Working out solar yield, self-sufficiency at anchor
Multiply the panel output by the hours of sunshine and by seventy-five per cent for efficiency.
Calculator
Two hundred watts peak with four good hours of sunshine gives around six hundred watt hours, which is fifty amp hours. That covers the fridge and the navigation gear, but it will not run an anchor windlass. In northern waters and in spring those four hours are optimistic, while in the Mediterranean in summer they are on the conservative side.
Panels on deck or on the pushpit are equipment and should be included in the sum insured. They sit exposed: storms, the shadow cast by the sheets, falling objects. A broken panel is a claim under the hull cover, provided an insured event caused it.
What is not covered is ageing. Panels lose output over the years, which is wear and tear and therefore a maintenance matter, not a claim.
Frequently asked questions
Are solar panels insured?
As permanently fitted equipment, yes, provided they are included in the sum insured.
Will solar cover my consumption on board?
Two hundred watts peak gives around fifty amp hours in four hours of sunshine, enough for refrigeration and navigation.
Worked out for your type of boat
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