed the refrigerator the entire week (including the eight hour tow to the lake), although we did cruise somewhere a little each day which supplemented the battery charging. If I purchase another boat it will also have a solar panel. There is no downside to having a solar panel that I can think of.

 

[jemsbond54]

Subject: Solar panel maintenance & potential issues

Not having a solar panel ever I'm wondering are there issues I should be aware of ?

1) Keeping the glass surface clean from crud, bird droppings
2) Checking for cracks in glass surface
3) Exposure issues due to sun and weather (cables/connectors/sealant strips etc)
4) Operational failures; what have there been if any
5) Insufficient battery charging
6) Durability and useful life span
7) Easy to replace panel when its time to do so
8) Does the solar panel carry/offer a warranty and if so, how long, and is panel guaranteed to perform to not go lower than say 80% from its new condition ?
9) On a cloudy day how much is the charging performance decreased by ?
10) Does RT install a solar panel charging display showing the power output from the solar panel ?
11) If the RT has 4 batteries; one for thruster, two for house and one for engine start, do all of them receive charging power and how is it distributed between the batteries ?

Thanks for any insights to these questions/issues. 🙂

 

[jemsbond54]

I concur with the comments by Red Raven. On our third trip out with our 2015 we were in a summer time hail storm that sounded like it was seriously beating the tug and might break some hatches (hail was probably all less than nickle size). When the storm was over there was no evidence of any damage to the Solar Panel Maintenance experts or any other aspects of the boat. We spent the week without shore power and enjoyed the refrigerator the entire week (including the eight hour tow to the lake), although we did cruise somewhere a little each day which supplemented the battery charging. If I purchase another boat it will also have a solar panel. There is no downside to having a solar panel that I can think of.

Hello S. Todd,

Solar panels are made of tempered glass, so they’re built to withstand hail and other rough weather. With the exception of tracking mounts, solar panel systems don’t have movable parts, which cuts down on the possibility of any problems.
Any issues with solar panel performance are usually related to electricity production, which is why most installers recommend monitoring your system’s production. By paying attention to changes in production, you can identify and address issues proactively.
Generally, solar panels don’t need to be cleaned. If you live somewhere where there is a lot of smog, dust, or dirt, you may see a dip in your production over time that can be remedied by cleaning your panels. If your panels are mounted on your roof, however, your best option is to hire a professional cleaning service rather than try to clean them yourself. Your installer will be able to recommend someone local to help you.