We’ve successfully installed solar systems on both a sailing yacht and a large houseboat, equivalent to a small off-grid house. Particularly with the houseboat, and to a lesser extent with the yacht, we found that our suppliers often failed to ask the right questions, leading to costly mistakes. There’s also some uncertainty surrounding the optimal installation of lithium house batteries. Our goal is to empower you with a deeper understanding of solar systems for sailboats and help you avoid the pitfalls we encountered by asking the essential questions.

Solar system needs for a mono-hull sailing yacht are relatively straightforward, but space limitations for solar panel installation and modest domestic consumption requirements play significant roles. Catamarans, on the other hand, offer more space for sailing yacht solar panels, and electricity usage is typically higher, possibly including high-consumption appliances like dishwashers.

While we assume that all yachts have one battery setup for engine starting and another for domestic needs. If both banks are lead/acid then the engine alternator can charge both; if you opt for LifePo4 for domestic use, please Contact Us to discuss how best to charge them – your alternator is unlikely to be able to handle the load.