Solar Power

I used the PVwatts calculator to estimate the amount of solar power available.

I'm sailing around Vancouver at about 49 degrees North, and the solar panels are mounted vertically. Plugging those numbers into the calculator I get hourly power graphs like these when sailing due West (with the panels facing to starboard):

I'm actually getting less power in the summer when the sun is higher in the sky, because the panels are vertical. Sailing in different directions (SW, NW) the peak power is shifted earlier or later in the day. It's possible to pivot the panels somewhat with a "sheet" line so I should be able to do a bit better than the graphs suggest. For sailing east I will have to lower the panels and hoist them facing to port.


April 8th


July 11th


September 28th