Marine Solar Power
Winter Solar Charging for Stored Boats
A small tilted solar panel keeps a stored boat's battery charged all winter, stopping sulfation and saving you from buying new lead…
Marine Solar Power
Solar Wiring and Fusing Checklist
A step-by-step solar wiring and fusing checklist for boat owners, covering wire size, fuse placement, marine cable, and a final pre-close walk-through.
Marine Solar Power
Portable vs Fixed Boat Solar Panels
A dockside, head-to-head look at portable vs fixed boat solar panels, with real output numbers and a clear pick for how you…
Marine Solar Power
Bilge and House Loads on Solar Overnight
Panels do nothing at 2 a.m. Here is how to size the battery for the bilge pump, fridge, and house loads that…
Marine Solar Power
Solar Panel Wattage You Actually Get
Why your 100 watt marine panel really makes about 68 watts, where the losses hide, and how to size a boat solar…
Marine Solar Power
Marine Solar Cost and Payback
What marine solar really costs, from a $180 maintenance panel to a $6,000 cruising array, plus how many seasons it takes to…
Marine Solar Power
Keeping the Fridge Running on Solar
One boat, a hungry compressor fridge, and a solar setup that kept it cold at anchor for five straight nights. The numbers,…
Marine Solar Power
Solar Charge Controller Sizing Made Simple
A plain-language walkthrough for sizing your boat's solar charge controller using array watts, battery voltage, and short-circuit current.
Marine Solar Power
Marine Solar Myths Worth Ignoring
A 100-watt panel does not make 100 watts, and clouds do not stop charging. The real numbers behind the most common marine…
Marine Solar Power
6 Marine Solar Install Mistakes
Six marine solar install mistakes that waste power on boats, from thin wire and shading to bad fusing, with a clear fix…
Marine Solar Power
Wiring Solar Panels in Series or Parallel
Series adds voltage, parallel adds current. A hands-on guide to wiring a boat solar array the right way, with worked numbers and…
Marine Solar Power
Do Boat Solar Panels Work in Shade?
Boat solar panels still make power in shade, just far less than you would hope. Here is how much you lose and…