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Batteries on unattended boats discharge slowly, whether there is a current or not. Constant partial discharge is a death sentence for your battery. How to choose a solar system to keep your batteries up.
[SailNet, 21 December 2001]
A list of pros and cons for these two types of solar panel from a small-boat circumnavigator and life-aboard.
[Atom Voyages, USA]
Four-stage battery charger for solar electric sources, using pulse width modulation to increase/decrease charging to suit the battery′s state.
[Morningstar Corporation, Washington Crossing, PA, USA]
Multi-step battery charge controller for bulk, absorption, float and equalization charge cycles. Handles 12 and 24 Volts, includes battery temperature sensor. Also fixed-voltage regulators to control solar charging.
[CruzPro Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand]
Mono-crystalline and thin-film photovoltaic panels.
[Shell Solar B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands]
Makes the battery controller and monitor which handles charge regulation, load management, and measuring battery parameters, including power remaining and power consumed daily weekly, or monthly.
[SALT, Inc., Marathon, FL, USA]
Photovoltaic panels. Also sells controllers (battery chargers), batteries and inverters.
[Kyocera Solar Group, Scottsdale, AZ, USA]
Framed, flexible, or portable solar panels from 3 to 64 watts. Flexible models for deck or cabin-top mounting produce from 14 to 80 amp-hours per unite per week in sunny conditions. Rigid models are more powerful.
[United Solar Ovonic LLC, San Diego, CA, USA]
36-cell monocrystalline silicon panels in six sizes that produce up to 50 watts. Their site contains estimated output at various latitudes during various seasons.
[LVM Ltd., Arlesey, Bedfordshire, the UK]
As dealers for Kyocera, Shell/Siemens, and other solar electric generation systems and accessories, the company can help you choose and design a system.
[e-Marine, Inc., Ft Lauderdale, FL, USA]
Calculating Your Electrical Needs
A solar panel can charge a battery without noise or pollution, so it′s definitely the environmental thing to do. However, it′s not maintenance free.
Bob Schimmel
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