Tips - Flexible or Rigid Solar Panel for a Boat
Transcript is auto-generated.
(tranquil music) - Hi, Jeff Cote here with Pacific Yacht Systems. Another really popular question that we get asked countless times and people are always wondering as boaters, Jeff, what should I do? Am I gonna go rigid, or am I gonna go flexible, and what's better? Well here we've got an example of a panel right in front of us. This panel is 120 watts. And lo and behold, this is also a 120 watt panel. They're both 120 watts. One is rigid and one is flexible. You can see the difference of the flexible panel. You know it's about the thickness of a dime. Right, they're both producing 120 watts so they're both actually mono panels for the size. And so as a owner or a boater you've got to ask yourself, well why would I actually want one over the other? The mounting options for a rigid panel are more limited on a boat. It's not obvious where you're gonna mount a rigid panel on a canvas or on a hardtop. You're gonna need to create some sort of structure. So that's where a flexible panel provides a lot of advantages. But if you already have an arch or you already have a structure or you have a Bimini or you have a dodger that has stainless steel railings on top or you want to install a panel on your railings on the side of your boat, then a rigid panel offers the same amount of wattage for almost half or a third of the price. So you're gonna pay a premium to have a panel that is this thin versus having, and that weighs maybe four pounds, versus a panel that weighs 30, 40 pounds. So that's sort of the choice that you have in making a decision for your boat. Am I gonna go with a flexible solar panel that is exactly the same size as a rigid panel? The only difference is the weight and the mounting options are easier with this than with a rigid panel. If you've got further questions on solar panels, look at all our videos and feel free to reach out to Pacific Yacht Systems. Thanks for watching.
