Solar panels for heating water

[candr]

Does anyone have experience of solar panels/mats on boats?

[Hockham Admiral]

Does anyone have experience of solar panels/mats on boats?

 

They'll certainly keep your batteries topped up but as for heating water???

 

You need four of the big ones on a house roof to produce just 1 Kw and a very large invertor to translate 12VDC to 230V AC.

[candr]

Thank you.  That's helpful.

[JawsOrca]

Hi, 

 

If you mean using solar water heaters, I understand they are very very expensive and probably not a solution afloat.

 

We heat our water on our static houseboat using a Morco gas instant heater (http://www.cnfoutdoors.co.uk/morco-d61b-water-heater?gclid=CMCjhMz8rMYCFQ6WtAodkKcLqg) works well but you need a good pressure supply.  I'm not sure of the BSS implications as we are on a coastal mooring and don't require BSC.

 

Alternatives are diesel heaters.

 

[MauriceMynah]

Some years ago I saw a chap with what looked like a black bin liner on his roof. it was a solar water heater. A very simple device that was a black butyl rubber (I think) bag that absorbed sunlight or rather daylight to heat its contents, and a hose going in through the window.

He said it gave him water too hot to put his hand in. Never seen one since though!

[BrundallNavy]

Solar shower bags are very popular in Greece, we had one on PL but not always as successful.

Doug.

[RayandCarole]

http://www.offerscheck.org/crivit-solar-camping-showercamping-sink-water-container/lidl/2015/kw-25/254322

There you go

Ray & Carole

[ChrisB]

5 gallon Solar Sun Shower are available from force 4 @ £12.95.

Had one for years on my sailing cruiser. Absolutely brilliant for hot sunny days. Absolutely useless for the weather this summer.

[ChrisB]

P.S. Check out your camping shop first, bound to be a third cheaper.

[RayandCarole]

Think the Lidl one was 3.99

Picked one up last week

Ray & Carole

[ChrisB]

Vango and Gelert make them and the going rate in camp shops is £3 to £7.99.

Happy Showering,

Chris.

[Baitrunner]

We tried one of those, but found it didn't get very warm at all - obviously not enough direct sunlight. We also found it hard to find somewhere to hang it when full of water as it's pretty heavy.

 

SWMBO also refused to shower on the swim platform for some reason as well

 

I am always being told to have a cold shower as well, but I don't think that has anything to do with the original post!!

[ChrisB]

Definitely better when you have a mast and halyard to get a decent fall of water.

[Baitrunner]

Chris, I reckon it would give you a headache if you had the water bag at the top of this mast! Would need a darn long hose as well

 

http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=mirabella-v-1156

[Oddfellow]

PV Solar panels on boats are a nice idea, but the output per square inch is too low to be useful for anything other than maintaining charge during periods of absence from the boat. 

 

For Water Heating, the area needed to heat a 75l calorifier is likely to be bigger than the roof area available on the boat.  

[candr]

Thank you everybody, that was a useful chat. I think I will leave the engine to heat the water until I can get the calorifier converted to take shore power.

 

candr