Open Waters Solar Flexible Panels

Open Waters Solar Flexible Panels

Simon Angus wanted a boat that he could move easily to a destination, so he built a modular 40-foot all-carbon electrically propelled catamaran. The twin-hulled vessel could be broken down to fit in a shipping container and be re-assembled with the use of a crane. His goal for the boat was to make as self-sufficient as possible so he equipped it with 16 110-watt semi-flexible solar panels. “On day one, they were great and we were generating a huge amount of power,” says Angus. After a year, however, the power output dropped to 60% to 70%. “The biggest issue with…
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Electronic prime directive #1: Take care of your boat’s electron source, no electrons = no electronics!

In today's computerized age of networked electronic systems representing a veritable alphabet soup of acronyms (GPS, ECDIS, AIS, VHF-DSC, ARPA, GMDSS-to name a few) it is more important than ever to make sure that your boat's electrical system is in good working order. Electronics thrive on good clean power. Problems such as voltage surges, sags, transients, and momentary interruptions can cause system failures. The best way to protect vital electronic loads from temporary bad power glitches is with a good old uninterruptible power supply (UPS). There are even power strips available from computer companies that can help protect your PC.…
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